Adidas Wandertag Climaproof Pant
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Tester
Information
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| Name:
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David
Wilkes |
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E-Mail:
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amatbrewer@yahoo.com
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Age:
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50 |
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Location:
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Yakima
Washington USA |
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Gender:
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M |
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Height:
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5'11"
(1.80 m) |
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Weight:
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200 lb (90.7 kg) |
Waist/inseam: | 36"/32" 91cm / 81 cm |
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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).
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Product
Information
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Manufacturer:
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adidasoutdoor |
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Year
of Manufacture:
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2016 |
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Manufacturer’s
Website:
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adidasoutdoor.com |
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MSRP:
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89.00 US$
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Sizes:
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S, M, L, XL, 2XL
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Material:
| 100% POLYESTER |
Weight Listed/Measured:
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8.1 oz (230 g) / 8.8 oz (250 g)
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Product
Description:The
Wandertag Climaproof Pants are intended to be a light weight, waterproof
but breathable rain shell for outdoor activities like hiking and
running. They include an adjustable elastic waistband, zippered front
pockets and zip leg openings.
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Initial
Report
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December 12 2016
 I
have a history of being hard on rain pants, so I often hesitate to
purchase replacements. My last pair was ‘retired’ last year since they
had gotten to the point where there was almost as much repair tape as
original material, especially in the seat. While the area of Washington
state where I live is considered “shrub steppe” (similar to high
desert) and we get on average about 300 days of sun a year, in the
Central Washington Cascades where most of my outdoor activities take
place, the only consistency in the weather is its unpredictability, and
getting wet is not just a possibility, it is often a probability. Rain,
snow, high humidity/dense fog, etc, and if nothing else I often end up
walking through wet brush. As an example, last year during one of the
hottest driest summers on recorded, I headed into the mountains for a
weekend of fishing where I encountered almost constant cold rain and
wind the entire trip. So light weight water proof pants that are also
breathable is something I can really appreciate and often need.
wandertag
climaproof pant (all lower case per adidasoutdoor.com) is described as
a breathable waterproof pant for hiking backpacking or wet weather
runs. It is constructed out of “Climaproof” 100% Polyester which is
supposed to be waterproof but breathable, and features an elastic waist
band with draw strings, two front “hand warmer” pockets with zip
closures, and waterproof half zip leg openings. There are also elastic
drawstrings at the hem of each leg. The two front pockets are partially
constructed of mesh to provide ventilation. And the left pocket doubles
as a stuff sack for the pants. The pants can be neatly stored in their
own pocket by stuffing them into the pocket from the inside (turning
the pocket inside out in the process). The zipper on that side pocket
includes a zipper pull with a
tab that says “PACK IT”. Inside this pocket there is also a small
fabric loop which could be used to secure items such as keys. When the
pants are stuffed into this pocket it is then on the outside and so can
be used to hang the pants. After reviewing the online size chart I
requested a size Large.
Note: see the adidias wandertag jacket reviews completed earlier this year.
http://www.backpackgeartest.org//reviews/Rain%20Gear/Jackets%20and%20Pants/Adidas%20Wandertag%20Mens%20Rain%20Jacket/
Upon
receiving the pants I went over them and found no signs of defects and
the construction looks very good. Trying them on they fit just as
expected. The waist fits well and appears to have enough stretch that
it should also fit over layers as needed. The elastic drawstring in
the waistband is adjustable which is nice but the elastic cord is kind
of thin and seems somewhat weak. Experience has shown that since I am
not exactly in shape (yeah, OK, I am fat), I will probably be
tightening the drawstring in order to help keep my pants up. So this
is one thing I will be paying close attention to. The length seems to
be ideal for me. Long enough to reach the ground with thin-soled shoes,
but not so long that they will drag or be a tripping hazard. My initial
impression of the pants is that there was a lot of thought put into
making them as functional as possible without adding any frivolous
“features” while keeping the weight to a minimum.
