The Jottnar Vanir Lt is a lightweight mountaineering and climbing pant constructed from a polartec neoshell with the modern day adventurer in mind. It features reinforcement exactly where you need it and the has mobility required of any true high performance mountaineering pant. Keeping it's features lightweight and simple it quickly became my favorite pair of ski pants. Typically I prefer a looser fitting bib pant for my daily ski tour outings but the Vanir LT has greatly out preformed and out lasted any other piece of outerwear I've abused over the years. I can't justify pulling anything else out of the closet. After 50 days of ski touring, snowmobiling, and helicopter bumps and hut to hut ski traverses the pants remain in almost new condition with hardly any signs of wear.
The Jottnar Vanir LT Pants in action somewhere in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia.
Jottnar was founded in 2013 by two former Royal Marine commandos and experienced mountaineers. They were inspired by their time in the Norway's unforgiving arctic winters to create technical outerwear that could perform in the harshest of environments. It is likely that you haven't heard of the Jottnar brand but rest assured that this company has hit the ground running. Delivering high performance technical outerwear that rivals any of the current big name brands.
- YKK Aquaguard water resistant two-way front zip with external storm flap
- YKK Aquaguard ¾ length two-way leg zips sized to stop short of harness pressure points
- Two hip pockets with YKK Aquaguard water repellent zips
- Detachable internal gaiters with elasticated gripper cuff and boot clasp. Two interchangable sets are provided with gripper cuffs sized for ski boots and climbing boots
- Reinforced knees and seat
- Diamond crotch for strength and durability
- Waterproof, breathable, stretch, 3 layer Polartec® NeoShell® fabric
- Built in belt in case you don't want to use the suspenders or just in addition to them
- Kevlar™ reinforced in-step protectors
- Adjustable hem with out-of-the-way cord and fasteners
- Corded, glove compatible zip pulls
The Vanir LT is jammed packed with subtle features that go a long way in your typical outdoor adventure. The minimalist suspenders are lightweight and easy to adjust on the fly. The straps did tend to loosen over the course of the day requiring some minor adjustments. Unfortunately the metal connector failed on day 37 and I have been pleased using the pant without suspenders. The waist belt offers more than enough support to use without the suspenders and requires no adjustments throughout the day, it stays put. The pull cords on all zippers are ample enough to manipulate while gloved and have a smooth action that never gave me any issues. . The cuff of the pant with Kevlar reinforcement comes with two different gaiters. One designed for use with ski boots and the other for mountaineering boots. It also features a adjustable cuff should you need to cinch it down for a more precise fit. I found the cuff to be a bit tight when with ski boots in walk mode with open buckles. When I pulled the cuff down it would flick my boot back into walk mode at times. This would only be an issue with the Dynafit Khions or boots with a similar walk mechanism and was nothing a little care and getting used to didn't resolve. I found that the overall fit of the pant was a little snug for a person of my build on the plus side, left me with the feeling of wearing nothing at all most days. This is a streamlined athletic cut as advertised. The stretch of the fabric allows for a natural stride when ski touring or when boot packing. When skiing in the rain and sleet is where the quality of the material really shinned. I skied a good 5 hours in heavy rain without being the least bit damp. The garment had the ability to breath and regulate heat and moisture even on warmer days without fail. If heat was becoming an issue, the three quarter length leg vent help dump heat in a hurry. The Vanir LT was hands down the best pair of ski pants I have ever had the opportunity to abuse, no babying required.
Gaiter bag is useful for storing the Jottnar Asmund Jacket which we reviewed over here.
PROS:
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CONS:
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Price: $512 US
Weight: 590g / 1lb 4oz (men’s medium)
Colours: Black, Digital Blue, Eucalyptus Yellow
Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Fit/Mobility 2/2
Waterproof/ Breathable 2/2
Durability 1.5/2
Features 1.5/2
Quality/ Price 2/2
Did we miss something? Are we totally out to lunch? Let us know what you think. People like/dislike gear for different reasons so chime in below and we'll get a well-rounded evaluation.
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