I received these Pectnk Outdoor Softshell Trousers from my wife at Christmas, because she “thought they would be good for my fishing”. I have been so impressed by these trousers that I felt I had to write up a wee review.
These are technical trousers, ie. made with a man-made fabric that is ideal for outdoor use in winter. The outer shell is stated to be water resistant and windproof. At the outset, if you are going bank fishing on a river or a fishery on a typical cold damp winters day in Scotland, these are ideal but where they really come into their own is when wading in winter.
Winter Wading Underwear- Layering Up
In winter when fishing rivers, especially as a wearer of breathable waders, it is important to layer up. It is also important to avoid natural fabrics like cotton and generally speaking woollens) as they tend to get damp from sweat and this then leads to you getting cold.
My usual set up is technical Long Johns, as the base layer, then I usually ignore my own advice and wear a pair of Jogging pants ( I think these are probably cotton based), and then I wear my thin technical walking trousers ( I have various makes, as long as they dry off quickly if they get damp that’s the main consideration). I then wear a fleece undersuit and all this goes into my waders. On my feet, I wear Merino Wool socks which though a natural fabric are a wicking material so your feet are kept warm and dry. In the very coldest conditions, I sometimes wear a neoprene sock over these. They provide lots of insulation but being tighter do restrict your feet a wee bit and this can result in cold toes if you aren’t careful.
Two Layers in One
These trousers double up on two of the above layers in one. The technical walking trouser outer and a softshell fleece lining doing the job of the joggers. They have so
They have stretchy panels in the knees that allow maximum movement with zero
They have zippered pockets with pull cords on and come with a belt though being so stretchy it’s not something I need to keep them up.
Incredibly Warm and Flexible
In use they are warm. I cannot believe how warm actually, it really is impressive to provide so much warmth in so little bulk, which in turn aids your flexibility and having a bit more space in your
They are so warm that if you have heated car seats you almost definitely won’t need them for long on a cold winters mornings and sitting in the car on the way to the river, you might actually be too warm! If this is you then maybe hold off donning them until on site. Me? I just turned the heating down. Very much a “first world” problem to have.
They come in various “outdoors” colours, mines are a sort of field grey with red trims. Almost definitely not something you would want to wear on a warm day, I think they would be roasting, so stick to the normal technical shell trousers for warmer weather, but when the chill is in the air I have no hesitation in recommending the Pectnk Softshell Outdoor Trousers.
My wife got these on Amazon for around £30 which is an absolute bargain for this type of outdoors wear. Mines are my correct size for
This review of Pectnk softshell outdoor trousers is unsolicited, and this website or the owner