I’ve been wearing them almost  every day for ten months straight, no matter if I was horse trekking in Mongolia, on a glacier expedition in Kyrgyzstan or on a desert tour in Uzbekistan. My Fjällräven Barents G-1000 never let me down. Before the trip, I bought it  in a shop for hunting gear and I remember being initially upset about the price: 120 euros. Now, I know it was worth every penny. And no, Fjällräven is not one of my advertising partners.

The Barents is made of tear-resistant G-1000 material (65% polyester, 35% cotton), which is not waterproof, but dries quickly. When you buy the trousers, they also give you a wax for making them waterproof. You rub them with the wax, and then use the iron or blow dryer to impregnate it. I must admit that I’ve saved me the hassle and just bought waterproof overtrousers at a RedFox shop in Kyrgyzstan. Combined with long underwear, skiing in freezing temperatures was no problem.

The Barents sits comfortably and has reinforcements on the butt and knee. Innately it has very long legs and most people – including me – have it shorted. I had to buy the men’s model, because the shop didn’t have any for ladies. Therefore, it initially was too wide and I had to wear a belt – in the beginning at least. Then, unfortunately I gained weight, but at least the pants fit now.

The Barents has many pockets, also on the legs, which come in super handy. However, you tend to cram them, for example with wallet, cell phone, granola bars, camera and pocket knife.

During all the hardships, my Barents scored only two small holes: one on top of a pocket, frayed by my compact camera and one at the hem, because my shoes were streaking it when walking. Although, I was very happy, after ten months to finally wear a pair of jeans, I still use the Barents for working, hiking or hunting. I hope they will last me a while longer.