Mountain Hardwear Piero Pant : Granite Tough

Mountain Hardwear keeps outdoing itself with its climbing-specific pants, and the Piero is the latest in a long line of excellent examples. Extremely tough and stretchy, the Piero took all the abuse I managed to put it through during testing and came out unscathed.

After I received the Piero pants, I took them out bouldering and climbing at a crag near home. The rock, an abrasive granite, is great for seeing how various fabrics will last. During the hike in, I was already digging the Piero. I'm tall and thin, and I have a hard time finding pants that fit. Thankfully, Mountain Hardwear offers the Piero in different inseams lengths ( long in my case), which means I don't have to feel like a dork walking around with the bottom hem floating above my ankles. I also liked the athletic fit and the fact that the cuffs aren't tapered. Narrow cuffs on outdoor pants get annoying because they just bunch up above my shoes.

Even though the pants are made of Mountain Hardwear's Salado canvas, they move and feel extremely flexible. Salado is super stretchy, which gives the pants great flexibility, but since it's also a type of canvas, the pants are very durable. It's basically the perfect fabric for a climbing pant.

As I was bouldering, I discovered how well thought out the pants features are. I know this is a small thing, but it's so awesome: my iPod Touch fits perfectly in the zippered thigh pocket. That is just so cool! I like hiking and (sometimes) climbing to music, but I can't put the iPod in rear pockets or I'll sit on it. If I put it in the hand pockets, it could fall out. While lots of pants have a thigh pocket that's just too narrow, the Piero's is just the right size for my favorite gadgets.

Then there's the actual performance of the pant on the rock. It offers a ton of freedom of movement due to the gusseted inseam, articulated knees, and stretchy fabric. Combine that with the little rear loop for a chalk bag, and a slim, athletic fit that's non-binding, and you've got a great article of clothing. Add to that the abrasion resistance of canvas and fleece-lined waist that won't bunch up beneath a harness, and you've got a perfect climbing garment! 

Bottom Line : Climbing inspired outdoor pant that's durable, stretchy, and fits perfectly.--N.W. (Oct '08) 

Price: $70 --- click to purchase:

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