Montane Terra Convert Pants

Over the years I’ve tried out loads of different walking trousers, just about everything from cheap polyester trousers to Kevlar reinforced soft shell ones, but there’s one type that I now own no less that 4 pairs of, these are the Montane Terra Convert Pant.

I bought my first pair a few years back while looking for a pair of lightweight uncomplicated pair of zip-off trousers to replace my North Face Paramount Convertible…which I love for general use but just don’t get on with for walking.

I had often thought about buying the standard Terra pant but I love walking in shorts so prefer to have the option of zipping the legs off or on depending on how the weather changes during the walk, the Terra Converts were just what I was looking for.

They are made from light weight (360g for a Medium size and they go all the way up to XXL), cotton feel Tactel with Cordura Mini-rip reinforcements in the places that usually wear or catch on things.

The fabric is really wind resistant and surprisingly water resistant, when they do finally wet through they dry super quick so are perfect for multi trips such as the coast to coast walk .

Not only that they have a sun protection factor of 40+ so are perfect for walking in sunny places.

The fit is quite close and the knees are pre bent or articulated as I think it’s called, this along with the zipped and adjustable ankles make for a really great no fuss fit so that they don’t rub on you or catch on your surroundings plus give you plenty of movement when you need it.

The legs zip off just above the knee, which I think is a nice length, some of the trousers I’ve tried have zipped off either too high or too low, not only that the zips are protected with a flap of material so they don’t rub on your legs.

As if that wasn’t enough there’s also a little zipped pocket inside the right hand pocket which is perfect for putting your keys or some money in to keep them safe and secure, the zip is also on the backside of the pocket so it’s easy to do up and doesn’t scratch what ever else is in your pockets.

They are definitely durable, my original green pair have been used and abused without a second thought, the only sign of wear is a little bit of bobbling on the inside leg.

Over the 4 pairs a few things have changed which even though quite small have improved already excellent trousers. My newest pair feel softer and more flexible, the belt has a different clasp which feels slightly higher quality, I think the zips have changed slightly and feel slightly tougher now and the Montane branding now stands out a bit more with the logo being white on the top of the left leg.

The only real downsides are the price, they aren’t cheap at a RRP of £75 (although the length of time my first pair have lasted almost negates that) and the lack of colour choice…they only come in black or grey now with the green and sand colours being discontinued over the years. I’d love to make them in the same grey/black combo as the normal Terra’s too.

If you are looking for a new pair of walking trousers come shorts then look no further than the Montane Terra Converts.

You can find out more about the Montane Terra Convert Pant on the shiny new Montane website here, including a list of stockists, but I got my latest pair from Go Outdoors in Stockton.