Decathlon Travel100 & 500 Trekking Trousers

[campj]

To start off, I used to spend more time in the mountains than in the forest but lately I've been doing more shorter trips with fires. Most of my gear is lightweight, synthetic and super comfy but obviously doesn't fair well around the fire.

I was in Decathlon yesterday and tried on the Travel100 Trekking trousers. The fit well, they zip off (I run hot while hiking), the zippers are above my knees when I'm kneeling, poly/cotton so they should resist any sparks and they're lightweight (I don't like heavy, stiff trousers, even around town).

But I'm worried that they might be a little too lightweight, I won't be doing anything too extreme but I don't want them tearing on the first branch I catch.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/travel100-m-zip-off-trousers-k-id_8503665.html

There's also the Travel500 with a heavier fabric apparently but my store doesn't stock them

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/travel500-m-zip-off-trous-cam-id_8493632.html

And then there's the Trek 500 with reinforced seat and shins but they're 100% poly so no good I guess.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/trek500-trousers-modul-m-cbg-id_8493650.html


Has anyone handled any of these? Any thoughts?

I don't have army surplus stores in my country and don't fancy buying online

 

[C_Claycomb]

....
I don't have army surplus stores in my country and don't fancy buying online

No surplus stores in England? Eh..what? Where are you located? If you say you are in England you will get suggestions for things that would work in England, which might not be so useful where you are.

How tight a weave are the Decathlon trousers...tighter than jeans/dress chinos? I am not familiar with the particular trousers, but I have had multiple pairs of Craghopper Kiwi trousers which are a thin 65/35 poly/cotton. They make pretty good trousers in jungle and desert, so not heavy...but I have dragged them around in Scotland, Sweden and Norway, around plenty of fires, and they did fine. They certainly didn't tear on branches. I would be surprised if these Decathlon were appreciably thinner or weaker.

Best of luck!!

Chris

 

[campj]

I should have updated my profile, I’m not in the UK but similar weather, just a little drier.

Decathlon say that the Travel500 use 190g/sqm fabric.

I guess I was just wondering if anyone had handled them and decided if they were suitable for a day in the woods or not

 

[baggins]

Campj, never used those trousers, but had plenty of other ger from Decathalon and it's always been pretty decent quality. I noticed they have a 2 year guarantee, so can't be all bad. The heavier travel 500 would be fine and, you can normally order them online and have them delivered to your local store (certainly in the uk).

 

[Erbswurst]

I am travelling veeerrryyyy often in France.

Because I meet there a lot of young people in youth hostels and on camping grounds I often was asked which stuff they should buy and how to pack the rucksack for Backpacking and trekking tours.

And so I started to write a list of Equipment which is available at Decathlon.
I wrote a 100% Decathlon Bushcraft Equipment List and started to try out the stuff. I tested it for more than 4 years most of it in every days use, 365 days s year.

My results are the following:

QUECHUA Stuff usually is not the best stuff in the world but OK for the price.
I recommend the Arpenaz Kaki Tarp, the green 1 Person Hammock, the stainless Steel cup 400ml and in wind protected areas the igloo tent Arpenaz 2.
They currently kick out very cheap long Merino base layers in black with grey shoulders and zipp collar and white belt which work pretty well if you moove around -5 Degrees C.

This socks are very good in most boots from 1.of Oktober to 1.of May
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/sh520-x-warm-mid-socks-black-id_8313067.html

This Socks schould be good as well. I use the shorter summer version in most conditions in lower hiking boots.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/mh-900-high-x2-beige-id_8384542.html


SIMOND Stuff seems to be OK for bushcraft. The cordage works well, they offer interesting little tough rucksacks which I not yet bought.

CAPERLAN offers a blue waterproof smart phone dry sack which works very well.
I am not fishing, so I can't tell you about the rest.

FORCLAZ stuff usually doesn't convince me. In my opinion it isn't seriously constructed. They cut through the main Fabric of the bright grey tarp just to add there a dark grey corner, they cut in the rucksacks to add an unnecessary zipper, they construct a lot of bull ****.
FORCLAZ unfortunately is the trekking stuff of Decathlon. And so it is theyr job to produce the zipp off trousers.
In the last years Forclaz didn't exist as an own design office. The Trekking stuff was constructed in a conservative way by the engineers of Quechua and for example the Polycottonmix trousers had been brilliant.

But unfortunately that's history. The trousers you ask about are bullshit in my opinion. The first has an idiotic cut, the others have a inner layer of plastic and an outer layer of cotton.
I didn't buy them. I can't use that stuff in German and French weather conditions.
The first you asked for I could use in the summer, but as I wrote, they have an idiotic cut. Currently Decathlon doesn't offer any Zipp Off Trousers I can recommend.

BUT:

SOLOGNAC Hunting Clothing is very convincing for Bushcraft Use !!!

