Ronhill Men's Trackster Origin

OK, I admit that I haven't yet been on any backpacking long-distance "thru-hikes" wearing these pants, but my initial impressions are good. I bought them for walking mostly long-distance hikes, rather than for running, as I read some blogs where experienced long-distance walkers (LDWs) have found this type of pant better than the usual hiking trousers. I can see their point. Firstly, they are nice and light. This is a real plus - I recently walked the 192 mile Coast-to-Coast wearing Montane Mens Terra Plus trousers. They are HEAVY and make you sweat. Heaven help you if it starts to rain when wearing them (and it rains a LOT in the UK, especially on LDW it seems), as your crotch very quickly becomes wet - followed pretty quickly by the rest of your legs - this is even with a long, good quality (Berghaus 7000 Extrem) hard-shell worn on the top half. And then the water starts running down your legs into your boots.... OMG. So, you can wear waterproof leggings over the top, right? No-way. You just boil and sweat so much. As the rain continued, I ended up taking the Montane trousers off, trying to dry my legs and then put on waterproof leggins (again, really good quality Berghaus, which keep me dry). I then had an even heavier pair of wet Montanes to carry in my pack on my back. There is an alternative.... 1. You can wear shorts all the time (and freeze when you get up to altitude and the wind is blowing and your legs are wet - latent heat of vapourisation will come from your skin, so you will very quickly become very cold), or 2. You can keep an eye on the forecast and if it threatens rain at any stage during the day, start off in the morning with waterproof leggins, to wear ALL DAY! OMG, you will sweat, even in "breathable" fabrics and even with vented waterproofs. 3. You can wear lighter hiking trousers, with some degree of water resistance, but these WILL become wet and the loose fabric will then "slap" against your skin as you walk along. This is uncomfortable and unpleasant and also soon results in over-cooling, particularly when you stop for a break. 4. ANOTHER WAY is to wear, well, "TIGHTS" - but men of a certain age, (like me, 50-something) don't like wearing tights because with a balding head and big boots on, we look like Max Wall and people start to laugh. What you want, therefore, is a fully synthetic material, that wicks sweat away from your legs, but when it rains, you don't want slack material slapping against your skin and you want them to look DECENT. Ideally you SHOULD wear tights, I agree, because they work like a (very) thin neoprene wet suit - they "trap" some moisture in the fabric, warm that layer of moisture (and some air within the fabric too) and keep it next to your skin - you stay warm, but not dry. Combine this with a pair of completely ventilated non-goretex trail running shoes and you can happily splash your way though rainstorms, bogs, streams, etc, happy in the knowledge that your feet and legs are completely wet, but (apart from in winter) you feel warm, provided you are able to set your own pace and not hanging around waiting for a slower member of your party to get a move on. No thick socks, no blisters, no wet boots that don't dry out, no heavy and wet trousers that you can't dry out and have to carry. When you make camp in the evening, you dry your legs and feet, put them into warm clothes, keep dry and warm and let your Ron Hill pants dry out as much as possible overnight, and your trail runners. Yes, they might be a bit wet the next day, but if it's still raining it doesn't matter because they will become even wetter, but you will stay warm once you get going again. if, however, it's a dry day, your Ron Hills pants and your trail runner shoes will quickly dry out. So, these Ron Hill running pants are probably the ideal garment for 3-season thru-hiking of more than 5 days duration. I have found you cannot get reliable weather forecasts beyond 5 days, so chances are it's going to rain at some stage on an extended thru-hike and trying to keep your lower half and your feet COMPLETELY dry is just impossible. So if your going to get wet, get wet in THESE because they will keep you warmer and they will dry out quicker. They look quite respectable and are not tight "tights", but by all means wear some undergarments underneath, or some very lightweight fast-dry running shorts over the top, but it's probably not necessary, unless you intend to go into pubs, shops, etc - your appearance could arrest conversation mid-flow. They are light and so take 2 PAIRS - they pack small. Keep one pair dry (or alternate wearing one pair/ drying the other pair) and also use them to improve your sleep system on colder nights. But DO also take a pair of light weight hiking trousers or shorts - personally I use Berghaus zip-offs for versatility. I can wear these over the Ron Hills if it's cold. If it's warm and dry I can wear them as shorts. If it's cold and wet, then maybe you will still have to take your storm-proof over-trousers to counteract wind-chill in the colder months, but otherwise I would now tend to take 2 pairs of Ronhill running pants, one pair of Berghaus light zip-offs, 3 pairs of underwear, 3 pairs of (thin) socks, one pair of trail runners - and that's it for the lower half. The only draw-back I can see is the lack of useful pockets, but I have these in my mid-layer upper, also my Berghaus 7000 Extrem hard-shell, also on my rucksack hip belt pockets, and I can carry a waterproof map case, so trouser pockets are not a must-have and in any case, when I have used them, the things I carry in them often cause discomfort. Size? I'm a 33" waist and 31" leg. I bought the MEDIUM Ronhill Mens TRACKSTER ORIGIN, but I got the LARGE in the CLASSIC GT TRACKSTER Running pants. The 2 products are made by the same company, but seem to have different sizes. Both fit well. The GT Trackster is slightly longer on the leg. Neither of them are loose on the waist or arse, but they are not tight tights either (like you see on older age cyclists, who should know better). The 2 pairs I've got seem to be very good - good quality, good material, good shape and style and I think they will be right for thru-hiking. I don't find the foot-straps/stirrups to be a problem, but both pairs of pants I have got from Ronhill have them. They are certainly MUCH cheaper than "proper" hiking pants, lighter, faster drying, pack smaller and just....better. Hope this might be of some use to anyone thinking of making the change from "traditional" long-distance hiking gear in 3-season hiking. Winter is another matter and my clothing advice given here is not intended for winter or generally colder (eg sustained higher altitude) walking.

