5 Mountain Equipment Liskamm Pant Review

Reviewer: Charlie Mackie, North Queensferry   (19-10-2011)

Bought these softshells for winter scrambling/climbing, and for that they are great! They are stretchy enough for high steps or bridging. With an athletic fit to not get snagged on things. The reinforced knees and insteps mean that you can abuse them, and they just don't come apart! Had these for 3 seasons, and still no serious signs of wear!

5 Mountain Equipment Liskamm Pant Review

Reviewer: MIGUEL DE MERLO PEREZ-GAMIR, UCEDA-GUADALAJARA   (15-9-2011)

Warm and light trousers. Very comfortable for walking and climbing. The fabric is elastic and gives you great freedom of movement. Reinforcements on the knees are very well designed.

They are very versatile. For ice climbing and snow are a little thin, but can be supplemented with a base layer.

5 Mountain Equipment Liskamm Pant Review

Reviewer: simon Willis, BUXTON   (4-9-2010)

I loved these trousers. I used them for climbing in the Alps this summer. They were warm enough and comfy to wear, but the best thing was that they were good in the rain and snow as well. I used them in a couple of storms and whilst the tops of my thighs got a little damp, my legs were still warm and the trousers dried very quickly. I found that when I arrived at the hut in the evening I didn’t need to take them off as I would do with dripping hard shell trousers. As a result I stopped carrying my hard shell trousers with me which saved weight and room in my pack.

I may try them for skiing this winter. I’m not sure about the sizes, I had to buy a larger waist than normal and then found them a little long. Maybe that’s me !

5 Mountain Equipment Liskamm Pant Review

Reviewer: Sean Tully, Blackrock   (17-8-2009)

Bought these (30" regular) for use in Scotland, the Alps and general climbing duties in Ireland. These pants are fantastic! They are comfortable enough to wear for ages.
They have a good deal of stretch, which I find ideal for rock climbing, as often there is a trade off between having something restrictive or having something too baggy. These fit snugly but still allow freedom of movement.
The water repellency seems to work pretty well, but they haven't really been subjected to driving rain. For me the standout feature is the speed at which they dry. I got caught in a heavy shower climbing in Glendalough and in less than 30 mins the pants felt totally dry. Even when damp, they still felt warm and windproof. They are as windproof as waterproof trousers, but without the clamminess.
They are possibly a bit warm for summer rock climbing and the cheaper G2 pants must also be an option if you don't need the reinforcement these pants offer on the knees and inside the heels.
The only gripes I have with this product is that the waist belt is prone to loosening and the button at the top of the fly fell off mine somehow in the Alps, it was there at the start of the day and missing at the end!

4 Mountain Equipment Liskamm Pant Review

Reviewer: Peter Clinch, Dundee   (1-10-2008)

Strengths:
Exceptional freedom of movement and comfort from stretch fabric; fast drying and aren't hideous when they are wet; good degree of windproofing; tough; reasonably light (510g according to ME); stain resistant.
Weaknesses:
quite expensive; rear and thigh pockets not much use; belt buckle prone to slipping.

Very, very happy with these after spending a fortnight walking in lots of different conditions in Norway in a pair.
I've been a fan of Schoeller Dryskin for ages, but had had terrible trouble finding trousers with short enough legs. ME do these in two leg lengths and the shorter ("regular", 31") is right for me.
The fabric is the crowning glory of these trousers, being a good mix of everything you want: stretchy, breathable, fairly windproof, tough, quick drying, comfortable, reasonably light, warm but not too warm.
The "Nanosphere" treatment takes the fabric from good to better, acting as a highly effective DWR layer and preventing staining. I've yet to come across a better combination for general mountain use through all seasons.

The cut is quite a bit less baggy than most walking trousers, but with the stretch fabric that has no issues for freedom of movement and means they catch the wind less and weigh less. They could be cut a little closer still but not to the point where I have any real issues with the shape as sold. The knees have textured kevlar reinforcements: haven't "used" them so don't know how they do, but the way they're done they'll be lighter than a full double knee. They come in a contrasting grey so people can see you have "technical" trousers: could live without that myself, but it seems to be what "the market" demands... The cut is high enough to eliminate cold spots or have your loaded pack take your trousers down!

There's an integral belt which means no extra lumps and seams for belt loops to be uncomfy under a loaded pack's hip belt, which is good but less good is the buckle tends to slip quite easily. Not a deal breaker, but a niggle that could be improved. There are loops for braces provided and I've put them to use, braces working miles better than the belt.

Pockets, 4 of them, half are useful... The two "standard" hip pockets are fine, the rear pocket has an entrance high enough that it's unusable with a pack on, and quite why all "mountain trousers" seem to need a thigh pocket continues to escape me. Put anything much in it and it rubs any time you walk anywhere, so I'd sooner save a fiver, a few grammes and a few minutes drying time and not have it. If I could have found any other Schoeller trousers without this "feature" I might have got them instead, but any such I ever came across were too long for me. So a score-draw for the pockets. I'd prefer a double seat for perching on damp rocks for lunch to the rear and thigh pocket, and if you do keep the rear pocket a vertical entrance zip would be much more use.

The lower legs have zip-out gussets from the knee to the ankle so you can accommodate e.g. ski touring boots as well as smaller footwear, and make the trousers easier to get on and off. Fairly simple and it seems to work well.

Other stuff... scuff guards on the inner ankle area. Haven't really "used" them but the scuff guards certainly clean up more easily than the plain Dryskin on my wife's Schoeller trousers.

The niggles (half the pockets and belt buckle) are minor items, completely overshadowed by the superb material and a cut that works on me better than other alternatives I've tried (though that'll maybe only help you if you're shaped like me!). If mine disappeared I'd either get another pair or the "Combin" version, similar but without the knee patches and scuff-guards, even at the fairly steep price. But you have to pay for the best fabric, and as far as I can tell this is either it or not far off.

Not the only Schoeller Dryskin trousers in town, but well worth trying out if you're in the market for a very versatile pair of trousers that will do most of what you might ever need (except for really hot days), and one of relatively few with the Nanosphere treatment which does seem to give them an edge.