Likes: Light weight, fit well, easy to put on/take off, well constructed
Dislikes: None
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Field
Report
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February 15 2017 Usage * Nordic Ski Patrol, Washington Cascades (elevation 4600’ / 1400m) x 8 * Winter Hike Eastern foothills of the Washington Cascades (elevation 2000’ / 600m) As
is the norm for me when testing products that are relevant to specific
weather, Mother Nature rarely cooperates. During this phase of the test
I have yet to experience temperatures above freezing aside for the week
I spent in San Cabo Mexico where the weather was around 85F (39C) and
sunny, so obviously I did not use these. During my duties on the
Nordic Ski patrol I am expected to ski at least 4 hours a day and we have
about 18km (11mi) of groomed ski trail to cover and are expected to
periodically walk the snowshoe trails. At the end of the day (~3pm) we
are required to ski (“sweep”) all of the trails. This is regardless of
the weather conditions. During this period the conditions have ranged
from about 22F (-6C) and snowing to 9F (-13C) and windy. My duties
include stopping to assist skiers, shoveling snow and some trail
maintenance. One memorable day the high was only 13F (-11C) and windy,
and I had forgotten to check the weather prediction so was far
under-dressed for the conditions. Had it not been for purchasing an
extra base layer from the resort ski shop, the wind protection of the
Wondertag pants, and continuous movement there is no way I could have
completed sweep. As it was by the time I returned to the yurt at the
end of the day I had no feeling in most of my fingers and was
completely exhausted. On another day it snowed so hard and it was so
cold and dry that when the snow bombs would drop from the trees
visibility would drop to completely zero (I actually held my hand in front
of my face one time and was totally unable to see my hand). And once,
when the snow cleared I found myself flat on my back with no idea how I
got there. Much of the day my skis were completely invisible under the
snow and at times the powder was over my calves. I was glad to
have a waterproof shell to help keep my legs dry that day. While
I can’t comment yet on how effective these pants are for rain I can
say they are light and comfortable even over bulky base layers. They
have been very effective at blocking wind and they shed snow very well.
I have also yet to experience any problems with moisture build up so
they seem to breathe well at least in these cold conditions. Note for
Nordic skiing, moisture management is critical to avoid overheating
while moving and from freezing during the frequent, sometimes extended,
stops. These pants have also been effective at keeping me dry when I
have had to kneel or sit in the snow, and when I have trudged through
fresh powder almost hip deep.  The
leg zips have made getting my boots on/off easier, and I can get these
pants on over my Nordic ski boots, but even with the legs completely
unzipped I could not get them on over my insulated winter hiking boots.
To be fair they really are not intended for that so I can’t consider
that a negative. If I were to identify one area that could be
better it would be the elastic drawstring in the waistband. This cord
is very thin and does not really seem to be sufficient to help keep the
pants from sliding down during use. I would prefer if this cord was
thicker and/or the pants had belt loops. Likes: - Light
- Comfortable
- Wind/water proof
Dislikes: - Elastic waistband draw cord
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Long
Term Report |
| April 22 2017 |  Usage
- Nordic Ski Patrol, Washington Cascades (elevation 4600’ / 1400m) X 4
- Snowcamp - 1 night - Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Central Cascades Washington (~1-2 miles)
I
continued to use these pants on my Ski Patrol duty days. The remaining
outings were uneventful with temperatures just above to just below
freezing, some snow but mostly clear days, with excellent skiing (this
was an epic ski season).
I also used them for a short overnight
snowshoe trip where I was trying out a new hammock, under quilt and
tarp configuration. I hiked a short way up the PCT looking for a
suitable place to set up my hammock and out of sight of the trail. The
temperatures were just above freezing and it was snowing so the trees
were dripping quite a bit of water, which continued until temperatures
dropped below freezing during the night. As I was using my hammock I
had no choice but to set up under the trees. I was glad I was wearing a
waterproof jacket and the Adidas Wandertag Climaproof Pant. Despite the
dripping from the trees, kneeling in the wet snow, and brushing against
the wet brush and branches I remained dry. The same could not be said
about my tarp and sleeping bag, by 3am I awoke to find I was sleeping
in a puddle.
I
continued to have difficulty with keeping these
pants from riding down during use regardless of how tight I pulled the
elastic draw cord, so I finally broke down and purchased a set of
clip-on suspenders. These worked great! As I have had this same problem
with
other rain pants I can't blame these. I would very much like to blame
the basic design of rain pants overall, but I suspect the real culprit
is the extra girth around my middle. Using these rain pants with
suspenders was wonderful. They fit very well and did not ride down at
all. I am beginning to wonder why the manufacturers of rain pants don't
all offer suspenders, at least as an optional item.
 The
leg zips have not been of much use to me as I simply can't get put
these pants on/off with any of my winter footwear. From experience with
similar products I do know they will go over my preferred warm weather
footwear (e.g. trail runners), but even then I tend to remove my shoes
anyway to avoid getting mud and water inside my rain pants.
Overall
I am very pleased with these. They are light weight, comfortable, and
work well for wet conditions, as well as for blocking cold wind. While
I can't attest to their breathability, I also have found no indications
that they are not breathable. At the conclusion of this test I fully
intend to continue to carry these for most of my backpacking and hiking
trips this year as I often encounter wet conditions and the slight
additional weight would be more than offset by begin able to protect my
legs from wind and wet conditions.
Likes:
- Light
- Comfortable
- Wind/water proof
Dislikes:
- Elastic waistband draw cord
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This
concludes
my report. I would like to thank the folks at adidasoutdoor and BackpackGearTest.org
for the opportunity to test this product.
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