What outdoor/hill walking trousers?

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Rob
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Having been a fan of craghopper kiwi trousers they have been my go to outdoor trousers for several years. I've noticed the quality and fit of the kiwi trousers have changed over the years. My oldest pairs still fit nicely and the zips are working, but pairs I've purchased in the last few years aren't fairing so well (two newer pairs have broken pocket zips) and they seem to be more restricted at knee whilst walking up any form of hill.

I thought I would ask for recommendations for outdoor hill walking/photography trousers. Reinforced knees would be preferable as I'm often kneeling or lying down. They need to be good for hill walking, no restrictions at the knee or thigh. Currently I'm looking at trousers suitable for spring/summer/autumn (I have some waterproof overtrousers in case of rain).

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
 
If you want ultimate in toughness, it's difficult to beat Fjallraven. Expensive but will last a long time. Plenty Youtube vids if you want to learn more about real world use from experienced outdoor folk. The range is vast, but the Abisko range steers towards hiking, but most would be appropriate.
 
If you want ultimate in toughness, it's difficult to beat Fjallraven. Expensive but will last a long time. Plenty Youtube vids if you want to learn more about real world use from experienced outdoor folk. The range is vast, but the Abisko range steers towards hiking, but most would be appropriate.

Actually, quite a few throughout the ranges are aimed at trekking... https://www.fjallraven.co.uk/clothes/trousers-shorts/trekking-trousers?filter=Men

Thanks, the vast number of options available from all of the manufacturers is bewildering. Fjallraven are probably out of my initial planned budget but if they last years then are probably a better option than buying craghopper kiwi's every 12-18 months. I'm off to the lakes next month and there is a fjallraven shop in Keswick, I will have a browse.
 
Not 100% sure this fits your bill, but I got myself a pair of Snickers work trousers for day hiking. Tough for outside work, built in kneepad pouches, and lots of pockets to put all the crap you're going to need again in 5 minutes rather than back in the backpack. They're great for DIY stuff around the house too - esp hands & knees jobs.

A bit hot for the summer tbh, but they brush off brambles with ease. I've walked in the autumn/winter in wet/muddy conditions (but not full on rain yet) and they're great. The built in kneepads are a godsend for me at my age, although if you're walking for a day they start to rub. Great for shorter excursions but I put them in the pack on a day hike. It's a bit of a faff getting them in & out. With them being work trousers they are a more relaxed fit with no restrictions at knee & thigh. The ones I have are quite heavy though (compared to super light walking trousers).

http://www.snickersdirect.co.uk/Sni...-Trousers-3214-Snickers-Trousers-p-76074.html
 
I can't offer any alternatives, but agree with you regarding the Craghopper Kiwi trousers. These have been my go to trousers too for dog walking and photography days out. My original ones which I still wear are a great fit, not too low on the waist and the legs loose enough for scrambling about.

I've since bought three other pairs of the same trouser and the fit is nowhere near as good. Tighter legs, lover waist and quality is not up to standard. The zip has broken on one pair which I've hardly worn.
 
I can't offer any alternatives, but agree with you regarding the Craghopper Kiwi trousers. These have been my go to trousers too for dog walking and photography days out. My original ones which I still wear are a great fit, not too low on the waist and the legs loose enough for scrambling about.

I've since bought three other pairs of the same trouser and the fit is nowhere near as good. Tighter legs, lover waist and quality is not up to standard. The zip has broken on one pair which I've hardly worn.

Probably find the brand is now owned by someone like Sports Direct, Karrimor is an example that springs to mind.

*Edit* just checked and they are now owned by Regatta
 
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Thanks, the vast number of options available from all of the manufacturers is bewildering. Fjallraven are probably out of my initial planned budget but if they last years then are probably a better option than buying craghopper kiwi's every 12-18 months. I'm off to the lakes next month and there is a fjallraven shop in Keswick, I will have a browse.

Indeed, the amount to choose from makes it very difficult. As far as I know, only Cotswold Outdoor and Nordic Outdoor sell Fjallraven in Keswick. I go in them regularly, but stock is very limited in the trouser department and I've never bought from them. Still good to go and try some on to get your size, though. More shops down the round in Ambleside selling Fjallraven, if you're going through there, and also on the A66 (just off the M6) is the Rheged Centre, who have pretty good stock. You might pass that, depending on which way you go into the Lakes.

