Am looking to buy pair of waterproof trousers that meet FRA standard any recommendations be appreciated thanks in advance Martin
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Am looking to buy pair of waterproof trousers that meet FRA standard any recommendations be appreciated thanks in advance Martin
OMM are the best I've ever had.
I use a pair I bought from a cheap highstreet outdoor shop. They were about £20, but had taped seams. I looked into getting some of the really light ones, but they were 50g lighter and £80 more expensive. I figure 50 grams is neither here nor there.
I guess it depends how much you're going to use them.
"Like"Quote:
Originally Posted by Stagger
Same here. I think mine were from a cheap outlet in Keswick and cost less than £20. Taped seams, breathable and pack down reasonably well. A bit heavier than top end stuff but I think I've only worn them a handful of times in all the years I've owned them so can't justify the cost of OMM etc. Waterproof jacket is a different matter of course - OMM kamleika smock.Quote:
Originally Posted by noel
Thanks I'll look at themQuote:
Originally Posted by Stagger
Which shop was it Pete I'm going Keswick Saturday . Don't think I'll wear them often so needn't pay top dollar. I've got inov8 jacketQuote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
I bought them quite a few years ago and the shop has since closed down. There are quite a few other candidates though!
Yeomans for kit check, lightweight Goretex are around £90 if you’re going to wear them. My kit check pair have never been unpacked. Goretex are ME and a good cut. Best out of maybe three or pairs I’ve had over the years. Slim so don’t flap and they stay up
Mrs P was fed-up of her OMM waterproofs not being long enough so has just bought a pair of the latest Montane Atomics. Massive improvement on the old model [which I have], only slightly heavier that the Minimus but really good fit and with thigh-length zips. Perfect for getting them on in crap conditions without removing shoes. Zips are two-way, so you can vent them too if the need arises.
another nod for a cheap pair. Got mine for ~£10 from Decathlon (quechua walking ones, fully taped and a zip at the bottom of each leg and pockets!), they live in my bumbag and rarely get used (yet to use them when racing) so don't feel the need to shell out.
I bought a cheap pair of Regatta trousers from Mountain Warehouse, waterproof,breathable and with taped seams for under £20. Good enough to pass kit check and if you ever had to wear them they'd do a decent job, although not brilliant to run long distances as you tend to sweat a lot in them but there ok. There is a lot better quality on the market but not at that price.
I'm sure someones gonna come on here saying you should never skimp of waterproof safety gear and I agree if its not gonna work, and would never purchase an equivalent jacket from Regatta but these bottoms are pretty good, I've ran the fells in pretty bleak weather in them and they was not bad.
I've not done a race yet where kit was mandatory, but have been collecting some bits as I anticipate needing them in the future. With regards to trousers, where does the FRA stand on open pockets? I have a pair of Dare2b overtrousers, fully taped seams, bottom closures etc, but the pockets are just open to allow access to your pockets underneath. Would these pass a kit check?
Absolutely. I'm surprised nobody's raised that yet but although cheap, I'm sure my trousers I have would serve me well should I ever need them. Skimping on cost is one thing, safety is another thing entirely..Quote:
Originally Posted by Fozzy42
The requirement specifically states waterproof with taped seams so I guess they would pass all but the most stringent kit check. Again it comes down to safety - are you going to be confident in them warding off hyperthermia should you actually need them?Quote:
Originally Posted by mountainsloth
Thanks a lot guys I'm going Keswick Saturday so I'll have a look around now you've gave me some Idea what I need for mandatory pants
I've just got a pair of OMM Kam trousers off Sportspursuits heavily discounted. They are quality trousers and I bought them for long winter days out in bad weather.
They are far less pack-able than the £7 pair I got 5 years ago from Go Outdoors that have remained in my bumbag wrapped in string ever since and for racing I will always carry the £7 pair rather than the OMMs
I need some pack trousers - I don't intend to wear them while running but likewise will eventually need some for kit compliance and well, of course it's a good idea to be prepared anyway.
From reading the posts here it would cheap and cheerful are more than enough, but there's no price on safety.
Does anyone have a recommendation for this year? Perhaps a great sale bargain they have spotted somewhere recently?
I've been racing since 2015, and always used the same pair of £10 specials from Go outdoors (other retail outlets are available).
To be honest they've never had to come out of the pack in a race situation yet.
On the other hand, I certainly wouldn't skimp on a decent waterproof top.
Okay, thanks!
Might pop into the Go Outdoors shop next time I am in Leeds :)
And yes, I got lucky in TheOMM sale and picked up an Aether for £175 - which I think is an absolute bargain and it seems to be the bees knees!! All great so far!!
p.s. just had a look on the website and these seem to fit the bill:
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/1590584...ouser-15905846
They'll do the job.
If you want to be a complete cheapo (like me) then these are almost identical to what I have...
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/1591481...users-15914814
Thanks!!
Hehe I love the reviews :rolleyes:
Especially the bit about the pockets being the wrong way round :D
To be honest if you spend £9 and expect something to be 'waterproof' then you're probably going to be somewhat disappointed.
At the other end of the price scale, I have a pair of Paramo thick waterproof trousers which are utterly fantastic. However most races won't accept them as they don't have taped seams. I think the only race which will accept them is the Marsden-Edale Trigger which is managed by the Edale MRT (and even on that winter beast of a race they are perhaps too warm).
Yeah, I think the really cheap ones that don't claim to be breathable are probably a better option, I mean I literally will only wear them if something goes wrong and I need to avoid sitting in the wet.
