The Castor pant ticks all of those boxes and in some impressive ways! Basically, these sound like a ski pant but are without any of the bulkiness associated with such a product. The Schoeller WB-formula material from which they are made has properties of
• Permanent elasticity
• Wind and waterproof
• Breathability
• Moisture vapour permeable
• High level of comfort
Firstly, I have to comment as to the Castor pants comfort. Without question, these are the most comfortable outdoor trouser I have ever worn - feeling lightweight, extremely flexible and soft. They really are a pleasure to wear in the mountains (or indeed – anywhere!) with no resistance to movement or leg articulation whatsoever.
These pants have been out and about with me ever since early October and the weather in The Lake District has been pretty inclement at times with cold, wind and rain all having had ample opportunity to find chinks in their armour. I have only good things to report.
Being tested in November along with the Plano Hoody Jacket on one very windy, cold & rather damp day, these pants kept me warm and dry throughout despite a windchill of 0 to possibly – 3 degrees C. The Castor Pants are fully mesh lined which undoubtedly contributes a great deal to
• Freedom of Movement
• Insulation
as in both cases one’s skin in not in contact with the main fabric. What a great idea!
Throughout this day, underneath the pants, no base layer was being worn – nor did I feel the need to be wearing one at any time. During our lunch stop near to the summit of Stybarrow Dodd, I made a point of sitting in a patch of Sphagnum Moss (known for its capacity for holding large volumes of moisture) to test out the claims for waterproof ability. I gained a cold, but certainly not wet backside!
The Mammut Castor Pants come with side ventilation zips with mesh inserts to allow one to stay cool – maybe I’ll get the opportunity to test these features out in the Summer when I would imagine that the “coldblack” treatment will work well to prevent these pants becoming too hot; therefore making them ideal for work all year round.
Other useful features include waistline loops should you wish to attach braces to the pants and also integral elasticated snow gaiters. The gaiters could really do with some means for attaching an under boot strap & buckle as despite, the elastic to grip around boot uppers, it is quite possible that the trouser leg and gaiter may “ride up” if one is walking through deep powder snow – allowing the ingress of powder snow into boot tops. A couple of small eyelets in each gaiter would allow for such attachment and really would be worth adding!
Both legs feature crampon protection material on the instep. Whilst I have yet to test these pants in full on winter conditions, I will be trying my best NOT to test the durability of this material with my crampons!!
This is for no other reason than I do not wish to damage such a great pair of outdoor trousers.
A final, novel feature that I have not seen on any outdoor pants before is the addition of Velcro around the waist and zippable leg bottom press studs. This works well in assisting to securely lock the press studs and feels very sturdy. Nice touch Mammut.
So, in conclusion, these pants most definitely perform to a very high standard and I absolutely love them!
A further report will be added following usage of these pants in Scotland within the next two weeks when the object of the visit will be Winter Walking and Winter Climbing.
Can’t wait!
Price: £182
Weight: 685g
Colour: black
Features:
water-resistant outer material
•The coldblack® treatment makes dark colors behave almost like light colors, and reflect up to 80% of the sunlight
•2 side pockets, 1 seat pocket
•Side ventilation with mesh inserts
•Pre-shaped knees
•Edge and crampon protection with robust reinforcement material
•Integrated gaiters
•Regular Fit
Pros: Lightweight, Flexible, Extremely comfortable, Attenton to detail
Cons: Gaiters could be improved
Note: This article was restored from the archives. It's published creation date is inaccurate.