Waterfallproof Ski Pants

Name: Waterfallproof Ski Pants. Khaki edition
Brand: Vollebak
SKU: PNT016GRYXXL
Price: 199 GBP
Availability: OutOfStock

Nanotechnology and an intelligent membrane make them highly waterproof, windproof and breathable.

£995 £199

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Model is 6ft 2 / 188cm with a 32 inch / 81cm waist, and wears size Medium.

Material mimics the surface of a lotus leaf using nanotechnology
Engineered with an intelligent, highly breathable membrane
Ankles reinforced with high-strength material

As we face life on Earth with new categories of weather, we’re going to need new categories of clothing. So we’ve started working on ski gear designed to help you adapt. The Waterfallproof Ski Pants are designed to combat the winters of the future, where crazily intense snowfall and rapidly shifting seasons becomes the norm – from megastorms dumping a year’s worth of snow, to wet spring conditions arriving early.

Highly waterproof and windproof they’re constructed with an advanced 3 layer Swiss material with an intelligent membrane that opens and closes in the heat, and self-drying nanotechnology that mimics a lotus leaf. The same technology makes the pants highly breathable and fast-drying, so they work just as well when the temperatures rise on the mountain. And with a four-way stretch detachable bib, waterproof zippers, reinforced ankle panels and cross-flow venting, they’ll keep you dry and comfortable all day, and all winter, whether you’re skiing the resort or deep in the backcountry.

Technical Details

3 layer material made in Switzerland: 53% polyamide, 34% polyurethane, 12% polyester, 1% elastane

Material engineered with Schoeller c_change® membrane and nanosphere® technology

Highly waterproof, windproof and breathable

Highly abrasion resistant

Fully seam-sealed for waterproofness

Hem reinforced with high-strength, tear resistant material

Hem material made in Switzerland: 54% polyamide, 36% aramid 10% polyurethane

Removable four-way stretch bib with adjustable elastic shoulder straps

Bib stretch material made in Italy: 66% nylon and 34% elastane

Zip pocket on bib

2 fleece-lined side pockets with waterproof zippers

Ski pass pocket with waterproof zipper

Heavy-duty elastic velcro waist adjusters with Cordura pull tabs

Interior and exterior leg cross-flow vents with waterproof zippers

Elasticated snow gaiters inside hem

2 metal press studs at each hem to adjust tightness

Pants weigh 1000 grams

Machine wash 30°C

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Built with a Swiss supermaterial

The Waterfallproof Ski Pants are designed to combat the megastorms of the future, where crazily intense snowfall and rainfall becomes the norm. Highly waterproof, windproof, breathable and fast-drying, they’re constructed with an advanced 3 layer Swiss material from Schoeller, with an intelligent membrane that opens and closes in the heat, and self-drying nanotechnology borrowed from plants. Building the material alone requires a total of 28 separate construction processes.

Water rolls off the outside like a lotus leaf

The outside of the Waterfallproof Ski Pants mimics one of nature’s most brilliant pieces of engineering – the lotus leaf. Over millions of years the lotus leaf has adapted to life constantly surrounded by water. Although the surface of each leaf looks completely flat, it’s covered with a complex landscape of microscopic bumps which helps it stay clean and dry.

Nanotechnology means water can’t stick to it

When a water droplet lands on a normal flat surface, it sticks easily and quickly begins to absorb. But when water hits the surface of the lotus leaf, it can only balance on the peaks of the tiny bumps, meaning any movement or a breeze will cause the liquid to simply roll away. The outside layer of the pants replicates the leaf’s microscale bumps using Schoeller’s nanosphere® technology. The bumps are completely imperceptible to the naked eye, but allow the pants to resist water, oil and dirt.

Highly waterproof and highly breathable at the same time

The issue with creating something crazily waterproof is breathability. The more water can’t come through one way, the harder it is to let it come out the other. A rubber wetsuit for instance would never let any rain through, but if you tried to go for a run in one you might pass out as it won’t let heat or sweat escape efficiently. So the middle layer of the ski pants uses Schoeller’s c_change® membrane. Instead of remaining static, the membrane can open and close to respond to different weather conditions as they happen, while remaining permanently waterproof and windproof.
How the membrane works in the heat and wet

As the air temperature rises, the membrane opens up so that excess sweat and heat can escape through the pants. But while the membrane’s polymer structure opens up to become extremely permeable to water vapour leaving the body, it remains completely waterproof on the outside. It means that even if you held the pants under a downpour in extreme heat, they will only ever let the water through one way, while still letting heat pass through it.
How the membrane works in the cold

This c_change® membrane mimics natural structures like flowers and pinecones, opening and closing in response to changes in temperature, humidity and sweat. It’s designed to keep you at a consistent temperature by combining really high breathability with heat retention. While it can open up like a series of microscopic vents to let heat escape, in the cold it closes itself like a protective barrier to stop heat leaving. So as soon as the temperature drops, or you stop moving, the membrane contracts to insulate you and retain heat close to the body.

