Arc’teryx Veilance Secant Comp Track Pant Review

Introduction

Introduced as part of the "Fast and light"-collection in 2019, the Secant Comp Pant has been a favourite among Veilance enthusiasts. Several variations within the line have been created, with the Secant Comp Track Pant being the successor to the Secant Comp Pant. With its lightweight, composite construction and surprising storage options, we take a look at one of our favourite spring/summer pants and try to understand why it has been such a loved item.

History

The Secant line is Veilance's take on lightweight elastic softshell items that "transition from active to daily wear". Think: clothes you could take for a run and have lunch afterwards while still looking stylish. Originally, the line contained a cropped pant called the Secant Comp Pant and the same pant with its legs missing, the Secant Comp Shorts.

Both items featured contrasting material panelling, with a more resilient softshell material (Fortius 1.0) mapped in places that could see more wear and light rain, contrasted with strategically placed elastic and breathable material (called Chira) for added stretch and comfort. Hence, the "composite" or "comp" moniker.

There has also been a Secant Comp Jacket, featuring the same materials and composite construction.

A Secant Track Pant was available for one year, omitting the Chira in lieu of a more durable, full softshell approach including scrunched hem openings. For FW22, the Secant Heavyweight Pant carried over the latters construction with a heavier double faced softshell - Fortius 2.0 with a thin fleece inner lining. The same material was also featured in the Spere Jacket - we'll post up a review here soon.

Materials & construction

The Secant Comp Track Pant is constructed from two different materials, each mapped in places to offer a balance between durability, breathability & comfort. Firstly, the resilient Fortius 1.0 make up most of the front, legs and seat. This nylon/elastane blend's smooth outer finish and soft interior offers wind resistance, slight rain protection (mostly due to it's water repelling DWR-finish) and is quite durable for its limited weight.

This material stretches in four ways and is pretty abrasion resistant in our experience. Arc'teryx's popular and resilient Gamma Lightweight - formerly Gamma SL - is fully made from this fabric. It wicks moisture away from your body and dries very quickly, which is perfect for high output activities and warmer weather wear.

Due to its tight weave it is also highly UV-protective (although we wouldn't recommend wearing it in hot temperatures)

The inner thighs, crotch and waistband of the Secant Comp Track Pant are constructed from the elastic Chira material. It's 22% elastane content, as per the website at the time of reviewing, is immediately noticeable when wearing the pant.

Its placement at the gusseted crotch makes the pant move in an unrestricted way, and makes for a very forgiving waist.

Its weave is a lot less dense than the Fortius material, which makes it more breathable, thus also less resistant to wind and rain. As such the Chira mapped parts prevent heat and moisture buildup in favor of weather protection and durability.

Overall, we feel the mapped construction is well thought out and makes for a visually very interesting design.

Despite its lightness and apparent simplicity, the pants subtly convey quality and technical craftsmanship. However, we should note that the elastic seam tape can at times feel 'cold' against your skin. Nothing to be bothered about but it's a small caveat worth mentioning.

Also, being a synthetic pant, we sometimes experience a sweaty seat when sitting on hard surfaces.

Inside the wearers right hand pocket is a small phone pocket, made from the same Chira fabric. It snugly fits an iPhone 15 Pro Max with case and provides a close fit for your phone which is appreciated when going for a run or doing anything active as it prevents the phone from jumbling about in your pockets.

The inner waistband is lined with a soft synthetic jersey, features an inner non-elastic drawstring and is partly glued plus stitched to itself. As with all Veilance products, its premium proposition shimmers through when observing the level of finish and careful construction details.

All the stitching is tiny, neatly finished and fully taped on the inside, providing added strength, comfort and water protection. The drawstring is not simply knotted at the ends; instead, it is securely sewn closed. At the hem, the fabric is folded over itself and cleanly laminated. The panelling is of an exceptional level and has a luxurious feel.

Features

Thanks to the construction and fabric properties described above, the Secant Comp Track Pants are a comfortable pair of trousers that seamlessly transition between active wear and lounge wear. Despite their lightweight design, the pants offer an impressive amount of storage, featuring a total of five discreetly integrated pockets. Two open slash hand pockets provide convenient storage for small items, with the right hand pocket featuring an internal phone compartment.

As the Secant line is meant for active use as well, they are rather shallow. You wouldn't want to go for a run while carrying a loaded wallet, would you?

Adjacent to these pockets are two zipped thigh pockets. These pockets extend over part of your upper thigh and hip, making them ideal for storing lip balm, a card wallet, or a wireless earbud case.

The zipped pockets feature a small internal pleat, providing more volume than you might expect.

It should be noted that, due to their placement, you might find yourself sitting on the contents. We believe that the previous iteration of the Secant pants had this issue less frequently, as the pockets were positioned more towards the sides rather than the back.

Overall, we feel these pants are great for active or laid-back days. We also like to wear them while travelling during spring and summer, as they pack down small and offer storage for small items.

The fabrics wicking and quick drying properties are great when the weather turns, and the durable Fortius fabric provides ease of mind. We've cycled through heavy spring storms with the Secant Comp Track Pants, with the DWR getting totally overwhelmed. After twenty minutes or so, the pants were bone dry again.

They do not offer much warmth if any at all, so we see them as a pant for warmer months or for running during colder seasons.

How it wears

We wear the Secant Comp Track Pants in our usual size 32". They are slightly cropped, with an inseam of around 28" or 70 cm. They fit snugly around the thighs with a slight taper, in an overall regular/relaxed silhouette. Going true to size seems to be the move.

The highly stretchy nature of the mapped Chira fabric makes for an effortless and comfortable wear.

Care & durability

We recommend washing technical gear, especially things that partly rely on glue for their construction, quite frequently. For this, we use dedicated technical washing detergent. If DWR is something you care about, you could revitalize it when you notice the pant not beading water anymore.

However, we feel that water repellency is not really a needed feature for this pair of pants.

Small amounts of rain or water dry very quickly and in cases of heavy downpour, the DWR will quickly fail.

If possible, use a washing bag that catches plastic microfibres such as a Guppyfriend.

This will prevent plastic particles from the trousers getting into the environment and will also prolong the life of your garments.

After wearing the Secant Comp Track Pants for several months - and owning different pairs of the previous Secant Comp Pants and Shorts for a few years - we trust the pants to look good for a long time.

The Fortius 1.0 fabric is resilient and hardwearing. However, the Chira fabric is somewhat prone to pilling. We observed small instances of loose fabric sticking out on our older pairs. We are curious to see how the fabric will hold up now that it's positioned next to the hand pockets, where items like keys will slide against it. We speculate that the new design of these pants was partly influenced by customer feedback.

For example, the older Secant Comp Pants and Shorts featured Chira fabric on the seat, which has been replaced with Fortius fabric in the Secant Comp Track Pant.

Verdict & Hidden Interests

We highly recommend trying the Secant Comp Track Pant. Its light weight, resilience, and comfort, all within a sleek and understated package, showcase the unique capabilities of Arc'teryx in terms of technical fabrics and construction.

The panelling offers visual distinction, and the subtle carrying capacities mixed with technical properties make these pants perfect for running, lounging, and even travelling.

9/10

The Secant Comp Track Pant was available for €275 at Veilance at the time of writing.

Interested in another Veilance trouser? Read our experience with their Voronoi pants!