I doubt that anyone is able to tell me a better source for inexpensive good quality bushcraft clothing, if we don't speak about military surplus stuff.

The X-acess carrying system is very good too by the way. But you shouldn't overload the 50 litres rucksack. That's made for a lightweight equipment! The 50 liter rucksack weights only 1 kilogram!

I bought nearly everything they offer in brown or olive green that is light enough for trekking and usable as a multy layer trekking system.

What is coloured in desert grey is made for the summer time in southern France. That is very light and thin stuff.

What is available in olive green and dark brown is made for hunting, trekking and bushcraft all over the year and all over Europe. I use it in France and Germany all around the year. As you know that weather is quiet similar to britisch woodland conditions.

That T-shirt isn't the best in the world but OK for the price:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/t-shirt-100-ss-green-id_84

That Merino shirt seems pretty good in motion, I don't own it.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/900-ls-t-shirt-merino-green-id_8502567.html

That cotton shirt seems pretty good all around the year, I don't own it.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/ls-warm-500-shirt-brown-id_8394389.html

This fleece jacket is the right choice around 0*C, probably the right choice in Britain all around the year. I am 184 cm tall and I use all upper clothing in size XL, but that here in L.
(The XL is made for tall thick peoble.)
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/300-fleece-brown-id_8281239.html

That fleece jacket I use as spare clothing in summer conditions and in motion untill 0*C. I use it in Size L too.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/100-fleece-brown-id_8340825.html

That paddet jacket I use in dry conditions as an additional wind protection. It isn't very warm padded. I use it over the cotton shirt before I use the fleece if I have them both with me.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/padded-jacket-100-green-id_8365067.html

This rain jacket isn't very durable but relatively light in the rucksack. If you wear it every day it will survive perhaps round about two years. The fitting waterproof rain trousers currently I can't find at the uk homepage. But it's a well working rain suit.
The jacket on its own is relatively short!
It doesn't cover the pockets of your trousers. Both I wear in size XL.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/100-w-p-jacket-khaki-id_8396906.html

This rain proof folding screen cap I use in most conditions:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/foldable-waterproof-cap-green-id_8366577.html

This warm cap works well in cold conditions and fits well to tall persons:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/300-iroko-hat-brown-id_8281302.html

This neck warmer I use in the sleeping bag for winter camping.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/warm-neck-gaiter-green-id_8365062.html

That shorts are spark resistant but fast drying 65% cotton 35% polyester like most Nato field uniforms. I wear them in Size L
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/bermuda-shorts-100-green-id_8368339.html

This are the best normal trousers Decathlon offers. Solognac Steppe 300.
The quality is pretty similar to current German army trousers. 65%cotton, 35% polyester, spark resistant but fast drying.

That's the allround model. But I wouldn't get Woolpower 400 underwear under it, they fit relatively tight. On the other side they look pretty elegant. French cutters, you know?
But OK, I am a very strong hiker. Perhaps other people never get a problem with base layers. I wear them in Size L.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/steppe-300-trousers-brown-id_8155548.html

This belt works very well, it is silent and fast drying:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/x-access-belt-brown-id_8368668.html

All that stuff is far better than you will expect it for the price. Often it's far better than other stuff offered by the competition which asks for five or ten times more money. Off course I own some other clothing too and can compare it. But I usually recommend Solognac clothing for bushcraft if you don't want to use army surplus.

The cheaper Solognac shoes I bought didn't convince me. But they sell Meindl boots as well.

I own theyr short sleeves desert grey clothing too, if anybody wants to know something about it, please feel free to ask me about it in an other thread.

When you enter the shop, at first you should make at the reception your personal Decathlon Card. It remembers everything you buy if you give it to the girl in the cash zone before you pay.
That would enable you later to change failed stuff in every Decathlon shop worldwide without any problems or papers or receeds. For travelling that is very usefull.

But I never used it for changing Solognac stuff! I needed it to give back Forclaz stuff!
That's why I don't recommend it.

 

[campj]

Thanks for the detailed write up Erbswurst, there's a lot to consider.

The first has an idiotic cut, the others have a inner layer of plastic and an outer layer of cotton.

'The first' being the Travel100 and 'the others' being the Travel500? In what way was the cut unsuitable for you? They actually fit me quite well.
I might just go for them, they have the 2 year warranty. I don't like to produce needless waste, but on the other hand, I imagine that returns can dictate the direction of a company like Decathlon as opposed to some smaller company that refuse to give any help.

 

[rich d2]

i had some of the forclaz trousers with the reinforced seat, last summer, sat down on the way up to a refuge, the rock must have been slightly sharper than I though ripped a hole in the bottom and had to walk round with my undies on show for 2 days. so I wasnt that impressed with the durability. Warmth wise, they were mid weight, it was summer in the alps so was a bit warm during the day when it was sunny but OK for evenings, but not warm enough when the sun went down at altitude. I also found them quite tight fitting on the sizing - so be careful you don't end up with them looking like old school Ron Hills.

