UKH

Hi all, 

Looking at purchasing a pair of ME Karakorum pants, but I’ve seen historic posts on here from several years ago that they seem to have some fit issues for your recommend size(oversized on the waist, baggy on the leg, or short on the legs if you go down a size). Is that still the case or did ME rectify the issues as I see they now advertise them as “updated”? Hopefully they did as I owned a pair of these 20 yrs ago and they were probably the second best item of clothing I owned after an ME jacket which I still use to this day(lent the pants to a work colleague and never got them back😡).

Any pointers greatly appreciated👍🏻

I had a pair maybe three years ago and they were really baggy on the leg. In fact, you can see them in my profile pic where they're being nicely inflated by a Cairngorm blizzard.

I thought the fabric was awesome, really comfy and weatherproof, but I ended up selling them.

Jim

I have had a number of these over the years and have just purchased the latest pair - waist size is more accurate, but if you're layering up go a size up. 

Yes they are still baggy but mainly at the bottom of the legs. I guess this is to accommodate ski boots as well as winter boots. I think most British manufacturers have this trend for baggy bottoms. Montane and Rab are similar. 

I worked in Chamonix for a number of years guiding in the 90's - I used Millet (french brand not Millets) and they were always narrower, snug fitting, but less able to layer up if you really needed to. 

If you struggle to find any, I have a pair in XL that I am about to advertise as I am between sizes and so bought the XL's off a colleague but they are too big for my 33/34in waiste.

Hope that helps in some way. 

I find them pretty good, but I've had somebody add draw cords to the bottoms of mine.

Thanks everyone for your insight, guess I’ll have to find somewhere with multiple sizes in stock in order to try on, unfortunately trying to find somewhere local is proving a headache nowadays.

It turns out that my local branch of Tiso, had a wide selection of sizes so happy days, not so!

I tried on a pair of XL's and thought as I was trying them on that they fitted well. Around the upper stomach area great, around the backside great, around the crotch area great, upper thighs great, then I looked below the knee, and what the ****!!! The trouser was so long that there was enough spare to do half another pair, the snow gaiter was more like a pair of slippers, and the knee area was half way down my shin. Unless you're six foot four or over, these pants are useless as the trousers will just get caught up in your crampons or any jagged bit of rock/ice on the slopes.

I have to say that I'm totally surprised that ME would fail to see the problem, as I've had countless items of their clothing and have always been impressed. I even owned a pair of Karakorums way back and from memory they fitted like a glove and as you would expect for a mountain pant.

I had a pair a good few years ago and loved them.  when they died I went for a new pair, 1st generation that used their own fabric rather than goretex and the fit was abysmal!  Tried going up a size to fit round the legs as seemed a slimmer fit, and the seat / backside / waist was like it had been designed around homer simpsons body shape.  Sounds like they've gone the otherway now with the fit and you need to be a giant to get the right leg lengths!

A shame as I really rated them.

Cheers,

Stu