Montane Mens Terra Route Pants RRP £95

Product Information

This Montane Terra Pants Review has been a long time coming because I have been wearing them for years now. They are my go-to choice for lightweight hiking trousers which are breathable for summer and perfect for layering up in winter. Made from a combination of TACTEL fabric with TEFLON surface finish and reinforced CORDURA patches on the bum, knees, and ankles. The fit is active, with a high gusseted crotch and pre-bent knees to make it easy to take large steps for scrambling, climbing, and mountaineering. The waist is part elastic for a comfortable fit with a button and zip fly closure and removable webbing belt. Hiking in Montane Terra Pants Performance There isn't currently a female fit version of these trousers, but they do come in a big range of men's sizes from S to XXL and in two leg lengths. It’s worth noting that Montane recommends washing the Terra’s with Nikwax Tech Wash, which is the way I’d normally care for a hard shell pant (to preserve the DWR) and not a pair of hiking pants. While this makes the Terra’s a bit higher maintenance to care for, it speaks to the fact that they share many of the performance characteristics of a softshell pant, such as water and wind resistance, without the associated price or weight. That said, I’ve been washing the Terras with regular detergent with no ill effects and plan to continue doing so because I wouldn’t count on them in the rain anyway. I carry hard shell rain pants year-round for that purpose. From kneeling down, and lying on the ground to film lower angles, the stretch of the fabric makes in very comfortable and easily manoeuvrable. Some outdoor trousers I’ve experienced with a good amount of manoeuvrability, then compromise on the longevity of the fabric. However this isn’t the case with these because they’ve reinforced the stress points - namely the knee area.

I recently tested out the Montane Anti-Freeze XT Hoodie in Slate colour, paired with the Terra Route Pants in Oak Green during my time in Banff, Canada. My time there involved a combination of walking around Banff in -12C temperatures, and filming outdoors for 12 hour periods in constant snowfall. They’re a winter-specific alpine trouser designed to be worn during intense bouts of high-level walking, mountaineering or climbing; offering the wearer insulation, dynamic temperature regulation, and a high stretch construction. Aside from the aforementioned belt, soft-lined waist and reinforced patches, you’ll find ankle zips and poppers rounding out the feature set, allowing you to achieve the perfect fit over boots. Montane Terra Pants VerdictThis goes for the Terra Route Pants too. I can honestly say that these will be my go to outdoor trousers for film and photo shoots. I probably wouldn’t use them again for extreme cold temperatures, but it’s comforting to see that even if I did, they’d offer more protection than I originally thought! So, winter performance is great, and these trousers can take a serious beating but how about summer use? Although these will clearly run hotter than wafer thin summer walking trousers when the mercury rises, the leg vents and ankle zips do at least allow you to get some air flowing. It’s up to you whether you value the dependability and workwear like practicality of the Super Terra pants enough to offset the slight bump in heat over summer specific walking trousers. Montane’s Terra Pants are considered technical pants because they’re designed for the rigors of climbing, scrambling and mountain hiking where you need extra durability, water and wind resistance, and an active cut for enhanced maneuverability. These qualities are very evident as soon as you put a pair of Terras on. Reinforced forelegs and seat

Montane Terra Pants are great for a wide range of temperatures when you are being active outdoors. They are windproof to a decent degree and the TEFLON surface finish helps water to bead off. If you are expecting cold windy weather you might want to put a base layer underneath. This helps you stay warm while retaining good breathability. If you are in a constant downpour you are going to want some waterproof trousers over the top of these. Fast Drying Hiking Pants For this review I opted for size small and the regular leg length. This is my usual size and the sizing in this case came out spot on. Around the thighs and lower leg there is just enough material to keep them loosely fitting but without loads of excess material. I really like the inclusion of the press stud around the ankle to bring the trousers in around the hem. I have this constantly buttoned up as it gives you a slightly neater fit at the ankle, which I like for climbing. The Montane Terra Pants are obviously tailored towards hikers. The active cut is ideal for the challenges and repetitive leg movements of long-distance hiking. High-rising crotch allows you to get your knees up high when you need to and avoids the fabric bunching up. There is no stretch in the standard version, but the articulated or pre-bent knees do compensate for this somewhat.

Details

While we tend to mostly showcase the latest and greatest new releases of the season in the Outdoor 100, we’re not adverse to featuring a bit of an old timer. So long as it can still more than pull its weight amongst the newbies. Pre articulated knees allow for ease of movement, especially when stepping high during climbing and scrambling, and triple stitching is used in vulnerable areas to increase durability. Constructed from tough GRANITE fabric providing durability, stretch, water repellency, a fast dry time. Made using Montane's Granite Stretch, a nylon double weave fabric with a PFC-free DWR, the Terra Route Pants are durable and abrasion-resistant, making them perfect for the rigours of multi-day treks. This fabric is primarily made using high-quality nylon and features a durable water repellent coating (DWR) which will resist the rain and wind when exposed to the elements. The Granite Stretch fabric offers great levels of stretch, so the Terra Route Pants offer excellent levels of comfort and freedom of movement. The reinforced panels of Cordura material on the seat, knees, and ankles are essential for any long-distance hike or heavy usage over time. They protect the points that are at the most risk of being damaged, without feeling any different or heavier than the purely TACTEL fabric areas. Wind and Water Resistant Hiking Pants