REVIEW: Berghaus Trango XCR Waterproof Jacket £275

It’s good The legenday Berghaus Trango was a best-seller during the 1990's and everyone who was anyone bought one. Berghaus have re-launched the Trango and designed it for mountaineering, skiing and ski mountaineering.
It is made from the Gore-Tex XCR three layer fabric, so condensation control and breathability is good. You get a zip out snowskirt, plus a ski pass pocket on the sleeve and internal stretch mesh pockets to help keep your water bottles warm. There are two good sizes chest pockets and pit zips.
The waist drawcord is adjusted from within the chest pockets and there is a hem drawcord too. The cut is shorter than some other options such as the Mountain Equipment Kongur, but typical of many jackets today. Sleeve movement is good making this ideal for mountaineering and scrambling.
The front zip gets a double storm flap and the chest pockets are a sealed pocket design, so you should stay reasonably dry in this.
Put the hood up and you get a deep wired peak that provides great protection and movement, even without doing up the front zip fully. The hood can also be rolled down to the collar and secured with press studs.

But Very little to complain about here, although some jackets are a little longer than this. Some jackets get an extra dedicated map pocket on the chest. There is no reflective material and not everyone will want pit zips. These are personal choices rather than sale breakers though in my view. It is a little heavier than the Montane Superfly XT (660g) and the Mountain Equipment Kongur (612g), but it does feel very tough and durable.

Buy it if you want a good solid performance waterproof for hillwalking, backpacking and Munro Bagging, as well as scrambling and mountaineering, as this is a true all rounder.

Vital stats
Outer 3 layer Gore-Tex XCR
Inner none
Sizes XS-XXL
Weight 788g size large
Made in China
For more information go to the Berghaus Web Site

To talk about gear check out Trail Forums

Reviewed by Graham Thompson

VIDEO: Nemo's poleless tent - first demo

The new Nemo AR tent relies on pumped air rather than poles to stay rigid. Sounds crazy, but its makers claim it has some major advantages over traditional designs. Watch the video for an exclusive first demo; get the June issue of Trail magazine for the full review.

To chat about gear go to the Trail Forums