CRAGHOPPERS STEALL WATERPROOF TROUSERS, £75
If you’re a fair weather birder, turn the page now. But, if you go out when it’s wet or don’t want to be caught out by rain, sleet or snow, read on.
These are not over-trousers. They are trousers that you wear as normal trousers, but they are waterproof. Craghoppers describe them as “stretch performance waterproof trousers”. Available in black only (Henry Ford would approve) the Stealls have an Aquadry membrane to keep the wet stuff out, a fleecy lining, three zip-up pockets (two hand, one on the rear), belt loops and a partly-elasticated waist, and velcro-tabs for cinching in at the ankles. They are described as breathable, windproof and as offering complete freedom of movement.
I’ve been wearing them quite a bit and they do a good job. They seem to be well-made, though the pockets, especially the rear one, could be a bit bigger. These trousers are cosy and protective – the blurb says “a year-round trail must-have”. One session saw me out for nearly two hours, with light snow at the beginning, which turned to sleet which turned to rain. It was just above freezing and there was a cold breeze at times. These trousers kept me dry and kept the worst of the chill out. Their official warmth rating is 5-15°C. I’d say they can cope with temperatures a bit lower than that, but am not sure I’d want to wear them at the top end of that range. Maybe that depends on how hot-legged you are. I didn’t manage to wear them in torrential rain, so resorted to five minutes or so under the Mira shower, the equivalent of super-torrential. They did very well – they kept me dry.
Craghoppers are working hard on their environmental performance – the Stealls are PFC-free and about 28 plastic bottles are recycled to make each pair. The polyester that results is smooth, a little slippery even, and not silent. The rustle wasn’t excessive, wasn’t a particular problem for me, and I suspect completely silent waterproof trousers are hard to come by. I wore the Stealls over ‘posh-wellies’. The legs are wide enough for that without flapping around. The velcro tabs at the ankles are not my favourite feature but could be useful. Sometimes one of them came unstuck and flapped around a bit, but not always.