Montane are certainly a good shout. I love all my Montane gear, but it's all for above the waist. I personally have a pair of the Haglof Col Pant as my go to walking trousers, as they are uber comfortable. I wouldn't say they are particularly tough, but I don't have any concerns over their durability, and have so far weathered very well. Fjallraven's will be coming soon though, for my next pair. Happy trouser hunting! :D
 
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Worth checking out Decathlon if you have one nearby.
They have a few different styles and not bad pricing.
This one's I bought are comfy with a bit of stretch and seem well made.
I haven't given them a lot of wear yet though to know how well they last.
 
Rohan. Got several pairs that are up to (and beyond!) 10 years old and still going strong. Assorted styles from a pair with a waterproof lining to some super lightweight with 3 leg length options (zip off). The lighter weight ones dry in a couple of hours while the heavier ones take a bit longer. Plenty of pockets on most styles.
 
I have a few pairs of Craghopper Kiwis and every one of them is slightly different - the quality control is off the charts bad; different waist, knee pads in different places, pockets mis-stitched... They've changed them yet again, making the legs horribly baggy and the waist too tight.

I recently bought two pairs of these (both of which are actually the same size) and they seem pretty good for the £££. The sizing is appallingly inaccurate (on the small side) and I had to buy a 36 instead of my usual 34 and they were spot on.
 
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If you're heading to the Lake District, I'd just go into a few outdoor gear shops (Keswick/Ambleside) and buy whatever fits best, with the fabric and features you want. As long as it's from a decent brand, I'm sure they'll be fine, so I'd go for the best fit.
 
Same for me on the craghopper kiwis found my recent pair is nowhere near as good as pairs from a few years back, clearly QC or production has gone downhill.
 
Montane Terra pants - had my pair for years and they're the danglies. The black ones look less "spottery" and the new Baltic blue colour looks particularly nice. And they do varying leg lengths - a boon for us short of leg!(-:
And if it's cold I just wear a merino base layer under them.
And if it rains, a pair of Montane Minimus on top.
 
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have a look at alpkit, really good guys to deal with and quality at a cheap price.
 
After all the recommendations on here and from friends I decided to have a proper look at the Montane Terra and Super Terra trousers at go outdoors this evening. Unfortunately they didn't have my size in the Montane Super Terra trousers but I've ordered them in for later this week. I decided the materials on the Super Terra trousers will be better suited to the likely abuse through crawling and kneeling whilst doing wildlife photography. The added bonus of an accepted Go Outdoors 'price beating by 10%' means they will workout to be £92.56 which is nice bonus. Thanks for everyone's input on this.
 
But are they worth 3x the price of Craghoppers?
With my recent experience in the quality drop of craghoppers i would expect the Montane trousers to last 3x longer going by quality of the materials used. Having been a long time craghoppers user sadly the quality of the recent craghoppers has dropped, they are not lasting like they used to (broken zips on new trousers being one example) and the fit has changed restricting leg movement. The replies in this thread and experience of friends who already have these trousers back up this feeling. I will still use the craghoppers I currently have for normal use about town/walking the dog but for proper landscape/wildlife photography trips and out in the hills I need something with unrestricted movement, tougher and longer lasting.
 
With my recent experience in the quality drop of craghoppers i would expect the Montane trousers to last 3x longer going by quality of the materials used. Having been a long time craghoppers user sadly the quality of the recent craghoppers has dropped, they are not lasting like they used to (broken zips on new trousers being one example) and the fit has changed restricting leg movement. The replies in this thread and experience of friends who already have these trousers back up this feeling. I will still use the craghoppers I currently have for normal use about town/walking the dog but for proper landscape/wildlife photography trips and out in the hills I need something with unrestricted movement, tougher and longer lasting.

Understood, but I have 5/6 pairs of Craghoppers which I wear on a daily basis without any issues. Perhaps my requirements are different.

Regards
 
Got both Montane Terra and super terra. The super terra are a bit warm for summer although they have vent zips (so do the terra).

Just noticed that you have gone for the Super Terra. Excellent trousers and should last years, worth the money IMO.
 
Same for me on the craghopper kiwis found my recent pair is nowhere near as good as pairs from a few years back, clearly QC or production has gone downhill.
You know there are (and I think have always been) different levels of quality of Craghopper Kiwi... places like Go Outdoors no longer sell the higher quality pairs.
 
Worth checking out Decathlon if you have one nearby.
They have a few different styles and not bad pricing.
This one's I bought are comfy with a bit of stretch and seem well made.
I haven't given them a lot of wear yet though to know how well they last.


