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Reviews > Clothing > Pants and Shorts > Helly Hansen Verglas Tur Pant > Test Report by Marina Batzke

HELLY HANSEN VERGLAS TUR PANT
TEST SERIES BY MARINA BATZKE
LONG-TERM REPORT
April 17, 2021

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Marina Batzke
EMAIL: mbbp2013 (at) yahoo (dot) com
AGE: 61
LOCATION: Los Angeles County, California, USA
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 5" (1.65 m)
WEIGHT: 132 lb (60.00 kg)

I converted from day hiking and car camping to backpacking in 2013. My backpacking trips are one or two weekend excursions per month in Southern California. The locations range from Joshua Tree National Park desert areas in the cooler months to mountainous elevations in the summer months. I always hike with a group and like the gear talk in camp. While I am looking for ways to lighten my pack, I am not an ultra-lighter: I like sleeping in a tent with a sleeping bag on a comfortable pad. In January 2017, I added snowshoeing to my winter activities.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Helly Hansen (U.S.) Inc.
Year of Manufacture: 2020
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.hellyhansen.com
MSRP: US$250.00
Listed Weight: no data found
Measured Weight: 20.8 oz (590 g)
Other details: available in 2 colors: Pinot Rose and Slate
Size M Waist: 30 in/ 76 cm
Size M Inseam: 30.5 in/ 77 cm

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Helly Hansen Verglas Tur pant arrived folded inside a clear plastic bag. I like the grey fabric color 'slate'. Attached to the pant were three tags. The first tag promotes Helly Hansen ALIVE outdoor since 1877. The second tag describes the pant as impregnated with PFC (Perfluorinated chemicals)-free DWR Durable Water Repellent. The third tag lists the item name: W Verglas Tur Pant, its color Slate, Made in Vietnam, Regular Fit, M/M, USD $250, CAD $300.
IMAGE 1
frontside
IMAGE 2
backside

The Helly Hansen Verglas Tur pant is made of two different fabrics. The front uppers and the pant leg backsides from the knee down are made with a poly/cotton mix main fabric, described to have a mechanical stretch. When I touch this fabric, it feels firm and durable. I can't stretch it with my fingers.
The pant front from the knees down, plus the backside seating area and the crotch gusset are made from 4-way stretch softshell panels. This fabric feels softer and I can stretch the fabric in different directions with my fingers.
IMAGE 3
waistband with hook-and-loop fastener

The waistband is 2 in/ 5 cm high and made of the more firm fabric. All-around there are 5 belt loops. One very interesting feature is the two integrated adjustable hook-and-loop fasteners that allow the wearer to tighten the waistband. On the inside, the waistband is made of a super-soft fleece-type fabric. The waistband closes with three snap fasteners: two above one-another and one set-back.

The pant has 4 zipped secure pockets, all positioned in the front. Two pockets are 5.5 in/ 14 cm vertical and two pockets are 5.5 in/ 14 cm horizontal.

Along the leg outside, there is a 7/8 two-way 30 in/ 76 cm long zipper that I can pull from the bottom up or from the hip area down.

One neat feature is the flexible hem boot lock construction with hook and ladder system: I can tighten the hem circumference by hooking the plastic into the fabric 'ladder rungs'.
IMAGE 4
leg hem hook with fabric ladder

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

Sewn into one inside seam are the fabric details and the washing instructions:
Shell: 67% Cotton, 33% Polyester
Shell 2: 94% Polyamide, 6% Elastane
Shell 3: 100% Polyamide

Before washing the pant with similar colors in lukewarm water close all zippers. Do not use fabric softeners or bleach; neither iron nor dry clean. Tumble dry at low heat.

Warranty:
Helly Hansen offers a 90-day free return or exchange policy. Products are covered against manufacturer defect for two years from date of purchase.

TRYING IT OUT

On their website, Helly Hansen has a FitFinder underneath the 'select size' chart. I filled in their FitFinder with my height, weight, age and selected a curvier belly shape, a wider hip shape and loose fit. This resulted in a Helly Hansen recommendation based on a size that people like me bought, and whether they returned it. Based on the purchases of thousands of similar shoppers, Helly Hansen said there is a 77% chance that I will be happy with size M. There was a 23% chance that size L would fit me.

The length of the M size pant is perfect but the M size waist is too tight. I can close the snap fasteners but the stiff, firm waistline is too tight and beyond comfortable.

I will reach out to the manufacturer for a consultation and to initiate an exchange.

SUMMARY

The Helly Hansen Verglas Tur Pant is lightweight, yet hardy and recommended for hiking, mountaineering and trekking. Once I have exchanged the Medium size to Large, I look forward to trying out the Tur pant on my upcoming outings.

Likes:
four zippered pockets
two types of fabric (firm where needed; stretchy where needed)
two-way zipper vertically on each pant leg

Dislikes:
concerned about the firmness of the waistband


FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Mt. Pinos, Los Padres National Forest, California, USA
8850 ft (2700 m)
Snowshoeing; sunny weather and nice snow
5 mi (8 km)

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

Once I received the size L Helly Hansen Verglas Tur Pant and tried them on, I realized that the waistband was still tight and pressing on my stomach, while the pant legs now seem "that inch" (2.5 cm) too long. I don't seem to have that ideal women's body shape that fits well into either the M or the L size. The hook-and-loop fastener is of no use to me, since the firm, wide waistband fits tight anyways. I have to lose weight around the waist!

When I finally wore the Verglas Tur pant in the field I inserted a belt through the five belt loops and did not close the three snap fasteners. That made it more pleasant wearing the pant on the drive to/ from the trailhead, as well as all day outdoors without the firm waistband pressing on my stomach.

