Hill-Walking Trousers
Posted by outdoormole on Mar 14, 2009Buying a pair of versatile outdoor trousers needn’t be a chore. If you want a pair for all eventualities, hill-walking trousers complete with their built-in stretch panels and hard-wearing materials are great for walking, scrambling or climbing.
Having your movement restricted when you’re half way up a mountain is never ideal and can be dangerous so trousers made with fabric that will stretch both vertically and horizontally is ideal, and being able to squat, bend and move your legs wide apart while wearing them without too much pressure on the knees or crotch is preferable.
Some trousers have panels that are made of tougher fabric in key wear areas such as on the knees to increase the trousers longevity. As ever with outdoor gear ventilation is important to ensure you don’t overheat while exerting yourself. The legs should have some vents and the pockets should be mesh lined to allow you to cool down.
Pockets with zips to keep valuables safe are useful as are larger pockets that can accommodate your map. Ankle cuffs should be adjustable where possible and should be worn to sit over your boots to avoid them catching grit and small stones as you move up the hill – otherwise you can wear gaiters to prevent this, because sometimes there’s nothing worse than having a stone in your boot when you know it’s going to take what seems like a lifetime unlacing them, emptying them out and lacing them back up again in order to resume your walk.
