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The Mercury jeans in use on a chilly Autumn day at Dunkeld… (
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Star Rating: **** (4 Stars)
Recommended Retail Price: £75.99 from 3RD ROCK
The Mercury jeans from 3RD ROCK are designed to allow unrestricted movement for rock climbing, be hard-wearing, and be comfortable and respectable-looking for wearing away from the crag. The Jeans boast reinforced fabric in the knees and bum, a diamond cut crotch for extra movement, extra knee space for ease of movement and excellent use of organic and recycled materials.
The stretchy material gives an excellent range of motion – they never felt restrictive whilst climbing. They were also pretty comfortable in temperatures from 3°C (late-season Scottish sport climbing) to 30°C (trad climbing in the Jordanian desert). They look respectable enough to wear in civilised company, not just for climbing, and they survived 9 days continuous use on rough desert sandstone with only the slightest signs of wear.
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...and on a hot day in the Jordanian desert
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3RD ROCK have a strong environmental commitment, so these trousers are made from organic cotton. This is commendable, even if some of their marketing material does have a “chemicals are bad”-type naivety to it. This environmental commitment is also probably one of the reasons for the hefty price tag both due to more expensive raw materials and the willingness of customers to pay a premium for a sustainable product.
Things we like: Excellent range of motion, comfortable across a wide temperature range, looks good, environmentally sustainable
Things we don't like: Starting to show a little wear after 9 days’ straight use on rough desert sandstone (but really not bad considering how abrasive the rock was), price
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| A happy and comfortable reviewer wearing the Mercury Jeans |