Berghaus overtrousers -Enjoy the Deluge! (Berghaus Deluge Over Trousers)

Member Name: apuskiduski

Product:	Berghaus Deluge Over Trousers
Date:	11/03/09 (310 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Light, comfy, vented zips, easy-on and quicker off, washable

Disadvantages: Zips can snag on lining

I used to hate the rain. Simple as that. I would avoid getting wet at all costs, even if it meant running through it to get out of it. Doesn't make sense does it- surely, you getter wetter that way? If I was one, I'd have been a Peter Kay dinner lady. You know "It's spitting, get em in!" type of person.

Well, not any more. "Bring it on!" is my new catch phrase, since buying my Berghaus Deluge waterproof overtrousers.

I now hope that it rains so that I can laugh in the face of the torrent! And I deliberately choose places where it's going to rain - a lot! Borrowdale, the wettest place in Britain, is my favourite spot on the map at the moment. All because of my new trousers? Maybe!

Why do I love them so much, you might ask.
There are plenty reasons for this:

1. They are incredibly light and compact.
At 360 g they weigh less than some of my favourite baguette sandwiches and they squish down to about the same size, actually. So, they fit in my rucksack easily and I hardly notice the weight, if it actually remains dry -which is hardly ever these days anyway. Men's are 390g and are slightly bigger, obviously.

2. The fabric "does what it says on the tin."
The specially developed Aquafoil® fabric is waterproof and incredibly durable. Last year I wore them at the top of Catbells in January, Scafell Pike in May and High Spy in August, proving what fantastic all-year-rounders they are.

3. You're never a sweaty Betty in these.
Berghaus have developed a very clever breathable fabric in Aquafoil®. It's amazing. Put simply, it repels the water on the outside, and allows perspiration from the inside to escape. It's what's known as "hydrophilic moisture transport technology" if everything goes quiet in the snug.

4. Perfect fit.
Normally with overtrousers, the sizes are a bit dubious to say the least, but with good old Berghaus, I could choose from an 8 -18 and from two leg lengths, 29" and 31". Obviously I would have preferred an 8 but couldn't get them past my knees! So a 12 is perfect, in a 29" leg. These are a little shorter than I would normally wear trousers, but cleaning mud and manure from the bottom seams didn't appeal to me. Men's come in small, medium and large I believe( don't know if there's an extra large) and each one of those have three different leg lengths - 29", 31" and 33". My husband's are large - the trousers that is- with a 31" leg and they're perfect for his height. (6'3").

5. I'm hot stuff and they keep me cool.
The venting zips enable me to let off steam if I need to. Sometimes, in showery conditions when you don't know what to wear, it's easier to keep the trousers on and keep walking. I zip the vents down to cool me down and it works brilliantly.

6. Easy on, faster off.
The thing I love about these trousers is, because the zips cover 3/4 of your leg, you can fit them over your boots easily when you're gearing up for a walk and when you arrive back to the car, drenched, you can whip them off in seconds, not minutes.

7. No pockets.
I hate pockets in overtrousers, as they tend to increase the wear and tear on the trousers in the long run and also whatever you've got in the pocket annoys you to death. They also look sleeker that way, you're already on your second or third layer of trousers so don't want to look any more bulked up! So, good one, Berghaus.

8. No flapping flaps
Both legs have press studs on a protective strip that keep your legs dry when you're using the vents, and the zips themselves are protected.

9. Comfy waistband
An adjustable toggle on the right hand side helps to keeps them up and doesn't stick into you when you sit down for that well earned cheese and pickle sandwich at the top of the hill.

10. Easy to clean
As they are fully machine washable at 30 degrees, they are a doddle to keep in good condition. Remember don't bleach them, dry clean them or put them in a tumble dryer and if you really must iron them (why?) use a very cool one!

So those are the ten reasons I lurve my deluge overtrousers. I couldn't comtemplate a long day on the hills without them. I remember doing the Coast to Coast years ago and feeling absolutely miserable when 3 inches of rain fell - all on me - on the second day. I love walking in the rain now.

If I've got one niggle with these trousers it would have to be that as you zip and unzip them, they sometimes catch in the lining fabric, making them snag. I have to be very careful not to let this happen, because as I tugged at the right hand zip, the fabric 'puller' pulled off, with a small piece of metal attached. So now I have to manoeuvre a small stub of a zip on that leg. Annoying, but still functional.

I bought my trousers from Go Outdoors in Wakefield for £29.00. I have a discount card for this store, too, so got 10% knocked off the price. The RRP is about £40 I believe, but you can definitely do better than that on the Internet. I wouldn't have bought them without trying them on first. You have to know where they will 'sit' on your boots so as not to damage the bottom seam.

If you can't stand the rain, but love the outdoors, these are the ones for you. They are light, comfy and reasonably priced. They do the job and also keep you warm in winter as an extra layer. And not a sweaty Betty in sight!

Summary: There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing!