Perfectionist looking for the perfect hiking pants…

Have you looked at the range offered by http://www.railriders.com ? I bought some of their trousers about ten years ago and they're all still going strong. Last year I wore a pair of Eco-Mesh Pants on the TGO Challenge in Scotland where they proved perfect for the conditions: quick to dry, windproof, copious ventilation when needed and – importantly – a Velcro cinch at the ankle to keep the ticks out in problem areas.

Some of their other styles look less like hiking gear; some rather more so, such as Weatherpants which do have a certain level of MC Hammer bagginess about them. Doubtless there are other lighter, stretchier, more water-resistant options out there now, but after miles of heather-bashing and snagging on barbed-wire fences over the years I can thoroughly recommend Rail Riders.

Ha! I don't mean baggy…just straight legged. the same size at the ankle as they are at the thigh. I have checked Railriders out. The Mesh you mentioned are the only ones I had any interest in. (Because I read a great review here.) But they have that business-casual look. Thanks for the recommendation…I'll take another look at them if I'm unable to find something that I would rather have.

Gregory,

Take a look at the Mountain Hardwear Canyon pants. These things kick some serious butt and are so much more convenient than convertibles for me.

They have an awesome cinch system at the hem that allows you to adjust how tight they are against your ankles. It also allows you to roll them up and cinch to keep the pant hem at just about any height you want.

Built in minimalist belt and two back pockets that sit on an angle allowing you to reach them very easily with a pack on. They dry very quicky and have a gusseted crotch and articulated knees.

I,too, like RailRiders. They are light, comfortable, and dry fast. The "business look" means I can wear 'em around town and playing golf where cargo pants aren't "proper attire"…groan.

EMS and REI have plenty of light fast drying pants for hiking which are not convertable. L.L. Bean, too.

On the trail, one guy I passed said he "would not be caught dead wearing gaiters like mine" (multi colored Dirty Girl's), but no one has dared to criticize my pants.

http://www.ems.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3693373

Check out the Ex-Officio line of pants — sounds like they meet most of your criteria.

At one point I was also looking for the perfect pants and ended up with the Ex-Officio Amphi convertibles. I have been very pleased with them the past 2 years or so. I've been comfortable in them in all climates, from wet and cold to very hot and humid. Lightweight, quick-drying, and they don't wet-through during brief showers and light rain.

In the pictures the bottoms appear to be pretty slim cut, but they really aren't narrow at all (or at least mine aren't).

They come with a mesh crotch, which I've always found to be very annoying, so I just cut them out with scissors. There is also a pant version, but I ended up with the convertibles because I wanted the flexibility of having something more airy (convertibles obviously have knee zippers, but they also have ankle zips). The ironic thing is that I've never had to use either the ankle zips or the converts even in the hottest of weather.

The best part is that they're very comfortable and very inexpensive. I think I got them on STP for next to nothing.

Also have heard excellent things about Railriders, but have never used them.

Patagonoa Sol Patrol

Straight Leg
Quick Drying
Dark Colors
Breathable
10 ounces.

Belt Loop, no elastic, no cinch. Add your own.
No cuff drawstring. Add velcro, or a hem with shock cord.

Pick your priorities.

Outdoor research Equinox — regular or convertible.

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/site/browse/Men%27s%20Apparel/Shorts%20%26%20Pants.html

I just bought the Canyon pants a few weeks ago and so far have done two 25+ mile days in them. One day was in pouring rain, the other was 75F with constant sun. My legs were wonderfully comfortable on both days and I think these may be the perfect pants for me.

I like long pants for long days because I don't have to worry about sunburn, bugs, or sharp sticks and brambles. The Canyon pants dry quickly, so there's no need to take off the lower legs when fording streams. I just don't see a reason to go with convertible pants anymore. These work just fine. Also, they don't have superfluous cargo pockets, and the pockets they do have are excellent. At 12 oz for a M waist / L leg, I love 'em.

I think they come in around 11ish ounce but otherwise you have described the Montane Terra Pants

Copy and Paste

http://www.montane.co.uk/products/men/legwear/terra-pants/176

There are a lot of great suggestions in here. Acting on your advice, I dug into every pair that has been mentioned. I am most happy with the Terra's that the Fat Texan recommended. Thank you, everyone, for your help. I am going to sleep on it for a week to make sure I've thought of everything I need. So, until next weekend, I'm still open to suggestions.
What do you guys think about the Haglofs Mid Flex Pants?

