THE NORTH FACE + KAWS MOUNTAIN LIGHT PANTS REVIEW. A RETRODELIC REVIVAL

IF YOU REMEMBER THE 1990s YOU WEREN’T THERE, AND THOUGH MUCH OF THE GEAR OF THE ERA IS BEST LEFT TO THE PAST, THE NORTH FACE WENT AHEAD AND REVAMPED SOME OF THEIR ‘CLASSIC ERA’ DESIGNS TO APPEAL TO TODAYS HIPSTER MARKET AND ACCIDENTLY NAILED IT FOR EXPEDITION CLIMBERS AS WELL.

NOW WE KNOW THAT COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN CLIMBING AND FASHION BRANDS UPSET MANY CLIMBERS, WHICH IMMEDIATELY TRIGGERS OUR INTEREST. WE HAVE NO HORSE IN THE RACE, AND USUALLY FIND THE CLIMBING SCENE JUST AS GUILTY FOR BEING CONSERVATIVE, SLOW TO EVOLVE AND USUALLY BORING WHEN THEY DO, AND DRIVEN BY THE LOWEST COMMERCIAL DENOMINATOR RATHER THAN THE LEADING EDGE 99% OF THE TIME. WE THINK CLIMBING STUFF WAS MORE INNOVATIVE BACK WHEN IT WAS IN THE HANDS OF PUNK DESIGNERS, BEFORE SETTLING ON THE BORING COLOURS AND PATTERNS AIMED AT TV REPORTERS AND DOG WALKERS.

ANYTHING THAT DRIVES DEVELOPMENT OR POKES AT THE MACHINERY WE ARE ALL FOR, AND WE SEE NO REASON NOT TO SYNCRETIZE ANY ASPECT OF CULTURE, TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN IF IT WORKS. WHAT WE WANT IS BETTER GEAR TO DO TRIPS THAT DON’T QUITE FIT INTO ANY INDUSTRIES REMIT, AND IF THAT MEANS A MASH UP OF APPARENTLY-OBLIQUE SOURCES SO BE IT.

NOW, KAWS IS NOT ANOTHER GUCCI OR SUPREME, BEING AN ESTABLISHED ARTIST RATHER THAN A CLOTHING BRAND. KNOWN FOR HIS IMAGES AND SCULPTURES THAT BLUR THE DEFINITIONS OF TOYS, POP CULTURE AND HIGH ART, KAWS DOESN’T JUST SLAP A LABEL ON MASS PRODUCED STUFF AND FLOG IT TO THE NOUVO RICHE. KAWS STUFF IS WRY, IRONIC, DETAIL-HEAVY AND A LITTLE DARK, AND LASHES A SENSE OF FUN TO SHARP CRITIQUE ON MODERN CULTURE, MEDIA AND SENTAMENTALITY. HE MESSES WITH PERCEPTIONS OF WHERE ‘SERIOUS’ AND ‘FUN’ MEET THEN SLIPS IN SOMETHING CONFRONTING – A PROCESS THAT RESONATES WITH US AND ALPINISM IN GENERAL.

WHY KAWS CHOSE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE NORTH FACE WE DON’T KNOW, BUT UNLIKE SOME OTHER THINGS THE NORTH FACE HAS DONE THE KAWS SERIES IS GRAPHIC MORE THAN STRUCTURAL. THE BITS WE HAVE SEEN HAVE ALL BEEN REGULAR NORTH FACE DESIGNS FROM BACK IN THE DAY, THE DIFFERENCE BEING THE PRINTS AND COLOUR WAYS. THIS CLEARLY IS A ‘RETRO’ THING, THAT FOR OUR PURPOSES MOSTLY DOESN’T WORK, BUT IN THE CASE OF THE MOUNTAIN LIGHT PANTS IS A RESURRECTION OF SOMETHING THAT DID WITH A LASH OF COLOUR THE ORIGINAL WAS DENIED.

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WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THESE PANTS IS THEY ARE A RETURN TO UTILITARIAN ‘WORKING’ CLIMBING PANTS, THAT COME IN COLOURS EASY TO SEE, THAT ARE FUNCTIONAL AND THAT ARE BUILT TO LAST. YES, WE LIKE ALL THE NEW ULTRA LIGHT GEAR FOR FAST ASCENTS AND UNSUPPORTED TRIPS WHERE EVERY OUNCE MATTERS, BUT OFTEN TRIPS CALL FOR STUFF THAT’S MORE ROBUST THAT WITHSTAND ABUSE OVER MONTHS. TRIPS IN HARSH ENVIRONMENTS, BIG WALLS, WITH INTENSE WINDS AND APPROACHES ACROSS DESTRUCTIVE TERRAIN ALL FAVOUR PANTS THAT ARE MORE WORKHORSE RATHER THAN FINELY TUNED WHIPPET.

THE KAWS MOUNTAIN LIGHT PANTS ARE SIMPLE AND SLIGHTLY OVER-BUILT, WITH FULL LENGTH SIDE ZIPS, THREE-LAYER FABRIC AND MINIMAL PATTERNING. THEY GO ON OVER BIG BOOTS AND CRAMPONS AND HAVE A REINFORCED ASS AND KNEES FOR SERIOUS EXPEDITION WORK, AND DISPENSE WITH FLIES, HAND AND CARGO POCKETS AND BUILT IN GAITERS.

