If you are looking for a warm pair of trousers this winter, you could do a lot worse than try a pair of Rohan winter bags. Cosy and comforting, practical and perfect for walking in chilly weather, they are well worth their £69 price tag.
Rohan’s iconic Bags are the original multi-functional outdoor and travel trousers. Lightweight, packable, quick drying and ‘smart-casual’ their versatility has made them a Rohan best-seller for over 22 years. Winter Bags feature a warm, soft lining which has resulted in them becoming another of Rohan’s top selling products.
The outer layer is made from Rohan’s tried and tested Airlight™ a 50% polyester, 50% cotton breathable fabric which also screens the skin from sun damage. It’s lightweight and quick drying making it ideal for travellers and while it takes a light iron, if you’re careful about the way you dry them, or if you roll them instead of folding them when packing, you can forget about the iron (phew!).
The lining is what puts the ‘winter’ rating into Rohan’s winter bags. It’s 64% polyester, 36% cotton and in between is the polyester wadding which makes the trousers so warm. Rohan say, “We are in the process of changing the lining of the Winter Bags. The poly/cotton lining is the new stock – it will be faster drying and more durable than the Insuflex (which was Viscose).”
Rohan give the winter bags a Medium Coldguard rating and a High Windguard rating and they provide a very good compromise between michelin tyre man gear and ordinary bags, by which I mean they don’t inhibit movement or make you look as though you’ve put on a few pounds, but they do provide protection from icy winds.
Out in the wet, winter bags are not meant to be waterproof, although they will keep you dry in a light shower. While they still offer some degree of warmth once soaked, they become noticeably heavier. You might prefer to take some waterproof overtrousers if this is going to bother you.
They are reinforced in the seat and knee areas and if the lining and wadding are as durable as the outer fabric, then these trousers will last for years, which at £69.50, you would certainly hope. There are two zipped pockets in the back and two in the front along with the trademark Rohan D ring. As with all Rohan trousers, they have to be turned up to suit your leg length but since I invariably have to turn up the legs anyway, this is no hardship.
Specification:
Weight Men’s: 585g Women’s: 535g
Packed Size Men’s: 2000ml Women’s 1500ml
Colours: Men’s Ink or Carbon Women’s Ink
Drying Time 8h
Made in: Morocco and China
With this amount of care going into a smart piece of legwear, it’s small wonder that Rohan scooped the Gold Award for Top Travel Gear at the Wanderlust Travel Awards 2008.
The Rohan website gives full technical information as well as listing clearance items at greatly reduced prices.