Hi All,

I know it's been mentioned and mostly decided against for the person who started the topic, but for anyone else looking for the perfect pant who doesn't have this exact set of criteria, the rail riders are great.

Wore their Eco mesh pants for 2500+ miles in 2009 on the pct. Few small holes, but I have matching light scars from the incidents leading to these small tears. I do not fault the pants for ripping when even packcloth might not hold up. The tiny tears did not spread during continued hard use and multiple washing.

Being able to unzip the leg vents on hot days was as pleasurable as finding a five dollar bill in a pocked you've forgotten was there.

Howdy. Not to hijack the thread but anyone have recommendations for hiking pants that have a nice slim cut? I've been using TNF Paramounts for the last few years but, while they've been good pants functionally, they have a serious MC Hammer factor (very very baggy) that I'm growing tired of. Not super picky on features – the usual (quick-dry, a few decent pockets) is all I'm looking for. I'm intrigued by the MH Canyon pants. Anyway, I'd love to hear some suggestions. I have pretty skinny legs so that's a factor as well. Just looking for something that looks decent for a stop in town/traveling. Thanks in advance.

These are a great straight leg pant. I had a couple pair of REI Sahara pants and I like these so much better. The Cloudveil pants don’t have the MC Hammer look and don’t have the huge ballooning cargo pockets like the Sahara’s. The material seems to be a little nicer than the Sahara’s and yet they are under 10 oz for medium.

http://www.cloudveil.com/mens/pants/active/cool+convertible+pant–9162/

If you are fussy about fit and price is no object, you can get them custom made at beyondclothing.com. Softshell pants are really great for hiking and wearing (as opposed to carrying), and they offer several weights/options. They don't have a string at the bottom, but you could ask if that was possible in terms of how they may do the cuff.

http://beyondclothing.com/products/softshell/softshell-pants/

I have the steel, now many years old, and they are great for spring/summer/fall. I would love the cold fusion but just can't pull the trigger on that price.

I love my Montane Terra Lite Pants.

They are light, yet durable, dry fast, very comfy and they have nice vents. So they are also not too hot in summer. I hiked in + 86° in them and liked it.

They pockets are also good: big and they have mesh on the inside.

There is no perfect pants. Sorry. Depends on conditions.

I have many, many pairs of pants. My favorites in order…

1. RR Eco-mesh when I am hiking in a wide range of temperatures, with highs 90F and up.

2. MH Canyon pants.

3. Colder weather. REI Mistral made from Schoeller material.

4. Most of the Ex Officio.

Thanks, Jeremy. Those are nice! Which ones are the darker colored ones? Covert or khaki? How well do they breath in hot weather? (85-95 degrees)

Nick, I hear you. I'll keep that in mind before I order.

The covert ones are the dark ones. I got mine late last fall, so I can not speak for hot weather hiking. They do have ankle zips and are obviously convertible to shorts, so it would be easy to vent as needed.

Ordered the Equinox Converts and Rail Rider Eco-Mesh. Both dark brown.

I own 2 pair of 5.11 nylon "canvas" pants from a company called 5.11. They supply police & other "operators" with tactical clothing & gear.

These pants have double seat & knees. Inside the double knees is an opening to insert their optional thin neoprene knee pads. I use them when rock scrambling and love the extra protection.

At $50./pair they are a much better deal than RailRiders and just as tough.

I never noticed how much nice clothing montane makes. Cool!

I wear these for 80% of my hikes, year round. I love the ability to vent the sides. The current version is also pre-treated with Permethrin for bug resistance, also a plus. Mine weigh about 10 ounces. I don't like walking any distance in convertible pants, as the horizontal zippers become irritating to me, but I never notice the vertical leg zippers on the RR. I would suggest a lighter color, whatever pants you get, both to see bugs, and to not warm up as quickly.

Bugs are always a problem here. Always. So is heat. So I settled with a balance between the colors. Brown should stay cooler than black, and should help hid me from the mosquitos. Too many mosquitos here to wear light colors. If they end up beeing too warm, I'll rethink that, but I went with converts & vented to try and make the brown work for me.

Just came across this thread on a 'pant search' of my own and something the OP wrote caught my eye.

His desire for darker colored pants to 'repel' insects is contrary to everything I've ever learned. Insects are in fact attracted to darker clothing. Couple that with the fact that ticks and other critters are much easier to spot on lighter clothing and you can color me very confused about the OP's requirements.