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The material is built to last

On top of heavy snowfall and ferocious winds, ski pants need to stand up to high speed falls on hardpack snow, steel edges, rocks, and crampons. So that’s why the Waterfallproof Ski Pants combine extreme weather resistance and breathability with high strength. The material is incredibly densely woven to create a tough, abrasion resistant outer face that can handle anything the mountain throws at it.

The winters of the future have already arrived in the mountains. From Pacific megastorms dumping metres of snow, to rapidly shifting seasons in the Alps. So the Waterfallproof Ski Pants are built for whatever the sky throws at you.

Ultra-tough ankle protection

The hem of ski pants is always the first part to wear out. Weeks of clipping in and out of ski bindings, sharp ski edges, and just walking around will all speed that process up. So we’ve reinforced the hem of the pants with an ultra-tough protective fabric designed to help them last longer. It’s made from 36% aramid – the same stuff used to make body armour. The pants can also be tightened at the hem using a simple snap fastener system, so they’re comfortable for walking around town once you’ve taken your boots off.

An advanced bib keeps you dry and comfortable

The pants come with a high-waist bib built to keep out the snow when it gets deep. The front and back of the bib are made from the same high-performance material as the rest of the pants, giving you extra protection from the elements if you need to open up your jacket. The shoulder straps are built from military-grade belt tape that’s easy to adjust on the move. The sides of the bib are built with a soft, highly elastic, water-repellent fabric that’s designed for extreme comfort and breathability. There’s also a hidden stash pocket on the front.

The bib is phenomenally strong and elastic

The sides of the bib are built from a material originally designed for compression gear, which makes it light, breathable, and super strong. We’ve simply laser-cut it into the shape of non-compression gear, so the strength of the material remains identical, but you have none of the pressure on your muscles. Every inch has been knitted by 40 needles, which makes it very hard to break. If you were holding a metre of this fabric, you’d be able to stretch it to 1.5 metres in any direction, and as soon as you let go it would instantly return to its normal shape.

Giant leg vents will help you cool off

The membrane in the Waterfallproof Ski pants is designed to regulate your temperature and let sweat escape. But if you’re working exceptionally hard on the skin track, we’ve built in a cross-flow venting system to let you dump heat even faster. Two long vents run down the outside of each thigh, and you’ll find another vent on the inside of each leg. All the vents open up completely to let air flow in and around your legs as fast as possible if you’re hiking or ski touring. But the zips are all fully waterproofed, so when they’re closed, you’ll stay dry.
Equipped with fleece-lined pockets

You’ll find two large pockets on the outside of the pants. Both pockets are fully waterproofed and made with rubberised zip pulls. On the inside they’re lined with a soft fleece, so you can still keep your hands warm if you have to take your gloves off at the summit. We also designed a small waterproof pocket on the front of the pants to store a ski pass.
Cut for extreme movement

The Waterfallproof Ski Pants are incredibly comfortable to wear for hours at a time in challenging conditions. Every seam is engineered to move with you as you ski, snowboard or climb. And the high-stretch bib, adjustable waist, and articulated construction of the legs, follow your body whichever direction it goes, so you’ll never feel restricted.

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A custom engineered waistband

You’ll find two heavy-duty, elastic Velcro adjusters on either side of the waistband so you can tighten the waist the way you want it. There are also five large belt loops if you’re wearing the pants without the bib and prefer to leave nothing to chance. The belt loops are constructed with reinforced stitching and then bonded for increased durability. The zip fly is protected by two storm flaps, one internal, one external, as well as two metal snap fasteners and a second, lockable fastener.

You can leave the bib at home

If you’d rather hit the mountains without the bib, or you’re just putting the pants on to head out in a monsoon, the bib is completely detachable, and you can simply leave it at home. A zipper runs all the way around the waist and lets you remove it in one go. If you prefer the bib on, it fastens with a central zipper and metal press snap fasteners. And we’ve designed the attachment point between the bib and the pants to create a full seal by positioning the front zip just off-centre.