My previous pair was avery sad story: I had a pair of Arcteryx - super fancy lightweight pants, wore them maybe a dozen times over the years and to be fair they did the job admirably (including a trek up Kilimanjaro which is what I bought them for) then one time I came to put them on, went to close the zips and the material just ripped around the zip - I was so shocked!
Arcterxy said this was 'normal wear and tear' and offered me a discount on another pair as I had 'obviously looked after them' :eek:
Needless to say, I refused their offer, never good to throw more money at utter rubbish, and I will never buy any of their gear ever again!
Looking at the range of sizes available, these would definitely have to remain in my bag, as they would never stay up if I tried to wear them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
Today was certainly an all over waterproof kit day - so my OMM Kamleika trousers got yet another outing. I have 3 pairs, though 1 pair is new and as yet unused. The others are well worn - I probably wear them 200 days a year - even if it is dry they keep the wind off and help protect from vegetation and ticks. I think they do a better job as trousers than the Kamleika top does as a top.
The pairs I own all have the reinforcing triangular panel on the inside of the ankle - this helps to protect the trousers from studs and in particular microspikes. I note the newer ones have done away with this - what a shame.
For years I couldn't understand why anyone would buy a pair of OMM Kamleika shorts. I mean, waterproof shorts! That was until I was tempted by some on sale. What a revelation. As over-shorts, with the extra warmth/protection, they both extend my ability to wear shorts much further into autumn, and equally allow me to don shorts much earlier in the spring. They're also light enough to stash in a bumbag during the summer months if I think the weather threatens the need for some extra protection. They can also be wore on their own, rather than as over-shorts, although I've found that if you bend over quickly while wearing them they can have a whoopee cushion effect much to the amusement of onlookers! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Mike T
For years I couldn't understand why anyone would buy a pair of OMM Kamleika shorts. I mean, waterproof shorts! That was until I was tempted by some on sale. What a revelation. As over-shorts, with the extra warmth/protection, they both extend my ability to wear shorts much further into autumn, and equally allow me to don shorts much earlier in the spring. They're also light enough to stash in a bumbag during the summer months if I think the weather threatens the need for some extra protection. They can also be wore on their own, rather than as over-shorts, although I've found that if you bend over quickly while wearing them they can have a whoopee cushion effect much to the amusement of onlookers! :D
It looks like someone is on your case Mossdog
Aye lad..."Sic semper tyrannis" :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Llani Boy
I'm a fan of the Kamleika shorts too. I remember poking fun at them for years until I finished one race (langdale?) having got so wet that I was having to run holding my shorts up otherwise they would have been round my ankles with the weight of water they were retaining.
I bought a pair soon after and don't wear anything else if the weather looks wet. Also, great for wading through high bracken after a period of wet weather.
I updated my waterproof trousers approx 1 year ago, when i decided to seriously upgrade most of my kit in order to save some additional weight... replaced waterproofs, gloves, bumbags... at considerable cost.
Out went the £10 jobs from GoOutdoors, and in came a pair of Inov8 trousers which were about half the weight and size.
They're still to come out during a race.... in fact i don't think i've ever worn them except to make sure they fit.
Is that their Ultrapant? I went through several pairs of those some years back. Very light, very comfortable, very packable, but not at all robust. Dried out bracken stems will put holes in them, and if you catch them with a stud it rips them. But I do have an intact pair just in case I race again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
Well, i've just had a look and they're actually OMM, not Inov8, which shows how much use they've had since i bought them!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike T
I believe they are OMM Halo. So they pack up small, similar to a tennis ball, but i wouldn't say they are as flimsy looking as those Inov8 ones which you can see through!
Back in 2011 I bought a pair of Montane Featherlite waterproof trousers to replace my heavier, bulkier, overtrousers - which were probably from Millets or the like.Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
I didn't know it at the time, but I was only two races away from my forced retirement from the sport - and both those races were in beautiful sunny conditions. As a result, they had two outings in my bumbag but have never been worn outside. I've still got them, and wonder what I'll do with them. I could use them for walking, but I'd have to take my walking boots off to put them on so they never get used.
Without wanting to reopen the whole can of worms, some ROs in the olden days allowed waterproof cags and windproof trousers which always struck me as a sensible compromise. I'm struggling to remember occasions when I've actually worn waterproof bottoms for racing or training but I've worn my Montane windproofs on quite a few occasions.
Until today I had been happy with my OMM Kamleika trousers, so much so that I have 3 pairs at various stages of wear. But they really failed today - I became very wet and cold and cut my run short. Any suggestions for a replacement - and these will be worn, not sit in a bumbag. I am thinking of something else in the OMM range, not least because sizing should be easy.
The only thing i've ever been satisfied with on the legs in poor weather is Paramo. And that's clearly no good for running.
Yeap. It's that trade-off between lightness, breathability and waterproofing. I can't see any waterproof trousers that you can run in being able to cope particularly well, for a sustained period, in the horizontal rain we had, are having, today.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike T
I drew the short-straw and had to take the quad up onto the fells this afternoon to feed some ponies and to generally check them out. I borrowed a pair of monsoon, neoprene backed nylon trousers (farmers trousers), which were well up to the job, but 'pants', if you'll excuse the pun, for any sort of sustained cardio activity.
Just thinking aloud, if you can't guarantee waterproofness with any light weight running trousers, maybe a pair that might eventually get wet but keep you relatively warm would be a compromise?
I have come to the opinion that the base layer is at least as important as the outer waterproof (or not so waterproof) layer. So in the sort of conditions that Mike T has just experienced, I would certainly have my thermal leggings on, and would expect to remain reasonably comfortable even if the outer layer was letting some water through.