The Keb walking trousers from Fjallraven are designed for hiking and trekking in demanding environments. They're built with durable G1000 Eco fabric with stretch panel inserts and zipped ventilation areas.
The G1000 fabric is seriously burly and durable adding to the reassuringly substantial weight of the trousers. We love the fact that you can add a layer of Greenland wax to add some water resistance and when the weather is warm and dry you simply wash it back out to increase breathability.
The vents have been well thought out and designed, with one running from the hip to knee and another smaller vent at the calf, Fjallraven also recommend unzipping your fly to dump excess heat from the nether region although this might not be fully appreciated by your fellow hill walkers!
The pre-shaped rear and knees are well formed and give the trousers a really nice and flattering cut. The areas of stretch fabric let a bit of wind through and don't benefit from the addition of wax but they do work excellently for their intended purpose, giving you plenty of articulation in all the right places - no unwanted chaffage here.
A double layer of G1000 at the bottom of the legs adds reinforcement against wear from boots and there's also a button fastening to tighten up the ankle opening as well as a hook to secure the bottom of the trousers to your boots giving great protection from splashes of water and wet grass.
All of this design and burliness of materials combines fantastically well making the trousers feel bulletproof, the penalty is a weight of 625g. Some people might be put off by this but we thought it was a worthwhile pay off and you barely notice once they're on your legs anyway.
At £175 these definitely aren't a budget or even mid-range option but at least you can see and feel where your money has gone and the performance as tested in winter conditions was absolutely spot on. Only time will tell whether the material will prove to be too heavyweight for summer use but as a cold weather trouser you can't go far wrong with the Keb.
