UKC

Everyone likes a pair of jeans that you can climb in, but still look good down the pub - and the Mercury Jeans certainly tick those boxes. But are they just too nice to trash on a crag?

Read more

In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

£75.00!!!!! :-0

In reply to Christheclimber:

Seems a perfectly reasonable price.

In reply to Christheclimber:

Yeah but they ain't your average jeans! They're 'Transitional organic jeans'

To be fair £75 ain't bad if they last. I've been through 4 pairs of the £27 decathlon ones which aren't actually jeans but are just so nice to climb in. Ended up buying some moon ones which seem pretty bomb proof but nowhere near as comfy as the decathlon ones. 

In reply to Pedro50:

Yep, looking at Moon and Prana offerings, that's about the market price. 

In reply to snoop6060:

I managed about four years out of my old Alpkit jeans before killing the knees and about the same lifespan out of my Prana jeans that have just gone through. 

Twice the price of normal jeans but I've worn mine for everyday use as well as gritstone climbing and they owe me nothing. In fact, I've just ordered a replacement pair. Comfy and stretchy enough for climbing without resorting to Ron Hills (shudders).

In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

The first sentence is factually incorrect

In reply to angry pirate:

Are you recommending the alpkit ones, the prana ones, or both?

In reply to Robert Durran:

Sorry Robert. Fixed that for you.

In reply to Si dH:

Do they still make the alpkit ones?

In anycase I wish someone would just make a pair with an elasticated waist like the old decathlon ones. Having all the buttons, zips, belt loops and even a belt under your harness is a pain in the arse. 

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Thanks. I would hate to be lumped in with gullible fashion victims

In reply to snoop6060:

The answer,of course, is to wear something suitable and practical for climbing rather than jeans.

 

In reply to Si dH:

Sorry, I wasn't very clear.

 I loved the Alpkit ones but sadly they stopped making them years ago. 

The Prana Axioms are ace and are my go to now.

In reply to angry pirate:

Rab Copperheads are also good stretchy jeans you can climb in.

In reply to Robert Durran:

Whaaaat??

I reckon I do 99% of my climbing in jeans (albeit climbing orientated stretchy jeans such as the ones reviewed) throughout the winter and I can't think of anything better. They're hard wearing, keep your legs adequately warm, stretch, and if cut well don't even need to stretch that much. They're also quite grabby on the rock, which is excellent if you're on a friction based rock type such as grit or sandstone. Weight-wise they're no heavier than some of the winter weight pants that are out there, but these can often feel too warm/restrictive for bouldering.

In short Rob, you're wrong

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

To resolve the dispute, may I point out that nether-region wear only counts as "jeans" if made of denim, and these are not.  Indeed:

"Despite the name, and the look, these are not jeans as I'd usually understand the term. Instead of the usual stiff, scritchy denim feel that you'd associate with jeans, the fabric is soft and forgiving."

So Rob is correct in deprecating jeans, and others are correct in lauding trousers of the sort in the review! 

[PS The fact that "return" gives a new paragraph rather than a line break is very counter-intuitive and rather annoying!]

In reply to Coel Hellier:

Have a like simply for the use of the term 'nether-region wear'

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

You could use a non controversial term like "A Pant"

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

No, in short Rob, it's you who's wrong

Proper jeans are about the worst choice of trousers for climbing. At some point posers started climbing in them as if to say "look at me, I'm so good that I can climb better than you despite the restictiveness of these completely impractical jeans". Of course the jeans were, in reality, holding their climbing back, so a market was created for trousers which superficially look like jeans, thus allowing the posers to pose, but without actually restricting their climbing. So now what people refer to as climbing jeans are, as Coel pointed out, not actually jeans at all but overpriced accessories for fashion victims and would be posers.

 

In reply to Robert Durran:

Would I be more correct if I re-worded my overly harsh accusation to "nether-region wear masquerading as jeans, but not actually jeans, despite looking and feeling quite like jeans" or should I just admit defeat?

Thinking about it, I admit defeat... 

In reply to snoop6060:

"Yeah but they ain't your average jeans! They're 'Transitional organic jeans' "

If they are using "transitional cotton" then it should not be advertised as organic. Just another company jumping on the marketing benefits of claiming they care about the environment. 

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

Leave out "and feeling" and you are spot on.

And I claim victory

 

In reply to kmhphoto:

The blurb could almost be mistaken for a parody.

 

In reply to Robert Durran: of course the breeks Rob wears are practical, durable and well priced https://www.flickr.com/photos/8027420@N04/37383723822/in/dateposted-public/ I need say no ????

 

In reply to Robert Durran:

Yeah, but if one is a crap climber you may as well look good while you're out, instead of failing miserably whilst wearing all the latest expensive high tech gear, that's just embarassing!

In reply to Robert Durran:

I like the way my peg hammer just fits in the back pocket.

In reply to Lusk:

Eh? This doesn't make any sense. Are you advocating fashion "jeans" for crap climbers or not?

In reply to JTM:

Climbing trousers should never have pockets; one's krabs can catch in them hindering efficient runner placement which could result in failure or even death.

In reply to Neil Morrison:

Those are some powerstretch leggings which I got for £5 in a sale - perfect for cold days and my baggy Asda belay trousers fit nicely over the top. Don't worry, I keep another pair without holes in the arse for winter use at Ratho when there are children about.

In reply to snoop6060:

If you find the buttons and zips are sticking into your arse I think you have probably put them on back to front.

In reply to Robert Durran:

In the good old days, My guidebook always went in my leg / map pocket.  

In reply to GrahamD: Robert certainly demonstrates the pant bit in that photo ????

 

In reply to mik82:

Got some recently in a sale. Currently my "Sunday best" jeans so haven't used them climbing yet. They are quite thin denim though but my other half likes them.

In reply to Robert Durran: I fear you are actually a fashion victim and just don’t know it or simply haven’t updated to more recent fashion fads. The leggings are so 90’s ( I think it was that decade) and your headband/sweatband takes me back to when John McEnroe was young. Still, better than some of these grotesque climbing breeks with the coloured patches that seem the rage these days, a modern take on the ghiradini trousers I recall from the 80’s and just as odd now. My regular climbing partner sports a sturdy pair of wrangler jeans and copes fine with them.

 

In reply to Neil Morrison:

I just hate the feel of trousers when climbing, so it's either leggings or shorts for me.

The headband is purely to stop my glasses steaming up (I once failed on an E4 at Reiff because I didn't bother putting it on and a bystanding friend was so scared by my tantrums that she considered running away before I lowered off). If it makes me look cool or a knobhead then that is entirely incidental.

In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Commonly referred to as a hash pocket. 

??

In reply to becauseitsthere:

I thought it was a watch pocket from the days of pocket watches. Might get the buzzer in QI though......

In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Add me to the 'not everyone likes wearing jeans for climbing' list' please and I'll keep my 75 quid!