Title Nine Clamber / Clamberista climbing pants
Everyone wears climbing pants
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So, baseline, Title Nine makes great pants. This women’s company, started in 1989 when people thought the idea of a women’s-sports-clothing company was crazy, makes tech gear for all kinds of sports, now including climbing. Of course.
Here are two kinds for those of us inclined (haha) to multi-use climbing pants. This year I tried out the Clamberista pants, which came out in late summer. With a high wide waist, the Clamberista ($89) is the pull-on version of the Clamber, a Title Nine staple. Both are tough mothers, abrasion-resistant, and made for climbing, hiking, camping, whatever.
My snap judgement was that the older, fixed-waist Clamber pants, with a zipper/snap fly, would be the less favored nation. As it turns out, they are just as functional and for me, in a weird or rather practical way, more. They stretch and climb well, are super comfortable, and have a slightly trimmer, more tailored aspect that works a few iotas better for office and around town (with a hike or a stop at the climbing gym). They would suit travel that bit more. The Clamberista pants are great but all sport, an upscale version of your college sweatpants, with a looser fit than the Clamber. There is not a ghost of binding. For a pure outdoor cragging, multipitch or even hiking day, I’d choose those, yet on a real-life basis I find myself gravitating to the others more, especially if only gym bouldering that day.
The company always uses high-tech wicking materials. Both pants are made of ClambR™ (93% nylon/7% spandex with DWR) fabric. Both have two front and two back pockets, which sounds like a lot, but they are streamlined (not cargo-y, thank god). The Clamberista has a zippered side pocket as well.
Rock and Ice vigorously tests all gear it reviews for either 50 days or 50 pitches. This is a time-consuming process and limits the amount of new equipment we can present to our readers. Every year hundreds of new products hit store shelves, and most of these aren’t reviewed due to our stringent selection and review process. To better keep you more up to date on what is new, we present First Look. Gear in First Look has not always been field tested, but is gear we think you’d like to know about as soon as it is available. Some of the gear will be reviewed using our 50 days/50 pitches criteria, in future print and online editions of Rock and Ice. We have opted to use affiliate links in our gear reviews. Every time you buy something after clicking on links in our gear articles you’re helping support our magazine.