Mountain Equipment

Ibex/Chamois

£80 Men’s Ibex 30-38 plus 3 leg lengths Women’s Chamois 8-16 plus 3 leg lengths Weight 442g (size 34) Materials Exolite 210 stretch double weave soft shell (92% nylon, 8% elastane)

IT'S GOOD

I’ve virtually lived in a pair of Ibex trousers for years. The tough soft shell material has a 92 per cent nylon content and so, unsurprisingly they don’t wear out easily. They also resist the worst of moisture and wind but are breathable so not sweaty. There’s a microfleece-lined waistband for extra comfort and new for 2017 are the three leg length options. A waistbelt is provided to fine tune the fit. The front four pockets are all zipped for maximum security, which is a bonus. The ankle cuff gets a calf-length zip and an internal gusset, great for fine-tuning the fit for different activities.

HOWEVER

Higher priced trousers often have slightly softer material, which is comfier against the skin, although the difference is small. Two of the front pockets will take an OS map but it’s slightly easier to slip a map in and out of trousers that have larger pockets. If you're a really hard user you may want trousers with double layers of reinforcement on the knees, seat and ankle cuff, which you don’t get here. You can also get trousers with internal gaiters and even more water resistance. But overall there’s not a lot wrong here, making this a great budget option for general hillwalkers.

VERDICT

A seasoned performer that is a great all-round trouser for hillwalking and scrambling, with only small benefits coming from paying more.