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Ultra High Molecular Weight Pants

Name: Ultra High Molecular Weight Pants
Brand: Vollebak
SKU: PNT054BLKXSM
Price: 695.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

The strongest, lightest, and most elastic pants ever built.

CHF 695

XS

S

M

L

XL

XXL

Model is 6ft 4 / 193cm with a 34 inch / 86cm waist, and wears size Large.

Engineered with an extreme strength ripstop for abrasion and rip resistance
Water repellent with four-way stretch
Four concealed zipped pockets

Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene is one of the toughest materials ever engineered – many times stronger than steel but so light it floats on water. With molecular chains 10x longer than standard polyethylene, UHMWPE is used where failure isn’t an option – in ballistic armour, space tethers, deep sea cables, and the joints of the human body. That’s why it’s trusted in war zones, industrial machines, spacecraft, and now our Ultra High Molecular Weight Pants.

Each pair of our pants is woven with a protective grid built with two types of UHMWPE, a material technology originally designed to protect elite cyclists against high-speed crashes on tarmac. It means the pants are super light but highly resistant to rips and abrasion, scoring up to 300% higher on tear resistance tests compared to similar materials.

At the same time as being ultrastrong and ultralight, the pants are also ultra elastic as they’re built with an enormous 31% elastane, which gives them extreme four-way stretch in every direction simultaneously. They also repel water using fluorocarbon-free technology, come with four concealed zip pockets, a high-speed bungee pullcord, and blend in anywhere from the trail to a long-haul flight to the office.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Engineered with an extreme strength ripstop

Abrasion and rip resistant

Highly elastic with four-way stretch throughout

Water repellent and breathable

Two zipped side pockets

Two zipped back pockets

All pockets constructed with hidden lockable zippers

Zipped fly

Elasticated waist with bungee cord adjuster

Articulated knees

Material made in Italy: 49% polyamide, 31% elastane, 20% polyethylene

Material weighs 165g/m2

Pants weigh 327 grams

Machine wash 30°C

Constructed in China

Engineered with an extreme strength ripstop

Abrasion and rip resistant

Highly elastic with four-way stretch throughout

Water repellent and breathable

Two zipped side pockets

Two zipped back pockets

All pockets constructed with hidden lockable zippers

Zipped fly

Elasticated waist with bungee cord adjuster

Articulated knees

Material made in Italy: 49% polyamide, 31% elastane, 20% polyethylene

Material weighs 165g/m2

Pants weigh 327 grams

Machine wash 30°C

Constructed in China

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Lightweight, water repellent, and woven with a fibre stronger than steel

Not only are the Ultra High Molecular Weight Pants highly elastic, lightweight, water repellent and breathable, they’re also reinforced with an extreme strength ripstop. Highly resistant to rips and abrasion, their outer material is woven with a protective grid made from a fibre that weight for weight outperforms steel.

Highly resistant to rips and abrasion, the Ultra High Molecular Weight Pants are woven with a protective grid made from one of the world’s strongest fibres.

Reinforced with extreme strength fibres used in anti-ballistic armour

The fibre we’ve used is an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene that combines extreme strength with very low weight. The pants actually combine two different types of UHMWPE into a single yarn for a higher density material. These fibres are so strong they’re normally used to make bulletproof vests, anti-ballistic vehicle armour for tanks, and the ropes used to tie down giant ships and deep-water oil rigs in violent, icy seas.

An advanced ripstop makes the pants rip and abrasion resistant

The high strength UHMWPE fibres are woven directly into a base of nylon and elastane to create a grid structure throughout the entire pants. The grid works like an advanced ripstop, reinforcing the pants by increasing its abrasion resistance, rip resistance and tensile strength. Tear resistance tests show the material to be 200% to 300% tougher than the same fabric without the ripstop. And on abrasion resistance tests it easily scores 100,000 revolutions, the same performance as our 100 Year gear designed to outlive you.

Tear resistance tests show that the ripstop makes the material 200% to 300% tougher.

The science behind the strength

With molecular chains 10 times longer than standard polyethylene, UHMWPE is a high-performance thermoplastic designed to take punishment in the world’s harshest environments. The secret lies in its structure. UHMWPE’s ultralong chains create massive internal friction – more chain entanglement means more energy is needed to break it apart. The result is a material with the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic and a near-zero coefficient of friction. It’s self-lubricating, incredibly durable, and won’t corrode or degrade, even in saltwater or acid.

From lab accident to world-changing super material

Polyethylene was first created by accident in a British lab in 1933. Chemists working with ethylene and benzaldehyde under high pressures inadvertently added trace elements of oxygen to the mix, creating a waxy, lightweight substance that turned out to be revolutionary. During World War II, it was used to insulate radar cables on fighter planes. After the war, its potential exploded with scientists developing ultrastrong versions like UHMWPE – a fibre now used in body armour, spacecraft, deep-sea rigging, and medical implants. It’s why we’ve used it to build one of the most durable and high-performance pairs of pants on Earth.

Material technology designed for high-speed crashes

The material we use in the Ultra High Molecular Weight Pants starts life at a cutting-edge lab in the countryside south of Lake Como. It’s here that some of the most advanced performance materials on the planet are being developed (and where clients include Tour de France cyclists). Our partner has been working on ultrathin, lightweight materials that can also protect cyclists when they wipe out at high speeds. Now we’ve taken that same technology and used it to build these pants.

The material we use in the Ultra High Molecular Weight Pants starts life at a cutting-edge lab in the countryside south of Lake Como.

Built with extreme four-way stretch to feel like a second skin

The downside of many high strength materials is that they’re heavy and don’t stretch. But the Ultra High Molecular Weight Pants are over 30% elastane, the same amount you’d normally find in high performance compression gear. It means the pants have extreme four-way stretch that lets you move in any direction without feeling restricted.

We fully immerse them in water repellent treatment

The pants repel water with an innovative water repellent treatment that’s completely free of toxic chemicals and also 4x more durable than coatings in the same category. One of the challenges of PFC-free water repellent treatments is matching the efficiency of those made with harsh chemicals. The material is completely immersed in a water repellent solution so that it soaks deep into the individual fibres, allowing water to roll off its surface while remaining breathable.

They come in stealth black

UHMWPE fibres are famously difficult to dye, which means they tend to only come in white. But we dyed the fibre’s raw materials or ‘feedstock’ so our fabric, including the ripstop, is a deep black, making the pants stealthy enough to wear anywhere from the trail to a flight to the office.

Reinforced, articulated construction

Every critical seam on the pants has been reinforced with stretchy Cordura tape on the underside. And we’ve constructed articulated knees which work with the material to follow the natural shape of your legs whatever way you stretch.

An elasticated waistband and cord adjuster

The elasticated waistband tightens with a bungee cord and lock for speed and simplicity. Just push the button on the lock and pull the cord to tighten the pants as much as you need. To loosen them simply push the button and pull the lock away from you to release.