UKC

Bought a pair of Craghoppers Pro stretch trousers in December which have now been replaced by the Pro stretch Active a slightly narrower fit in the leg.

The material started to break down six months after buying, photos are included in the link showing the elastic in the fabric sticking out of the fabric mainly in the area above the knee which gets the most stretch.

Anyone had similar problems with stretchy trousers, or can recommend something that lasts longer, https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ljj7ddfymmwovzh/_AbT5kUCSd

I quite liked the trousers they were cheap and provided stretch and some wind resistance however would probably stick to ronhills than have a fabric that breaks down and looses some of it's stretch like the Craghoppers.

In reply to Garbhanach: Sounds like a case of false economy, and perhaps buying a better quality garment, as has been discussed on recent thread, might have given a much longer life. I think one poster mentioned 15 years for his particular favourite pant.

In reply to Garbhanach:
I'd second the comment about quality VS cheapness above. However if you still want cheap I'd recommend the Regatta Geo soft-shell trousers, they are £25 from go outdoors, I've had mine for a couple of years with no sign of wear. I only wear them for working and climb at the wall, they aren't as comfy as my more expensive trousers but for the money they are great value.

I've been doing my best to destroy a pair of Marmot Scree pants that cost me £40. Stretchy, tough, pretty wind-proof and well reviewed. They replaced a very expensive pair of Mammut Base Jump pants which fell apart very quickly. I've had the Scree pants for a few years now, and they still look good...

In reply to Garbhanach:

I had a pair of those. I found the fabric was stretchy but the stitching itself wasn't...

I've had two pairs of these (or whatever the previous model was called) for about 5 years now and they have survived many mountain adventures, including work in the hills and MRT stuff:

http://store.berghaus.com/p/trousers-shorts/mens-statis-mountain-trousers/4...

In reply to Jim C:

Possibly but I think you are referring to Mammut Base jump pants as lasting 15 years when Sargy says his Base jumps pants fell apaart quickly on this thread.

In reply to Garbhanach: Cheers sargy and richprideaux, the Marmot Scree pants look interesting and get a good review on UKC, will also look at the Berghaus Statis mountain trousers.

The Mammut Basejumps had some nice features, such as pockets that vented, and more adjustable ankle cuff arrangements, but they're what? Over £100 now? I wasn't impressed with their longevity, and Mammut weren't interested in my complaint. For £40 the Marmot Screes were an absolute bargain. I've also been generally impressed with the toughness and fit of Haglof pants. Whilst they're dear they do seem to be very well made.

In reply to sargy:

Does anybody find the Mammut Base Jump a bit tight around the thighs??
I have tried to love these trousers but y'canna change the laws of friction,
and I think I will wear them through as opposed to them wearing my legs down.
A shame as I like the idea of some serious modern tech on the lower half.

Agree that Haglofs have a good fit and well made, but Large can mean XL....you have to be careful when buying on-line.

In reply to Garbhanach: Interesting that you say mammut weren't interested - I sent my 2 year old base jumps back because the stitching was going on the arse. They had crampon holes and various tape/seam grip repairs all over. The outdoor shop sent them back to mammut who had them refund me in full, despite all the wear they had received. Very happy. Shame the pants didn't stand up as well as the customer support.

I've been happy with ME stretchlites recently, and £35 on offer most places. Not as warm mind, I use them for different things.

In reply to Garbhanach: Outdoor Research trousers are really well made and cheap compared to Patagonia

In reply to Garbhanach:

All my trousers seem to ME and they appear to be very well made - you can get some good deals on them too usually.

In reply to Garbhanach:
My stretchy craghoppers have done the same, but they are still perfectly wearable, they haven't fallen apart. I have had to do other repairs to the trousers (I have managed to rip them), but the fabric is still tough and comfy to wear.

In reply to Garbhanach:
If you fit a Small or Medium, Blacks still have Patagonia Simple guides, at half price on the sale rail.(£50ish)
Pretty good Troos, very stretchy and hard wearing, similar to the Scree's mentioned above.

In reply to Garbhanach:


What size are you? I have a pair of quality stretch pants surplus to my requirements - can't miss the opportunity of trying to sell 'em to you.

