Montane Minimus Pants (Waterproof trousers) Review

My go-to waterproof trousers have been the Berghaus Deluge over trousers in the last few years. You would be hard pushed to find something more resilient and relatively breathable for the price.

However, what about those Spring and Summer months when the boots are put into hibernation and the temperatures rise enough for the lightweight kit to make an appearance...? Cue another pair of lightweight waterproof over trousers. On offer were the Montane Minimus so I got them - paid around £45.

Their first test was a slight mishap in that I wore my boots and mistakenly packed the Minimus pants instead of my Berghaus ones. Cue me stumbling around in heavy rain and sleety snow trying to get them on - unsuccessfully. The only way was to head for some cover, take off my boots, put on the waterproofs and then put my boots back on. Note to self: don't do that again.

The waterproofs themselves held out fine except for the usual plastering of mud as I considered and then thought better off a river crossing and headed back along a path...

Dartmoor in the murk and sleety snow. Location of a hapless hiker trying to put on the pants...

Back to the review, the pants are extremely lightweight (140g) and understandably very different to the Deluge pants which are more weighty. I don't think I'd be dragging them across scrambles on Bristly Ridge or through gorse on moorland. But they're probably more resilient than they seem and that's the price for going lightweight.

The outer fabric has a ripstop type face. The breathable fabric is 2 layer Pertex Shield which isn't breathable on the level of 3 layer fabrics like eVent and Goretex but is pretty good. Over the period of about 90mins walking quite quickly in rain and snow I didn't have any issues with breathability or leakage but that's obviously to be expected! They did well in a wet-ish day in Lakeland too.

Top of Fisher's Wife's Rake

The pants have some nice touches. They have 1 1/4 length leg zip which really helps getting them on over shoes and trainers etc. There is just one zip on the legs, probably to minimise weight.

Down the leg of the Montane Minimus

The zip on the Montane Minimus

There is also a strap lower down the leg (calf area) to cinch in the waterproofs when you're moving fast through the mountains or you're trail running. Nice touch. There is also reflective detail on the Minimus pants as well - much needed. The waist has a simple draw string at the front.

All in all, the Montane Minimus waterproof trews trousers pants (choose appropriate name) are a very good pair of lightweight overtrousers. They won't breathe as well as eVent or Goretex etc but they're not as expensive retail price either. They may not have the features of Paramo offerings but they don't have the price or the heat either. They're not as resilient as things like the Berghaus Deluge but they're under half the weight!

You pay your money and you take your choice... Ideal for moving fairly fast (just not too fast so you get too hot) and for trail running, just as Montane say.