MAKE NO MISTAKE – THESE ARE REAL CLIMBING PANTS – BEING SIMPLY THE OLD MOUNTAIN LIGHT DESIGN DONE IN NEW MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION. IF YOU REMEMBER SPACEMEN 3 THEN YOU WILL REMEMBER WHEN ALL WINTER CLIMBING PANTS WERE LIKE THIS, AND THAT GNARLY MIXED CLIMBING IN PLACES LIKE SCOTLAND, ALASKA AND THE TATRAS WERE BETTER FOR IT. OTHER THAN THE KAWS LOGO ON THE KNEE AND UPDATED MATERIALS (NONE OF THE NASTY OLD 90s SEAMTAPE) THERE ARE NO CONCESSIONS TO THE FASHIONISTAS EXCEPT THE COLOURS.

YES, THE COLOURS.

AS EXPEDITION LEADERS WE ARE SICK OF CLIMBERS EFFECTIVELY WEARING CAMOUFLAGE, OVERLOOKING A FUNDAMENTAL OF ALPINISM OF BEING ABLE TO BE SEEN BY YOUR TEAM MEMBERS. IF YOU WANT TO BLEND INTO YOUR ENVIRONMENT THEN GO ENLIST IN THE ARMY, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE LOST ON A MOUNTAIN THEN WEAR COLOURS TO BE SEEN, AND IF YOU’RE GOING TO COLOUR UP THEN GO LARGE WE SAY.

KAWS COLOURS, THOUGH PROBABLY NOT INTENDED TO BE, WORK WELL AT DISTANCE INCLUDING THROUGH 10×30 BINOCULARS. THE JUXTAPOSED TONES AND COLOURS FLARE IN THE STARK LIGHT OF ALTITUDE, AND THE DISJOINTED PATTERN MEANS WE ARE INSTANTLY RECOGNIZABLE EVERYWHERE FROM THE BAGGAGE CAROUSEL TO THE GLACIERS.

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TO WEAR, THEY REALLY ARE JUST PANTS, AND AT THREE-LAYER THEY FORM PART OF A SERIOUS SYSTEM. THESE ARE THE PANTS YOU WANT TO BE IN FOR STORMS, EXTREME COLD AND THRASHING THROUGH BOULDER FIELDS, OR ANYTHING DRIPPING OR ABRAISIVE WHERE STRETCHY, LIGHT STUFF WON’T COPE.

CLIMBERS WHO GET FRUSTRATED BY TODAYS WATERPROOFED ZIPS WILL HAPPILY FIND MUCH EASIER REGULAR ZIPS, WHICH ARE SMOOTHER AND MORE ROBUST THAN THE 90s ONES EVER WERE. THE OUTER ZIP FLAPS ARE JUST LIKE THE ORIGINALS – BULKY AND OVER-BUILT – AND FOR USE EXCLUSIVELY IN COLD & DRY PLACES COULD POTENTIALLY AND EASILY BE MODIFIED (WE DID). AS 90s THROWBACKS THE PANTS HAVE SOLID ELASTIC AT THE WAITS AND CUFFS AND A SLIGHTLY VOLUMINOUS CUT WITH AN ARTICULATED KNEE TO MAKE UP FOR MINIMAL STRETCH, AND TO GO OVER EXPEDITION-GRADE BASELAYERS THEN CINCH NICELY AROUND THE BULK OF BIG MOUNTAIN BOOTS. THIS GIVES A VAGUE ‘HAMMER PANTS’ LOOK THAT IS ASKANCE TO CURRENT TRENDS FOR STOVE PIPE DESIGNS, BUT MAKES THEM A HELLUVA LOT EASIER TO PUT ON AND TAKE OFF IN THE CONFINES OF A TENT.

NEVER OVERLOOK THAT THESE WERE THE PANTS MANY GREAT ASCENTS WERE DONE IN, AND THE DESIGN A STAPLE OF MOUNTAINEERING CATALOGUES FOR DECADES. TENS OF THOUSANDS WERE SOLD AND IMAGES ABOUND OF GUYS LIKE ALEX LOWE WEARING THEM, AND ALTHOUGH THEY DON’T REPLACE THE LATEST DESIGNS THEY FILL IN THE ‘WORK PANTS’ POSITION. ANYONE COMPLAINING ‘GEAR-ISN’T-WHAT-IT-USED-TO-BE’, THAT IT FALLS APART TOO FAST OR HAS BECOME TOO FIDDLY WILL FIND THESE COMFORTINGLY FAMILIAR, OR – LIKE US – WILL FIND A SINGLE SOLUTION FOR EXPEDITIONS THAT BEAT THE HELL OUT OF GEAR OVER MONTHS OF HARD USE.

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GETTING HOLD OF THESE ISN’T DIFFICULT BUT THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE NORMAL CATALOGUES, AND CERTAINLY WON’T BE FOUND IN NORMAL CLIMBING SHOPS. SOME OUTLETS CARRY THIS STUFF AS IT IS A FEW YEARS OLD, OTHERWISE IT COMES ONLINE FROM SOME HIPSTER VENDORS AT WILDLY VARYING PRICES FROM THE BARGAIN TO THE OUTRAGEOUS.