This, I've had loads of pairs of of branded trousers (and a whole number of other things) and nowadays, even though budget really isn't an issue my first port of call for activewear (inc running/cycling) is always Decathlon, yes lots of it is cheap and a bit crappy but their higher level kit is very good indeed and cheaper than any branded alternative.

edit: I've got an earlier version of these which effectively made all my Craghopper and Berghaus trousers redundant, super comfy/stretch, very robust, very quick drying, lightweight but wind resistant and cheap compared to similar spec from other brands : https://www.decathlon.co.uk/forclaz-900-mens-walking-trousers-dark-grey-id_8343230.html

You will want to try them on though as they are quite 'athletic' fit.
 
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I now wear the Montane Terra or Super Terra trousers and have found them to be both very comfortable and hard wearing. In addition they are really well made and their QC seems to work as, unlike Craghopper whose QC is terrible, Montane trousers always arrive fault free. Another bonus is that Montane make long leg trousers which is ideal for me as I have a 34" inside leg.[emoji108]

Andy
 
Probably find the brand is now owned by someone like Sports Direct, Karrimor is an example that springs to mind.

*Edit* just checked and they are now owned by Regatta
Ah that explains it:(
they have been owned by Regatta since 1995 i.e. 22 years ...

I have moved from the standard Kiwi to the Kiwi Pro Stretch.
 
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I wear a pair of army MTP trousers. Used to wear DPM but not in fashion, yeah I know.

Am biased towards these, as being ex army it's what I know.

They are lightweight, bramble, nettle and thorn resistant and dry easily, even when worn.

A couple of map pockets and the usual hand pockets, plus a zipped one is more than adequate.

Never got on with padded knees, as after a while the rubbing got on my nerves and irritated the arse of me. Just a personal thing. I carry a couple of army knee pads, the ones with a plastic outer and can be put on in a jiffy.
Though know they spend more time packed away as joints font want to play
 
Rohan. Got several pairs that are up to (and beyond!) 10 years old and still going strong. Assorted styles from a pair with a waterproof lining to some super lightweight with 3 leg length options (zip off). The lighter weight ones dry in a couple of hours while the heavier ones take a bit longer. Plenty of pockets on most styles.

Another vote for Rohan.... Got 3 pairs of the lightweight trousers, keep me cool in summer, I wear long johns in the winter, and as mentioned above, they dry quickly. Rohan stuff is great for travel too, as most of it is crease-proof.
 
Update: I recently tried the Montane Super Terra trousers out walking and photographing in the Lake District. The trousers were comfortable, nice fitting and were water resistant to the rain we had. In the warm weather the super terra trousers felt a little warm on the thighs even with the leg vents open. Since getting back I've seen Go Outdoors had 20% off Montane products so I've picked up a pair of the lightweight Terra trousers, they are probably going to be better for the summer.

Links the 20% off deals at go outdoors:

Montane TerraTrousers £57.60

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/montane...m_medium=Retargeting&utm_campaign=Criteo&Pg=3

Montane Super Terra Trousers £93.60

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/montane-super-terra-pant-p305038
 
Sounds like the deal is done, but for future reference it's worth looking at Rab, especially for winter trousers. Their VapourRise trousers are excellent. I also love Fjallraven and have 3 pairs of theirs which are totally excellent. Cotswold Outdoor in Covent Garden usually have a decent selection.
 
+1 For Montane Men's Terra Pant I have a few pairs now and love them!

They are brilliant aren't they! The quality is always spot on and they fit me well (36w 34leg). I love how they are extra well stitched at the seams, the Super Terra are triple stitched! Yes they are a little more expensive than say Craghoppers but I was sick and tired of Craghoppers awful QC.

Andy
 
So far I'm impressed with both the montane terra and super terra trousers. The terra trousers are definitely lighter and cooler in warm weather. The Super terra trousers feel more robust. Both are nice and comfortable, and much better than the most recent craghoppers I had.
 
The Montane trousers don't fit us guys who are a bit short in the leg dept..... :(
 
The Montane trousers don't fit us guys who are a bit short in the leg dept..... :(
Not even the short leg versions?

I do find the super terra trousers to be longer than the terra trousers even though both are the small waist and length (regular). I need to compare them side by side to see if it is in the cut.
 
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Not even the short leg versions?

I do find the super terra trousers to be longer than the terra trousers even though both are the small waist and length (regular). I need to compare them side by side to see if it is in the cut.

I couldn't see any short leg versions in any size or style where I was looking.....
 
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