They're RAB Treklite in black. Size Medium = 32" waist/32" leg. Still in original factory packaging. A gift I don't need. They seem to sell in the shops/on-line for £60 - £70. If they suit your requirements how about £48 including postage?

I'll email this to you as well.

In reply to Garbhanach: had a pair of arcteryx gamma lt pants for at least 7 years,prob done 50% of my climbing in them,both pocket zips are gone and a few very slight (2mm) nicks in the fabric,these are super stretchy and light and dry very quickly(also prob the pant everybody else copied off) and still going strong...

In reply to Martin Bennett: I'll help with the sale and say that these are some great trousers ! Super stretchy and super durable too. Mines are stil holding up after more than 2 years and for the last 8 months they've been worn pretty much every hill and climbing day i've had.

In reply to Martin Bennett: Thanks for the offer but the days when I could get into a 32 waist are long past

In reply to Garbhanach: After years of poking fun at men of a certain age who wear Ron Hills I have gone and bought some. They are not, I might add, the ubiquitous blue with a red stripe that make men look like Henry VIII on viagra with hard on that I always tended to think of but a bit more subtle and baggy. In fairness I always thought the material was practical and relatively cheap.

In reply to dek: Cheers my nearest Blacks is about 30 miles and I don't see that item on their website, have ordered a pair of Marmot Scree pants to see how they fit.

In reply to GridNorth: I have Ronhills trackster peak which are the baggy cut which I use as a light base layer sometimes when it's cold or on their own at times, they last for ages and are good value.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ronhill-Mens-Trackster-Peak-Black/dp/B0041SGUC4/ref...

In reply to Garbhanach:

"Stretchy pants"

youtube.com/watch?v=h7wEE6Yx7IQ&

In reply to Garbhanach:
I have Prana Zion stretch pants, bought cheap at TK maxx. Quite lightweight and very stretchy but have lasted over 4 years and are only just showing a few holes in (shame) the knee.

In reply to Garbhanach: i have the arcteryx mentioned earlier, they seem very good. I also have the awesome simond/decathalon/quechua stretchy soft shells much thiker and warmer and excellent value.

i have high hopes for my cotton strechy jeans from decathalon only £30 so worth a punt i reckoned. any decathalon can order in there simond range for you to try on, most don't have them in stock.

In reply to Garbhanach: I recently purchased a pair of Montane Terra Alpine trousers (made of stretchy "Granite Stretch" fabric) to replace my original Terras which have had five years hard use before the seams started to go. I've worn the new pair twice before the face fabric has basically started falling apart! I've been in contact with Montane and have sent them back to the retailer for inspection. A bit of stretch is nice but not at the expense of any sort of durability so I think I'll be sticking to the original Terras. =os

In reply to Garbhanach:

Ronhills, all the way,
wear my tracksters erryday,
Take up no space in the bag,
Low on weight, big on swag,
Got a bulge in my pants and I'm not afraid to show it.


I'm sexy and I know it.

R

In reply to richprideaux: I've had two pairs of Statis pants and I think they're great: hard wearing, good at shedding light rain, comfy and just the right pocket arrangements for me. The only drawback is that they were a tad short in the leg for me (34" inside leg). I see from the Berghaus online store that they now do them in proper waist/leg size combinations whereas I'm sure that before I could only order S/M/L. I'm tempted to try another pair to see if the more precise sizing gives a better fit...

In reply to Martin W: Hmm...

Well, I noticed that The Outdoor Shop had Statis pants available in my size, and they were running a promotion on clothing at the weekend so I decided to take the plunge. They arrived today and I have to say I'm quite disappointed. Berghaus have completely changed the fabric so it's much lighter weight now. They also seem to have skimped a bit on the sizing: although the leg is now a good length, the seat is definitely a bit "neat". The gusset at the crotch seems to be significantly smaller than on the old model, which could go some way to explaining that - and also suggests that they won't be as accommodating for high-stepping or bridging moves.

Sadly, I think these are going to be going back, and my search for the perfect walking/climbing trousers to take over from my old Statis pants will have to continue.