Category: Gear Reviews

Gear Review: E9 Matar Urban Climbing Trousers

Climbing, Gear Reviews

I fancy myself a bit of a fancy pants about climbing pants. 

Not to be braggadocious, but I own three pairs of climbing pants that I’m quite chuffed about: Boulder Denim 2.0 Jeans, Foehn Brise Performance Pants, and now a pair of E9 Matar “Urban Climbing Trousers,” which I picked up a few weeks ago.

‘Trousers,’ you say? You are fancy!

Indeed, Madame, indeed.

According to my network, most people own a pair, rounding up in integers. That’s a 3:1 ratio. At this measure, that gives me 3x the depth of understanding of the average climbing pants owner. We’ll have to check the math, but the back of the napkin calculation seems to suggest I’m an expert in this domain.

Read on for my review of the stellar E9 Matar “Urban Climbing Trousers.” In my expert opinion. 


Overview

E9 knows bouldering. 

The company was founded in 1998 by Mauro Calibani, the first ever Bouldering World Champion (2001). Calibani was part of a bouldering renaissance in Italy, sinking his chops into an newly developed bouldering mecca, Meschia, in the Province of Ascoli Piceno (near the “calf” of the country). In 2003, he established what he suggested was a V16 in the area, Tonino ’78. 

He was so all-in that he moved to Ascoli Piceno (the city) to be closer to the spot (uhh, the bouldering).

Calibani describes the setting as a “mesmering forest [sic]”, while others compare it to “your backyard garden” (meant as a compliment, I think). Unfortunately, due to disputes with the landowner, the bouldering area was shut down around 2002, but it appears there’s a “new” Meschia where climber’s are welcome (in part because the landowner has an airbnb for rent).

Bouldering at Meschia. On an iPhone!


All of this to say, Calibani was inspired to create a brand that combined his eclectic personality with the inspiration impressed upon him by the sandstone rocks of Meschia. He didn’t want to go far for climbing or business; E9 is designed around a “zero km concept” which means the totality of the production cycle takes place within a few km of their headquarters in Ascoli Piceno. 

Alas, I bought my pair of pants in Querétaro, Mexico, so mine are part of their special “10,427 km production + transport concept” line.

Handmade in Italy. Photo courtesy of E9.


Performance

These are a little like the MC Hammer pants of the bouldering world. Which in short code means: They are awesome!

They are a bit baggy (through the crotch, thigh, leg) yet never get in the way. By comparison, the Boulder Denim jeans and the Foehn Brise pants tend to catch in the knee when I’m doing big high-steps / bringing my knees close to my chest, which, maybe it’s my peculiar style, but it happens fairly often. The flexibility (high-steppability?) is supported by a Wicked Big Gusseted Crotch, like so BIG I can’t even…

And double articulated knees. If this is the power of double-articulation, I can’t wait to see the performance, precision, and lubrication of Fusion5x articulation (looking at you Gillette).

E9 says the material is denim. I would say it’s denim-like. You can see how the weave of the fabric looks similar to jeans, but it’s a thinner textile, lighter, and much stretchier, comprised of 75% Cotton, 22% Polyester, 3% Elastane. That’s a lot of words to say they are stretchy.

Look at that gusset! #norestrictions. Photo by the author.


Fit and Look

They have a relaxed fit and sit naturally at the hip. The waist has a stretchy band, kind of like yoga pants, which makes it easy to readjust on the fly. Internally the waistband includes cords which attach at the rear, and which you can pull tight and tie if you need to keep things extra secure.

I wore these around the city, and they appear more bohemian than your average trouser. I like the look, but it’s very casual, whereas I can wear the Boulder Denim jeans with a button down shirt and head to the bar.

The orange (just past-prime pumpkin?) is distinct.

Sit at the hip, dip at the… crotch. Photo by the author.


Durability

The material is on the thinner side, but is standing up after about three weeks of climbing.

The Boulder Denim jeans can snag on sharp edges, which pulls threads. I haven’t encountered such an incursion into these pantalones yet, so the verdict is still out. The weave appears tighter than on the BD jeans or the Brise pants, which may help prevent snagging.


Uses

I’d mainly use these for bouldering since I tend to do more aggressive moves when compared to sport or trad climbing. I’m not sure how well they’d hold up to knee bars or general jamming since they don’t have extra layers on high-wear areas.

Bunched, scrunched or straight out, they are all good. Photo by the author.


Features

  • 4-way stretch fabric
  • Breathable: Allows airflow in 60s-70s F, and warm enough down to 40s. I wouldn’t want to wear them in temps much higher
  • Adjustable cuffs
  • Double-articulated knees
  • Stretchy waist
  • Fabric: 75% Cotton, 22% Polyester, 3% Elastane


Recommended?

