Montura Pants

On a recent trekking excursion to the Inje region in Gangwon-Do, I took notice that the brand Montura was the overwhelmingly popular choice for the pants worn by the members of our group that day. Organized by Backcountry Camping, the group comprised 16 men and women, 7 of whom were sporting Montura pants. Mine are in the far left of the frame. The brand was also represented in the form of top layers and accessories, such as buffs and gloves and even gaiters.

Prior to my involvement with Backcountry Camping, I had never heard of Montura. It's a small Italian brand that, as far as I'm aware, doesn't have much of a presence in the United States or anywhere in the world outside of isolated pockets in Europe and Asia, particularly Korea, where it has rabid cult followings. Even in Korea, Montura doesn't have its own store but sells mostly through small specialty stores that buy directly from the local importer, a company rumored to consist of 4 employees and generate yearly gross sales of $10 million. I'm generally loathe to follow trends--in fact, I tend to avoid them--but I have to admit that the prevalence of the tetra-petaled flower logo on the legs of so many of my camping cohorts piqued my interest.

The trend factor aside, the bottom line is that Montura makes an excellent pant. I could go on at length about fabric and construction, both of which are top of the line. Or about design esthetics, which is admittedly a subjective matter but, speaking as objectively as possible, the lines create a slimming effect on the wearer. But the main thing is that the pants are comfortable. For me especially, I appreciate the low-cut front, which stops just below, and thus doesn't interfere with, my protruding gut. I've worn Montura pants on long treks and mountain hikes, for several consecutive days on extended camping trips, around the city, and lounging at home--and never once on those occasions have I ever given a second thought to what I was wearing on my legs, a testament to the second-skin nature of the pants.

They're not cheap, ranging from about 250,000 won for a lightweight casual pair to nearly 500,000 for an extreme winter weather model. Worth it.

I have 4 pairs. I love every one of them.