Universal pant to meet the needs of the masses.

By Johnathan Ranked #18 - Men's Softshell Pants February 11, 2012

I really wanted to try some Norrona pants out that Backcountry.com seemed to have a limited supply on so I ordered a lot of gear direct from Norrona with a shipping reduction (Vibka in customer service really works with you to make the shipping reasonable). I purchased quite a few pants that were offered on the Backcountry.com site and some that were not offered. Of the products I purchased to review the Svalbard Flex/1 pant was among them in the iconic Norrona green (Backcountry.com does not offer this color yet (or ever)). These pants are an exceptional product. The heavy weight makes them great for spring and fall backpacking and climbing, and in the winter time I have utilized them for some winter camping, telemark, general mountaineering and ice climbing with layering. The construction is stiff at first, yet very pliable which allows for some stretch in dynamic movement as well as proper ventilation. The pants due to their construction with a very tight woven material emulate a waterproof pant with a long lasting water resistance. I enjoyed this feature much as I could sit in the snow for a few minutes without getting wet. Because of this same mechanism the pants block quite a bit of wind which I have noticed when climbing on some blustery ridges. The unique sizing device on the pants really does make a pant conform to your body rather than the other way around. The bottom ankle adjustments are handy and accomodate nicely for ice climbing boots, ski boots down to a lightweight hiking boot. The pockets like most Norrona products are placed well for maximal utilization. These pants do soften up over time, but after 3 months of rigorous use in the Andes have held up quite nice retaining the material properties that make them so appealing. Overall I give this product a 4/5 as the product quality is top notch, the materials are wonderful and the versatility of the product is very expansive. I wish the material broke in a little quicker and the overall design fit of the pants is not exceptionally ideal for me (I discuss this below) and that is why I am taking back 1 star, but overall a great product for the masses. Sizing is always difficult to determine especially with european/scandanavian brands. Norrona sizing is really quite true to size. I am a true medium 5'9 165 with a 32X32 waist and the size medium pant fits me perfectly; the waist is snug with adjustment, the thighs are straight fit (I have larger thighs however), and there is just a little more room than I prefer through the calf and ankle but I can tolerate that for fitting over boots. I have found sizing to be true with most of Norrona's bttom products other than their looser fitted clothing such as their Lofoten, Roldal, Narvik and some of the Trollveggen series in which I must size down to a small and I am barely making the fit (but it is much better to be smaller than baggy in my perspective). To clarify my waist is 32.2 inches bare, so when I am telling you a medium fits, it is not actually 32 inches but rather 32.5-33 inches. Norrona has several products with different fits so depending on activity and preference they will have something for you. The Fjora Felx 1 pant is very slim and will be a great product for trail blazing which is another product I tried, but backcountry.com has yet to publish for the new Fjora line so I will be presenting more information on more products when they update for the new year.

View Details: Norrøna Svalbard Flex1 Softshell Pant - Men's

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