GAMSBOKK Hiking Pants Alpha XTRM

On the go with pants that can do more than just serve as civilian legwear: durable, functional, socially acceptable, and moderately conspicuous. This is a combination you don't encounter very often. GAMSBOKK can deliver. We’ve taken their Trekking Pants Alpha XTRM around the world for the last six months and are very impressed.  

Front view: It's a black pair of pants. That's also the advantage of the Alpha XTRM; it looks normal, can be worn in everyday situations, and doesn’t appear as if you're heading out on a mission or climbing a mountain. 

Let’s go through it from the top: at the top are narrow belt loops. No more than 5 cm works here, which is great since it shouldn't accommodate a gear belt. 

The waistband closes twice with snap buttons; safety first. You reach the best piece with a normal zipper. 

The pants look like regular pants, but they have more pockets than you would expect at first glance. This is because there are no flaps or openings. The manufacturer prefers zippers, which are cleverly used here to maintain a low profile.  

What you wouldn't suspect is that there is a fully functional thigh pocket, the size of a palm, which you can’t see here. You can’t park a water bottle or bulky items here, but a map or documents will always fit. Inside, it’s also organized with a mesh compartment that could fit a slim phone. 

Also clever is the material used: Getzner stretch fabric with Cordura reinforcement. No natural fibers, but polyamide. The material makes the pants slightly stretchable, which is very noticeable during movement; there’s room to move, and the wearer can easily squat. Freedom of movement, even though the pants are pleasantly close-fitting. 

Here you can nicely see the two front pockets. It’s really incredibly unnoticeable. By the way, we carry pocket knives, so the zipper is a bit in the way, but you could also tuck the “Feitel” all the way in and close everything, then it becomes invisible. The zipper also has the advantage that no one can reach in and steal anything. 

Here is a kneeling view; you can check where the zippers are located. 

Here, the observer can also see the good fit and how stretchy the good piece is. When sitting on the ground, you can see the dust well on black; that’s our fault. 

At the back are two pockets with the same type of zipper as in the front: low profile and good security for the contents. 

Here again are the belt loops.

In the back pockets, you can see how flat the zipper profile is. That's exactly how it should be. 

One zipper is out of place because it runs vertically from top to bottom. You can only open it a little bit. 

Or completely. That is actually the built-in air conditioning. And it is extremely practical. Lined with mesh, the wearer can decide how much air they need at the legs. They can thus prevent overheating in the pants while hiking up a mountain or control the temperature range in the field: Central Europe, over 30 degrees – 30 cm open; Norway, under 15 degrees, everything closed. This makes the pants truly versatile in transitioning between areas of use. 

This zipper is not one-way. You can open it from top to bottom or from bottom to top. 

Closing it is a hook with Velcro that secures the end of the pant leg and also allows you to tighten everything up. 

Perhaps the hook is the most noticeable feature of the pants. Because it is an outdoor feature. 

And that is exceptional: a small hook to anchor the pants at the front in the lacing of the boots, so they don’t slide up. A nice feature from a good mountain pant. 

Otherwise, a view from the back: a black pair of pants. Unobtrusive and almost classic. 

SUMMARY: A truly exceptionally good pair of pants. They take you through the city and accompany you to the summit, they are suitable for warm weather as well as when it gets cold, snow and wet splashes don’t affect them. The magic is that they look like a civilian black pant, but they offer more. In the city, they appear relatively "technoid" with their practical zippers, but they don't stand out socially, except because they are stylish. At the same time, they are extremely durable and can withstand a lot. 

The GAMSBOKK Trekking Pants Alpha XTRM are available directly from the manufacturer for 189 euros.