PANTS (warm weather, on-trail)

[ctf]

I’ve been pleased with the Eddie Bauer Guide pants.

I’d love to try some of the options above, but most of them seem to cap their inseam at 32″ or less. I typically wear a 34×36 and can make some 34 inch inseam pants work, but there is a notable lack of options for the long legged. OR Ferrosi pants are nice if you can get them, but the long inseam options are often out of stock.

[Ethan A.]

(Note I haven’t read other comments yet and looking forward to reading them tomorrow, so don’t know if this came up already). By far the coolest, most breathable hot and humid weather hiking pants I have are a hot weather nylon fishing pant made by Patagonia in light stone color. The Ms. has the same pair and she feels the same. Can’t remember the model name but can try to look it up. Also dries super fast (I also wear it kayaking in hot weather). It has less stretch than typical hiking pants with spandex because the addition of spandex makes pants hotter. For hot weather these pants are better than all other Patagonia hiking pants that typically have 6% spandex. Hiking pants with similar % spandex from other brands are also hotter.

Another pair of Patagonia hiking pants I have with 6% spandex are good for less hot, less humid weather.

[matthew k]

Interesting. I wonder if you are referring to the Sandy Cay pants? https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-sandy-cay-pants/82092.html?cgid=sport-fly-fishing-mens-pants-shorts

[Ethan A.]

Matthew, I checked, they are indeed the Sandy Cay Pants. Light yet strong-for-the-weight, quick-drying and cool, without the spandex of most hiking pants (usually 6-8% spandex). Just make sure you get a pair that fits you. They are the pants I reach for on very hot or hot and humid days. Note mine are years old, check if the current model is the same.

[Tom K]

Pretty hard to go wrong with Montane Terras – durable, quick drying, mesh side panels on the thighs that zip up/down, lightweight cordura panels on the butt and lower legs to increase durability.  I’ve worn the same pair for ~12 years of on and off trail hiking, and they still have a couple years left in them.

https://us.montane.com/collections/mens-terra-pants-collection/products/montane-mens-terra-pants

 

[Fred J]

I really like Kuiu attack Pants.  The thigh zippers are a great thing to have on any hiking pant.  The Attack pant are great for anything but hot weather.  The Kuiu Tiburon pant is great for hot weather.  They are the only technical pants I’ve used for the last ten years.

[bradmacmt]

I’ve been pleased with the Eddie Bauer Guide pants.

What do these weigh?

[LARRY W]

I appreciate this thread and have been trying on some. I ordered the EX Officio sandfly pants also and also found they hang too low at the crotch. Mathew said it was a high waist that causes that but unless it was cold and I had long underwear on that would annoy me to distraction. I already own the OR astro pants. They are excellent but still have a couple weak points. The drawstring is kinda ridiculous but you can make it work. And it has a false fly. If your gonna put a fly on make it a real one. I’m going to resew it so it has an opening and then add kamsnaps. Then it will let air in with each step. Ah:) Also the pockets pouch out which makes me paranoid things might fall out. I could Kamsnap those or better yet add a zipper.

I also use the Patty terrabones but mostly just walking or jogging. I think the astros are slightly better. Anyone tried the altivia pants. 14% spandex and 11 oz. so guess not for warmer weather.

OR ferrosi is good and better featured but the astro is cooler. and lighter. Astro has the ferrosi material in the back.

Prana in general run hotter. Zion or the brion. I imagine the stretch Zion are even warmer. They are all nice looking though. And other wise functional.

Kuhl Renegade are the toughest pants I own and I really like them. But they are also warmer to wear. Also, at least on mine the snap at the waist pops open when I squat down. Annoying.

Living in a hot climate my focus is also on overheating but hiking pants also need to be durable. The reference to pants with thigh zippers to vent heat sounds intriguing. Something moderately tough but not too hot and with mechanical venting. Might get a funny tan line. I assume they ditch the mesh so straight air flow. Mesh if anyone could do it right would be second best and better for insect control.

Ok, get to sewing up those frankenpants.

[Link .]

. OUR TOP CHOICES OF HIKING PANTS BY ALAN DIXON he gives weights for men’s and women’s versions of the Eddie Bauer Guide pants.

[matthew k]

Altivia

I just returned a pair of those. They felt warm indoors with air conditioning turned on. Also the zipper situation at the cuff added weird weight down there. Not my thing.

Patagonia Quandrys are nice. I’m keeping them. Good fit. Fabric is relatively breathable using the nonscientific blow-through-the-fabric test. Good crotch gusset. Pockets are relatively deep. There’s a drawstring (yay) but it stretches too easily to be useful (boo). I’ll wear them on long hike Tuesday.

I did not care for these when hiking. They are tight on my hips/upper thighs in a way that I did not care for. It didn’t limit movement but I felt aware of fabric pushing on me with every step. I think these will be great casual pants for in town but not the hiking pants I was hoping for.

I have some Sandy Cays on the way. I suspect Ethan is onto something about avoiding any spandex for maximum breathability.

[JCH]

Funny…I liked the fit and really everything about of the ExOfficio Sandflys, but I like my hiking pants a little baggy.  Only improvement I would make is an elastic waist.

[Fred J]

The Tiburons weigh 12 ounces.

[Justin W]

Just a general note and point:  Sans mesh inserts and the like, it is not possible to get highly breathable and mosquito proof at the same time. Being mosquito proof necessitates a certain tightness of weave, which will cut down on breathability.

If someone is primarily hiking on trails though, the other option is one I’ve used plenty.  Unless the UV is really strong or its cold and windy, I tend to wear shorts, but if there is also mozzies, I just wear baggy mosquito netting oven them or over some truly highly breathable pants (UV). A lot of the pants that people are recommending here would be great for out west (generally lower humidity), but not so good for the southeast imo/e.

Not fashionable I suppose, but works. They don’t weigh much, and they can double as sort of fishnet baselayer in cool and wet conditions when worn underneath another layer (i.e. they put a bit of mostly free air space between your skin and the next layer of fabric).

When I was in Alaska and experienced some truly horrendous mozzie conditions, I was really grateful for the netting I had brought, especially since there was a simultaneous unusual heat wave. (imagine clouds of mosquitoes surrounding you).  I would have been miserable in all single layer truly mosquito resistant clothes with the high heat and humidity going on.  Instead I had a well worn, long sleeve flax linen shirt with baggy netting top, a wide brimmed hat with head net, and shorts with baggy netting bottoms over.

[Bruce M]

These are the most comfortable pants I own. Craghoppers Kiwi Classic II   Bought them for hiking, but when the MidAtlantic sweat soaked summer heat switch is on, I wear them all the time. Loose fit. Yeah  they do have a lot of pockets, but I use them.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174554085612?var=474009700525

[Author]

Posts