Looking for Great Lightweight Travel Pants

del

For travel, I like to look decently hip, so I usually go for Kuhl brand stuff. They have a variety of styles that use technical fabrics, but look fairly "trendy".

Gotta look good when you're in the local watering hole drinking craft beer! ;~)

I had a pair of Kuhl Liberator convertible pants, but found them very baggy. I may just have really lanky legs. My Prana pants seem to have the best balance between relaxed fit without being baggy (though, all have cotton in them, which won't work).

I've tried Ex-Officio pants and found them VERY loose, which is exactly the problem I'm trying to avoid. Otherwise, I'd definitely go with them.

While posting this, I've also been window-shopping extensively. Right now, my front-runner is actually Prana's Men's Zion Stretch Convertible pants. Anyone have experience with these? They look like they'll work, but 13oz is about 4-5oz more than I wanted. I guess with zips and a belt, it won't necessarily translate to bulk.

This might be heresy on BPL, but bulk > weight for me in this case.

If you don't look good while drinking Switchback in Burlington, go home….

Neon purple leopard print lycra tights.
Totally hip.

You say that like I wouldn't…

I have the legs to pull it off.

Well, I wear my Arc'teryx Gamma LT pants everywhere and all the time — hiking, travelling and around town. In fact I'm wearing them right now at work. They don't quite look like regular straight leg pants but they are close (they have articulated knees which are good for walking but look a bit funny, IMO). Very comfortable in a range of temps, slim but not tight in the leg and perfectly constructed.

outlier's new og's. they are just what you are looking for. if they have a fault it's that they are (relatively) expensive, but you get what you pay for and you won't need a second pair of pants. if you are in nyc, i'm not 100% sure, but they may still have their brooklyn retail shop that's open friday afternoon.

If you are traveling that much then this is worth a read/watch —

http://tynan.com/packing2012

and yes, there are pants in there….

I am really liking the pair of Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants I bought recently. Light weight soft shell material that has a bit of stretch and is very comfortable. Clean lines, Hidden ankle cinch. One vertical thigh pocket that doesn't stick out like typical cargo pants.

Yeah, yeah, you can go Patagucci with serious reduction of the wallet, but why? All you are doing is paying for the label, not the clothing. If that suits, fair enough.

Otherwise, can I suggest you go to the nearest discount store and buy some synthetic track pants? Not the fleecy ones, just the plain ordinary nylon ones. They may have a lining of open mesh knit which can be kept or cut out. I would expect you would find a fair range of colours and styles, all for less than $10.

Cheers

Roger,

"Otherwise, can I suggest you go to the nearest discount store and buy some synthetic track pants?"

We're married. We can roll like that. Max is a bachelor. I'll go out on a limb and presume he doesn't want clothing that will double as birth control :)

Edit to explain that Roger and I aren't married to each other….. just sayin'

Haha, good point Ian. But may i humbly suggest, that for Max's long term good, he doesn't want a Lass so shallow as to judge him on the quality of his pants. Besides, most likely, what she will be looking at, is the bulge anyways. Wow, two pee pee jokes in one day, what's up… with that?

Looking at Roger's avatar may lead you to take his fashion advice with a bit of caution.

Mark,

Thanks for that link. I read his site for an hour, then bought his book.

Just about every brand makes something like this:

http://marmot.com/products/cruz_pant

Very lightweight, soft "peached" nylon fabric. I bought a pair of these for fall hiking, but have ended up getting several pair and they are my regular kick around long pants — replacing cotton khakis. Not very dressy, but dressy enough to wear out to dinner. Pack down to nothing. My only complaint is that they tend to wrinkle a bit.

My current favorite are the pricy arcteryx rampart pants. the fabric is a very light nylon with a bit of stretch which is very cool wearing dries very quickly, and fit is perfect (for me). They do have thigh pockets, but they are very discrete. Rail Rider's Back country Khakis might be a good option. Historically there were a lot of good options, but most now have thight pockets which are fairly noticeable which I think disqualifies them for business casual. You notice indicates that this isn't a deal breaker, so I would also suggest Royal Robbins Global Traveler Pants and ex officio Nomad Pants. I generally can find something decent at sierra trading post. I wait until I can find something that's at least 40% off retail. The other thing work a look is campmor's house brand nylon pants tends to be decent and very reasonably priced, especially when they go one sale which is fairly frequently.

–mark

Check out whatever Outdoor Research has at the moment. They stray from big cargo pockets and tend to have less baggy cuts.

Done. Thanks Dale. Can't beat the OR Treadway Convert pants for $60 and 8.3oz. Fit looks great.

Thanks! I'll let everyone know how they work.

I travel overseas for work about 50% of the time and I use these and really like them.

http://www.rei.com/product/844608/rei-adventures-pants-mens-32-inseam

I have 2 pair and actually wear them to work. LOVE them. Admittedly, my workplace's dress code is (thankfully) fairly casual, but I have had several people comment on how much they like the pants, without anyone ever asking if they were "hiking pants" :)

Only negative is that they only come in 3 colors and I really do not like the brown.

I personally hate convertibles of any brand, so cannot comment on that variation of the Zions.

I'm a pretty lanky fellow, 28×32 slim fit jeans. They don't look like normal pants, but I love Montbell stretch windpants. They don't make them anymore, but I stockpiled a few pair and they seem to last forever. The only other Montbell pants I've tried are the UL windpants, so I can't comment on their khaki looking outdoorsy pants.
Maybe keep an eye out.

Max, you're in my home territory!

I think you should check out the Patagonia Rock Craft pants. The Patagonia Meatpacking store on 14th will probably have them.

The other good ones I like are the Prana Zion Stretch, which REI in SoHo should have in stock.

If they need not be khaki, the REI Acme Pants have been a long time favorite with me. I think they are discontinued this year but the Mistral pants are nearly identical save for the Schoeller Dryskin Extreme softshell fabric.

Finally, Paragon Sports is always a good place to drop by: they have a great selection of stuff and occasionally awesome sale prices.

If you'll still be looking while in NYC, check out Tent & Trails by Church St/Park Pl. Their selection of pants on sale was great last time I was there, picked up a pair of long, slim, simple looking Millet pants that I need for use similar to yours.

i think they have a broader wear range compared to the acme pants which are made of a heavier fabric.