MEC Ferrata Pants

[armin]

Does anybody have those (Ultra or Simplex) and do you like them? What's the difference between the two, they seem to be made of the same material.

[Dru]

the cut and fit. the ultra has more pockets.

[treknclime]

MEC used to sell some nice nylon trekking pants; couldn't find anything like it on their site. Do they still make some?

[Jake_Gano]

I have the older ones, without the extra pocket. They rock, and I only paid what was about $45us for them. Yeah they are about all you'd need for rock climbing in nasty weather or alpine climbs.

[PaulB]

I've had a pair of the older style Ferratas (bellows thigh pocket and elasticized cuffs) for four or five years and they've been great for all my non-winter alpine adventures. I'm not too keen on the new styling, but as far as the fabric itself goes, they're just starting to get some pilling in high wear areas, and should be good for at least a couple more years.

[armin]

Response from MEC:

 

Both the Ferrata 3 Simplex (5001-337, $115.00 CAD) and the Ferrata 3 Ultra (5000-774, $145.00 CAD) Men's Pants are made from Schoeller Dryskin Extreme fabric, which is a blend of 80% nylon for abrasion resistance, 10% spandex for stretch, and 10% polyester for moisture wicking. Both pants feature 2 hand pockets, 1 small thigh pocket, belt loops, and a fly front with snap and zipper.

 

However, the Simplex has a tapered leg, to reduce the amount of flapping material below the knee. The Ultra has a near-straight leg, and features a double seat and double knees for even more wear-resistance, as well as drawcords at the ankles, to restrict the entry of debris into the lower part of the leg.

[newtoclimbing]

I used the Ferrata Simplex pants on two multi-day alpine climbing trips this summer (glacier travel, snow and ice climbing) as well as spring and fall backpacking and scrambling. They do a good job of blocking the wind (not windproof, but very close) and repelling snow and light rain. I'm sure that there are better soft-shell pants out there, but at $115 I figured it was worth taking a chance on them. No regrets.