Hell yeah!

I really like E9’s quirky aesthetic, and I’m pleasantly satisfied with the quality of the product. It’s clear these have been designed with intention and simplicity in mind.

Bicolor and bold. Photo courtesy of E9.


To learn more about the company or to order your own pair, visit shope9.com.

Gear Review: Boulder Denim 2.0 Men’s Athletic Fit Jeans

Climbing, Gear Reviews

I gave up on jeans in 2011.

No thanks to Boulder Denim, I’m reneging on that position.

Why? Simply, they are the most comfortable pair of climbing pants I own, and the best jeans I’ve ever had. They are lightweight, ultra-stretchy, and make my butt look good (probably). What’s not to like?

Boulder Denim jeans. Great for climbing and just hanging out.


Overview

The company, Boulder Denim (BD), has helped popularize the climbing-specific jeans trend. The basic blues have long been a staple of pebble wrestling, from old painter’s pants and Levi’s to Prana’s yoga-centric styles. However, these options weren’t designed for climbing, they were good enough options for the job. In dirtbag parlance that pretty much means climb on, because they are pants, and they cost me $5 at Savers.

Climb people did, not realizing what they were missing out on.

BD was started to change the palette from pants that were palatable to downright delightful. They launched on Kickstarter back in 2016 to wild success (raising over $90k), then had a second campaign of wilder success for their updated 2.0s, in 2018 (raising over $267,000).

People dig them. And I wanted in.

So I reached out and asked if I could test a pair of the 2.0s, and Taz and Brad were kind enough to oblige.

Anywho, I’ve been wearing them non-stop for over a month, making up for lost time since the last jeans to grace these thighs was over 8 years ago.

They’ve been worn on Rumney schist, Lynn Woods granite, Hammond Pond puddingstone, Smuggler’s Notch gritty schist, shitty schist, switch foot schisty and other such New England varietals. The climbing has consisted of a lot of bouldering, some sport, and a little trad.


…


Performance

My #UnecessarilyHighHeelHooks are NBD in these. They stretch in a variety of ways, from aggressive step-ups and twisty drop knees to split-like stemming IF I have them rolled up to below my knees.

I experience some restriction in movement when the legs are full-length (two rolls at the cuff, they sit just above the ankle). My knee gets caught in the fabric on big movements–which doesn’t prevent the action–though it does slightly encumber the motion. This is not experienced when they are rolled up (same two rolls, pushed to knee). They have much greater stretch horizontally and diagonally (i.e., pulling the pant leg apart width-wise) than vertically (i.e., trying to stretch them down the length of the leg).

Bouldering near Bolton, VT, with the pant legs rolled down.


It is unclear if they need to be broken in more because I’ve primarily worn them pushed up in the summer heat.

With that said, they are surprisingly elastic. If I pinch and pull, the jeans have the same give and bounce-back as my running tights, except these look better and don’t hug my junk. 

The seams are reinforced and solid so far, whereas I popped some stitching on my Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants when doing squats. I would squat in these.


…


Fit and Look

They are stylish in a relaxed, I just woke up and grabbed these, rumpled, off the floor kind of way. And they look good.

I received the 2.0 Men’s Athletic Fit in Newmoon Blue, the darker of the blueish options, and they go well with my wardrobe which mostly consists of tank tops at the moment. Because summer.

When I can get away with it, I wear these all day, from town to crag and back again.

The 2.0s come in two sizes: Slim and Athletic fit.

Slim on the left, Athletic on the right. Original photos taken from boulderdenim.com


The Athletic cut provides a slightly roomier leg circumference, but still maintains a thinner, tapered look common these days.

BD recommends sizing down one to two inches from your normal waist measurement. I got a 29″ (normally a 30″ or 31″) and they fit perfectly, resting at the top of my hip bones. The inseam comes standard at 32″.

The original Kickstarter video claims the fabric has “a 92% stretch retainment, compared to an industry average of just 60%.” I’m curious if the waist will bag out over time, as it is quite stretchy.

One minor complaint is about the hidden zippered pocket (which sits inside the front left pocket). The extra fabric doesn’t lay completely flat–given the additional material and bartack–which was noticeable in an, oh this is a little niggly here isn’t it? manner. The zipper also feels a bit stiff as it pressed on the crease where my thigh inserts at the pelvis (the area of the pectineus muscle and adductor brevis; look it up if you feel inclined). I feel a trifle like the Princess and the Pea with this fussing, but maybe it’s just flat pockets or bust for me.

The jeans out in the wild. Photo source: @smellybagofdirt


Durability

So far so good. Though this will take time to really tell.

