Kit Focus — VAUDE Green Shape Core 3L Hiking Trousers

If you cut me through, I will bleed green; or at least green and blue—the earth and water are in my veins. The Green Shape range from VAUDE has fast become one of my go-to clothing ranges for outdoor sports and hiking. The Green Core 3L Hiking 'Pants' (Trousers) are a particular favourite.

The VAUDE Green Core 3L Trousers are a waterproof set of hiking trousers, made from organic cotton and eco-friendly castor oil fibres. They are designed to be a weatherproof layer that provides superb breathability and a versatile performance for a variety of conditions.

The outer layer on the trousers is comprised of three distinct fabrics. Above the knees a stretchy Econyl® recycled polyamide is used for increased freedom of movement. On the front and back of the thigh a robust and abrasion resistant EcoPaXX® synthetic fibre made from 70 percent eco-friendly castor oil fibres has been used. Finally, on the back of the calves (an area that gets a lot of spray/muck), VAUDE have used a Durable Organic Cotton; this is a tightly woven and highly breathable cotton weave, which when it gets wet the threads swell slightly and form a natural barrier to water. All the outer layers are then coated in PFC-free EcoFinish waterproofing, to provide effective beading of water on the surface.

The inner fabric of the trousers is a taped waterproof membrane. Ceplex Green is completely PFC-free and made from 25 percent recycled material. This is then coated with a final third internal laminate lining called S-Cafe®, which is another innovative eco-material, made from recycled coffee grounds; it ensures a comfortable feel against the skin.

The Vaude Green Core 3L Pants Trousers are certainly a stand-out product; not only in their green colour, but also with their green credentials. They are also exceptionally comfortable—I recently wore them for a 38 kilometre hike with a pair of compression tights underneath them; the temperatures ranged from a frosty morning start to mid-teens Celsius by the middle of the day; then a hailstorm late afternoon! The Green Core 3L Pants felt comfortable, breathable, and protective in all the conditions.

There is no denying that the price of these trousers is eye-watering. At £240 RRP they make most mainstream waterproof hiking trousers look like tuppence. However, the quality and exceptional performance of these is actually more akin to GORE-TEX sailing salopettes that I have tested, and most of those are £350+ in price; when you compare them against these, the price seems more justifiable.

The VAUDE Green Shape Core Collection is a unique and incredibly versatile range of products. The 3L Green Core Pants Trousers are quite easily the best waterproof walking trousers I have used, and for that reason they have become my preferred choice on The Expedition Journals 'Equipment' page.

>> View the Vaude Green Shape Core Collection here <<

VAUDE provided the Green Shape Core 3L Pants for testing and review on The Expedition Journals