In the past I've put off buying running trousers like this for fear of looking a ballet dancer prancing around my local park but I'm pleased to say that these from Ronhill don't hug you that tightly like some do. They're comfortable, keep you dry but cool and most importantly don't get in the way when you're running. The foot hoops also make sure they don't ride up. Size wise I was a bit confused as there was no guidance on the Amazon product page but I managed to glean the following from elsewhere on the web (all measurements are waist followed by inside leg in inches): Extra Small: 26-28 / 30 Small: 29-31 / 31 Medium: 32-34 / 32 Large: 35-37 / 33 Extra Large 38-40 / 34 I'm 35 waist and 32 inside leg but went for the Large size just in case and they're fine. They come with a tie waist anyway, so you can always adjust them if they're a bit loose. Recommended.

I bought these for running in the winter in the UK, where it might be cold, windy, rainy, snowy, sunny, or a combination of all of the above. They have worked perfectly so far, although i haven't run in any really rainy weather as I am not that masochistic. The fabric seems tough, and I expect it to last a good while. Don't know about the stitching, but so far so good. In terms of fit and appearance, the fit is snug but not tight. These are not tights, but they are not loose like pants, either. They are in between and closer to tights than pants. They are not very revealing (ahem), unless you stare and use your imagination. I wouldn't wear them to work, but no problems at the gym. Overall, I love these. They are great product and I highly recommend them.

Good fit for me..( medium ) 33 inch waist and 30/31 leg. (male ) Quite a coarse feel on the outside though smoother on the inside. Stretch of fabric allows movement and motion without restriction. Stirrups facilitate wrinkle-less calf fit. Black colour is quite slimming.Take a few minutes to warm up...ie can feel a tiny bit draughty at first but after 10 minutes they were fine . Tested in 5 degrees celcius and a 10 mph wind , wind chill was recorded as 0/1 degrees. Ran 15 mins easy then hill sprints then 15 min easy.

Well...Dear Dr. Ron Hill... (for it is he who designed this type of tracky bottom).....I am very pleased with my new Trackster Origins! As a wannabee Roadie-type Cyclist I am only too aware that only a certain type of roadie can get away with the Velominati aprroved skin tight Lycra! You need to bee a 20-something chiselled, lean, broad-chested bronzed Adonis! If you are somewhat corpulent you run the risk of looking like too much mashed potato squeezed into a sock: or if (like me) you are are thin wheezy 50 something you look like Max Wall circa 1955 or a sausage speared by TWO cocktail sticks. Thanks to these trousis I can can now ride my rrred rrracing bike to the pub without old ladies swooning or children pointing and laughing! They are loose fitting enough to disguise your lack of Guns or Packet..but tight enough to not flap wildley around like jogging bottoms and incur the ridicule of other Roadies. I read that some people here are saying that RonHill trousers are not what they used to be....but for me, these tick the boxes. Comfortable, not TOO thick, good fit and from a distance (say-about two miles or so) I now look a bit like Bradley Wiggins on an off-day. Time will tell whether they hold up to use... but so far I am very pleased (for the price) Best Ron Trousers

Have just taken up running (jogging!) and was neither looking to spend a whole load of cash on fancy pants nor continue wearing some rugby shorts last used in 1999. These fitted the bill well: - good value - not too skintight (leave a bit to the imagination!) - warm - repels water (though not really pushed that yet!) Good pants, get them if you're like me.

These are my second pair of Trackster's and are as good as my first pair, which have been and are still going strong! They are well made and so comfortable that they have become my 'go to' for wearing around the house and garden. I wear the small size, which are close fitting but not too tight.

Totally reliable, good quality and comfortable fit. Good in the rain, easy to wash and you look decent wearing them. No camels foot for ladies! I love the pockets you can put a key or more in and the stripe on the side which is sometimes reflective. I have loads of pairs that have worn out after years of use. Please make these forever!

Super pour courir et plus esthétique qu'un collant, il y a une poche arrière fermée par zip pour les clés..

Great product for great price.

a bit thinner than I expected, but warm and comfortable.

Great product..... great price, would highly recommend

...but there is white reflective piping that runs down the full length of the side of either leg, which isn't disclosed in either the product description (which only mentions reflecting piping at the calf) or depicted in the photos (again, only shows the calf piping). Good product, reasonable shipping time, unsatisfactory product description/disclosure.