One downside of the stretch is that the jeans sometimes snag on sharp rock, such as when knee barring. After a climb at Rumney where my thigh scraped against the schist, a thread was pulled out from my quad area. I snipped it off, no big deal.

The fabric is about as thick as found on Prana Brions, though more breathable and with a more attractive cut.


…


Uses

All climbing, though especially bouldering.

Bouldering because they can keep your legs from getting torn up. Way back when two months ago, my ankles, shins and knees were ivy draped in scrapes and scratches because I would wear shorts while climbing. The leg feature of the pants has helped bring the number of dings and dents down dramatically.

When the weather cools, these will make excellent travel pants because they don’t seem to carry stink (unlike my synthetic pants) and they have stain resistance. Sometimes I drink and sometimes I spill, but that’s been no my problem at all in these. 

Hardly a scratch to be found.


Features

The following is pulled from the Boulder Denim website:

  • Proprietary 360° EDS technology (extreme diagonal stretch)
  • Memory-Shape Denim
  • Trap Pocket (hidden zipper pocket)
  • No-Gap Waistband
  • Vegan-Approved
  • Stain/Water Resistant
  • Reinforced stitching
  • More durable
  • Ethically-made
  • Pre-Shrunk


…


Recommended?

Yes. They are a bit pricy (MSRP is $109), but if you are investing in a functional, multi-use pair of pants that you only have to wash every so often, it’s hard to go wrong here.

Note: If you’re an American Alpine Club member you get 15% off. Also, BD will give you a 5% off coupon for signing up for their email list.

To learn more about the company or to order your own pair, visit boulderdenim.com.

Gear Review: Used Scarpa X Climbing Shoes

Gear Reviews, Reviews
I did it, I did it, I did it!
I am so stoked to receive my first piece of climbing gear to review for this blog from my brother who didn’t want them anymore.
They are Scarpa Force X’s. Or maybe they are La Sportiva Katana (laces)…?
Erm, no. Wait. No. They are assuredly Scarpa Force X’s.
(But hey, La Sportiva, if you are reading this, I would test the Katana (laces) if you had some lying around… PM me!).

climbing shoes.png
Uh, uh, uh. Which one is the Scarpa Force X?!?

Anywho, I am honored that Scarpa thought so highly of my editorial prowess to give me a pair of shoes distributes in the U.S. so my brother could buy them at a second hand gear shop in New Paltz, NY. I am more honored that he decided to give up climbing a few months later and leave them in the closet for me to swipe. Honored, I say!
Now now, let us not bury the lede:

The Scarpa Force Xs are the highest rated climbing shoes ever on this blog.

You seem surprised? Let me enlighten you.
To be diligent and lend a critical eye to this review, I will focus on five carefully selected criteria: Price, comfort, durability, performance, and price.

Price: Free!

Can’t beat that. Next.
Score: 5/5

Comfort: Super!

They are a size or two too large. After an initial break in period (for my feet, not the shoes), I can wear these for hours at a time without discomfort.
The heel is padded, and I may have a low-volume heel (read, small heel), and uh, they are too big, so when heel hooking they sometimes feel on the verge of slipping off.
BUT, they feel quite comfortable when they are shimmying away from my heel!
I wear these for hours straight at the gym, in the shower, and to bed — they are great in all domains.
Score: 5/5

Durability: They still work!

I’ve used them for over a year. And STILL NO HOLES.
Maybe I’m not climbing hard enough, you say? Well screw you!
This is my review and I say these are darn tough. My little bombers of climbing shoes… they once survived a nuclear bomb test, I’ll have you know.
Okay that’s not true.
Heel of Scarpa Force X
The rubber is starting to detach around the heel, meanwhile the sole is noticeably worn, especially at the seems.
All in all, for 1 year + a few months + 0-3 years of wear (indeterminate length of time via the pre-prior owner) they seem to be holding up well.
Score: 4/5

Performance: Good enough!

In the year that I’ve been climbing, these have me sending V6s and low 5.11s (indoors) and 5.10 outside.
They have enough grip for overhangy routes and toe hooks, though I do not always trust the heel. They smear well, but seriously lack edging ability at this stage (which is an impediment at higher grades). As a counter-point: That velcro! Still velcro-y.
These also perform admirably while belaying, keeping me right where I’m standing. Top notch.
Score: 3/5

scarpa-force-new
Apparently new pairs have an edge. Photo from bergfreunde.no

Price: Still free!

Can’t beat that. Next.
Score: 5/5
My Scarpa Force Xs

Total Score: 22/25

There you have it folks, my used pair of Scarpa Force Xs are officially our highest rated climbing shoes (ever) on this blog.
(Backed by objective, hard science.)
Like I said, I am stoked about my first piece of gear!
If you’re keen on adding these to your quiver, you can grab your own pair here.