I really got to enjoy wearing the Verglas Tur pant. The weather forecast for the snowshoe outing had said "strong winds and cold" when in fact it turned out to be a beautiful sunny Southern California snow day; the temperature felt around 45 F (7 C). I had started out with Verglas Tur pant, merino wool ski underwear, a fleece sweater and a wind-shielding winter jacket. As we started going up, I warmed up quickly and switched the warm winter jacket for a fleece jacket. A while later I removed the fleece jacket and just wore the ski underwear and my fleece shirt as upper body wear. I remembered the pant side zippers and opened the Verglas Tur pant from the hip down to the knee area. This nicely allowed built-up warmth to escape and I did not have to sit down and fumble in the snow to take off the merino wool long underpants. I continued on with these clothing layers the rest of the day. The Verglas Tur were pleasant to wear.
IMAGE 1
Mt. Pinos snowshoeing

I love the firm fabric on the lower leg insides which is visible in the above image named 'backside'. That is an area where a heavy boot can hit against the other leg, or where one snowshoe might hit against the fabric in the forward motion. The firm fabric shows no damage.

Another nice feature is the hem boot lock construction with hook and ladder system. I was able to adjust the pant leg circumference to exactly fit the winter boots I was wearing on the snowshoe trip.

All day I had my phone inserted in the right front pocket with the vertical zipper. My phone was secured and easily reachable to take snow photos.

SUMMARY

The Helly Hansen Verglas Tur Pant is lightweight and made from pleasant to wear fabric.

Likes:
zippered front pocket is great to securely store smart phone
two fabrics: firm where boot or snowshoe might hit; stretchy when seated for snack or lunch
two-way zipper vertically on each pant leg allows ventilation
hem boot lock 'hook and ladder' system for perfect circumference adjustment

Dislikes:
firmness of the wide waistband


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Bishop & Mammoth, California, USA
3 days Snowshoeing at 30 - 50 F (-1 to 10 C)
Day 1: 4 mi (6.5 km)
8750 - 9330 ft (2667 - 2844 m)
Day 2: 3 mi (5 km)
7750 - 8200 ft (2360 - 2500 m)
Day 3: 4.8 mi (7.8 km)
8440 - 9200 ft (2573 - 2800 m)

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

The Helly Hansen Verglas Tur Pant performed excellently on my 3-day trip snowshoeing. All three days, I did not wear long johns underneath the pant, feeling very comfortable. The fabric is extremely pleasant and soft on my leg skin. Day 1 we wandered out on trail in the warming sun. On our return, we snowshoeed off trail through a stand of trees along a creek. The temperature dropped in this shady setting, yet I continued to feel comfortably warm in the pant but did put on a light windbreaker.
IMAGE 1
Rock Creek Snow Park

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we had some food in a wide open hotel lobby each evening and I kept wearing the pant until we each turned to our respective rooms early in the evening. The Verglas Tur Pant is pleasant to wear both outdoors and indoors.

Day 2 we snowshoeed up in Mammoth and oh my, we had a strong freezing cold breeze. When we got ready in the parking lot, I was worried that I had not put on long johns underneath the pant. Yet the moment we started snowshoeing, the exercise very quickly warmed me up and I felt very comfortable all day. We snowshoeed over open space, in forested areas, both sunny and in the shade: the Verglas Tur Pant kept me comfortably warm. We had lunch in a sunny spot, resting on our sit pads and I did not feel cold, while one of my friends urged us to get going again because he started to shiver. A few times throughout the day, I kneeled down to take a photo or to take something out of/ put items into my daypack. That moment the knee that pressed into the snow felt cold and wet, yet once I got up again, the durable 4-way softshell knee section of the pant leg was dry: no water had seeped through.
IMAGE 2
John Muir Wilderness
IMAGE 3
long Pant Legs - no gaiters needed

Day 3 I snowshoeed up from the winter-blocked end of the road in Aspendell to Lake Sabrina at a high speed: I was on a mission. Despite my energetic workout, the pant felt comfortable and did not make me feel overheated.

Throughout this 3-day trip, I wore the Verglas Tur pant with a belt inserted through the five belt loops and I did not close the three snap fasteners of the waistband. My only issue with the Verglas Tur Pant is that my body shape does not lend itself to the tight waistband. The hook-and-loop fastener is of no benefit because it is at its most expanded. Hoping to gain more waistband diameter, I had exchanged the M size pant with perfect leg length for my height to the L size with now too long leg length. Bummer ...

Two thumbs up for the two horizontal pockets on the pant legs: those pockets are ideal to store my smart phone in. The phone is always quickly available to take photos and easily accessible by pulling the zipper open. No need to fumble with a jacket pocket that may be half covered by the pack straps. Even the two vertical pant pockets are of great use. They are large sized and can hold my whole hand: I usually keep tissues and a lip gloss in there and in today's times a COVID-19 facemask for quick use when around others.

The Helly Hansen Verglas Tur pant is of excellent durability. Even though my metal snowshoes might occasionally scrape along the pant legs, the fabric shows no damage at all. All over, the pant fabric is intact and undamaged.

SUMMARY

The Helly Hansen Verglas Tur Pant is windproof, waterproof and durable for a range of women's outdoor adventures.

LIKES:
love the horizontal front leg pockets to store my smart phone in
great durability of cotton polyester mechanical stretch fabric panels at leg bottoms
combination firm fabric panels and stretchy panels

DISLIKES:
sizing problems: waistband too firm, too tight for my body shape

Thank you to Helly Hansen and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this lightweight pant.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2021. All rights reserved.

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