 

[Erbswurst]

Ah, I understand! You pointed us to pure plastiic trousers in the last link.

Yesterday I couldn't see that, in the evening my eyes become bad...

During the summer they sold the Travel 500 in a second version, called Travel 700 or something similar. I didn't pay attention and thought you showed us that.

So, ones more:

The Travel 100 are very wide in the upper part and very tight in the lover part. They have the cut of the carrot jeans of the mid eighties of the last century.
Mainly I am against them, because I personally find that tasteless, but a person that walks a lot around with a rucksack would get problems to fit well in the lower part, especially if he wears a merino base layer.
If they fit to you and you have seen yourself in the mirror and did like it, than you can take them off course.
I am 184 cm tall, my weight changes around 90 kg, I walk every day round about 20 km, I have pretty strong legs but I am not the most athletic person in the world and they do not fit well to me.

The fabric of that trousers is similar to Nato field uniforms but less thick, less warm and less durabel. If they would have a different cut I would buy them for summer use. But you shouldn't expect them to be as durable as the Solognac Steppe 300 trousers which I recommended to you or the shorts I recommended.

The travel 100 is meant for backpackers on city-hostel tours. You can see that, if you look around in the fotos about the travel 100 series and if you regard that other equipment. They aren't necessarily meant as outdoor trousers for bushcraft use. But technically they should be ok, if they fit to you. As a german I would call the coulour field grey. That blends pretty well in natural environments. They will become a bit brighter during theyr life time.

The Travel 500 are the trousers which have inside of the fabric a plastic layer and outside a cotton layer. I wouldn't use them in warm conditions and not around a well sized fire.

The Trek 500 are made from a 100% plastic fabrik. Every thing else than spark resistant. Noyhing for the fire place in my opinion. Usually such Decathlon plastic trousers have a thin fabric and are meant for hiking on ways in summer times, not running diagonal through the bush. I do not expect them to survive bushcraft use very long but I never tried out such fabrics because I prefere durable polyester 35%-cotton 65% mix trousers because that is spark resistant and works well in all conditions.

Do not forget, that it is warmer in most areas of France than in Britain. The trekking stuff is very lightweight and often meant for French summer use. Decathlon offers the woolen socks as warm winter hiking equipment, which I recomment to you in Britain from 1, of October to 1. of may because I use them like that in german conditions which are still a bit warmer than in Britain during the summer.
What they call "winter" in Nice they call a "late summer" in Oslo, dont forget that!
Decathlon is a French brand, and not everywhere in France the weather is like in Normandy!

In my opinion the better choice for Germany, Britain and Scandinavia are the Solognac clothing I recommended to you in this thread. That is northern Europe all weather Equipment. (Of course not constructed for Lapland in winter times, but usable there as well if you are born there.)

 

[campj]

I appreciate your advice Erbswust. If the Solognac's were available in zip-off, then I'd take those for sure. I can't hike in pants, even as it heads towards 0, and I don't fancy packing a pair of pants.

I'll try the Travel100's. I can always patch the knees if I find they soak up too much moisture and/or maybe wax the lower fronts.

 

[Erbswurst]

If you are used to walk around in all weather conditions in shorts, the fabric should be warm enough to protect you, I guess.

In which country do you live currently where you can't find surplus shops?

 

[campj]

So I purchased the Travel100 Trekking trousers and wore them today. I wasn't worried at all while walking off the path looking for firewood, unlike I would be wearing something like a synthetic puffy. I'm pleased overall but we'll see how they hold up.

 

[Erbswurst]

I don't know how you live and earn your money.

I am free to wear what I want to, and I test clothing by wearing them every day, washing them in the evening, drying them over night and continuing using them the next day. If possible I wear them 365 days a year, 16 to 24 hours a day, like I would do it on expeditions.

If the stuff becomes to warm or to cold I write down when I stopped and continued using it, so in the end I know exactly how long that clothing lasts.

That might be a bit boring for me and the people who see me every day. But the informations I can give in the end to our forum community is worth it without any doubt.

Perhaps you can do that too. This zipp off trousers are the cheapest polyester - cotton mix trousers I know and if they are long lasting they would probably be an interesting recommendation for those who fit in them well.

 

[Erbswurst]

Attention everybody!

Decathlon brings back the old model of the convertible trousers in this season. Currently not yet at the British site but still offered in Germany. Surely it will come to Britain a few weeks later.

That trousers are very good:

https://www.decathlon.de/p/zip-off-hose-travel-100-herren/_/R-p-324122?mc=8579871&c=GRÃN_KHAKI

 

[Erbswurst]

double post.