DUER FIRESIDE DENIM SUMMIT PANT
|
Tester
Information
|
|
| Name:
|
David
Wilkes |
|
E-Mail:
|
amatbrewer@yahoo.com
|
|
Age:
|
56 |
|
Location:
|
Yakima
Washington USA |
|
Gender:
|
M |
|
Height:
|
5'11"
(1.80 m) |
|
Weight:
|
210 lb (90.7 kg) |
|
Biography:
I started
backpacking
in 1995 when I moved to Washington State. Since then, I have
backpacked in all seasons and conditions the Northwest has to
offer. I prefer trips on
rugged trails with plenty of elevation gain. While I continuously
strive to lighten my load, comfort and safety are most important to me.
I have finally managed to get my basic cold weather pack weight, not
including consumables, to under 30 lb (14 kg).
|
|
Product
Information
|
|
Manufacturer:
|
DUER |
|
Year
of Manufacture:
|
2021 |
|
Manufacturer’s
Website:
|
www.shopduer.com |
|
MSRP:
|
$159.00 USD
|
Dementions:
|
See Product Description
|
Weight (Pair):
|
Measured (not listed): 32 oz / 901 g
|
|
|
Product
Description:The
FIRESIDE DENIM SUMMIT PANT is a hybrid of a fleece ("running") pant and
denim jeans for winter weather. They feature a slim athletic cut with a
relaxed thigh. "ideal for slim and athletic body shapes". The material
is 81% Cotton, 13% Polyester, 4% Nylon, and 2% Elastane, and includes a
DWR (Durable Water Repellent) to make them resistant to liquids. They
also have adjustable elastic in the cuffs, and in addition to the
standard 5 pockets found in most jeans, they also have a "covert" thigh
pocket (for such things as a cell phone). They are available in 7 waist
sizes (31, 32, 33, 34,36,38 in) and one inseam length (32 in) Metric
equivalents would be: waist 79, 81, 84, 86, 91, 96 cm, inseam 81 cm.
|
|
Initial
Report
|
Jan 06 2021 I
will admit I was not sure what to expect with these pants. I have not
worn denim jeans in years, but the thought of a sweat pant like fit
with the look, function, and durability of denim was quite intriguing.
In addition I like the idea of having a pant that looks 'normal' but
actually provides some insulation, and the inclusion of DWR is an
important feature for the Pacific Northwest where I live. I am most
definitely not slim or "athletic", so I was not quite sure how these
would fit me. Trying them on the first time I was impressed with the
amount of stretch, as well as glad for it. While the pants fit me well
in the thighs and waist, I have rather larger than normal calf's, 17.5
in / 44.5 cm, and so these pants are somewhat snug over my calf's, but
they have enough stretch that it is not uncomfortable so (at least in
the sort time I have worn them so far).  I
would mention that while the products web page shows only one inseam
length, the tag on the item I received indicated three inseam sizes 30,
32, 34 (76, 81, 86 cm). The product I received has a waist size of 36
(91 cm) and length of 32 (81 cm). My initial impression of the
garment is quite positive. They seem well made with no indication of
flaws or manufacturer defects. The pockets are well located and
generously sized. The inner right front pocket (often referred to as a
watch pocket) is large enough to be actually useful (unlikely many
other jeans I have worn) and the stretch material makes it even more
functional and useful, I could easily see keeping my keys or a pocket
knife in this pocket. I find the pants rather heavy and due to all the
stretch in the material I would not feel comfortable wearing them
without a belt. I was concerned that the snug fit around my lower legs
would not allow me to wear a base layer under it so I tried them with a
thin base layer and found the pants have enough stretch that this seems
to work fine. The "covert" thigh pocket is large enough for mid
to large size cell phones but smaller than a cargo pocket and so mostly
unnoticeable unless there is something inside of it. I tried putting my
smart phone in the pocket and while it fits well the bottom of the
pocket is right at my knee and so I can feel if when I walk. This might
take a bit of getting used to. While it is BackpackGearTest
policy to only include first hand information it reviews, I rely on my
wife's superior expertise when it comes to aesthetics. When I was
trying on these pants she commented that they "look very good" on me. To
summarize pro's and con's I would say I really like the look and
stretch of the material. The only possible con is the placement of the
thigh pocket, but I will need to get some use out of it before I can
tell. NOTE: the lighting in my photos do not accurately represent the garments color. It is in fact a very nice black denim.    |
Long
Term Report |
| Due May 2022 | Usage:
- Ski Patrol, 9 days (Nordic skiing, snow shoeing, various trail maintenance work)
- Winter backpack, 1 night, snowshoe
- Day hikes x 3 (~5 km/3 mile each) on local trails.
- Daily wear at home and around town
Review:
During
my ski patrol days I skied between 6 and 18 km (4-11 miles), I also did
some patrolling on snowshoes. In addition we do basic trail maintenance
such as cutting brush back along the sides of the trail and shoveling
snow (clearing the bathrooms and filling in holes on the trails).
Temperatures ranged from just above freezing to well below, with clear
days as well as days of heavy snow, wind, and even one day of light
rain/sleet.
My one overnight trip was a short snowshoe hike (about 1
mile/1.5 km) after a day of patrolling into a spot where I set up camp
on the snow. The temperature was just a little below freezing, with
clouds and little to no wind.
I have mixed feelings about these
pants. On the positive side I am impressed at how comfortable the
material is with or without a light base layer under it. I am also
impressed with the durability of the material. Despite the tight fit
along my legs the material has so much stretch it did not restrict
movement at all. The material was also very warm but breathable, so
despite begin quite active, I did not overheat or sweat in them.
However as noted previously the cut is rather tight on me from about
the mid thigh down but loose above that. This resulted in a snug fit in
the legs that I hoped to get used to but never did. Also I found I
needed to wear a belt due the stretch of the material combined
with the loose fit in the waist. While I found the material warm and
comfortable, I also found the pants offered little in the way of wind
protection, which combined with how much these pants weigh, is why I
only used them for one overnight trip.
While wearing these pants
I had occasion to kneel down on dirt, snow, ice and rock. I also
brushed against trees and branches. I have been quite impressed at how
durable the outer material of these pants are, never snagging and
showing no signs of wear so far.
I will say I got great pleasure
on the times people would stop to ask me if I was actually
skiing/snowshoeing in 'jeans'. It was fun to see the look on their face
when they saw how much stretch these had and the insulation from the
fleece lining. I also found them to be very nice for 'urban' wear. They
kept me comfortable when I wore them around town and even to some
outdoor locations (e.g. breweries and restaurants) despite the cold
weather while not looking like 'winter' pants.
Going forward I
intend to wear these as my main winter pant for urban use, but due to
their weight and lack of wind resistance probably won't use them much
for trail (backpacking/hiking/snowshoeing/etc).
Note while
there were a few things about these pants I did not like, overall I am
impressed with the quality of the product and will be looking into
possibly purchasing some other DUER products (e.g. LIVE LITE ADVENTURE
SHORT).
I can't help but speculate on what might make these
ideal for me. The most obvious thing would be if they were cut more
generously in the legs I think I would like them much better. And while
I would like them to be more wind resistant, I would not find that a
benefit if that resulted in them having less stretch. Also, while I
prefer a much lighter pant, I would not find it a positive trade off if
it came at the cost of other features such as warmth or durability.
|
This
concludes
my report. I would like to thank the folks at DUER and BackpackGearTest.org
for the opportunity to test this product.
|
|
