3 Men’s Pants for Happier Hiking

Still hiking in denim?  Sure, jeans look hip, but hip-to-toe they restrict your range of motion and soak up sweat.  Active Junky-approved legwear moves as you do, enabling longer days on happier, dryer legs.

Kuhl Radikl: For Lumberjacks and Yoga Rats.

Kuhl Radikl

Stroll from the lumberyard to the studio without ever changing your pants.  The Radikl combines yoga-pant comfort—stretchy synthetic panels line the thigh’s edges, front and rear pockets, crotch and articulated knees—with a burly “exoskeleton” of woven cotton/synthetic blend fabric.

This may be the first thing that lumberjacks and yoga rats can agree on: these pants are truly Radikl.

Best For: Sun salutations, hard physical labor, hiking.

prAna Stretch Zion Shorts: On the Road to Zion

prAna Stretch Zion Shorts

Belts and backpacks, longtime notorious adversaries, have finally made amends.  The Stretch Zion Shorts integrate an unobtrusive front snap with a discreet cinch-belt, so your backpack’s hip belt can tighten without painful pinching and bunching.  A gusseted, ventilated crotch cools you on hot days, while ample pocket space allows for well-stocked day hikes. 

Eight color options provide easy on-trail camouflage, so you can scare the sweat-soaked pants off your overheated companions.

Convertible and full pant models also available.

Best For: Hot weather hiking, city slicking, bunch-free backpacking.

Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Pant: Still a Thing

Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Pant

The sun bursts through the clouds and: zip, zip, ahh!  A theme song for happy calves.  Quick-dry fabric wicks sweat and high UPF ratings keep your legs protected from the sun on blistering days.

We know.  Zip-offs were hip in the 90’s.  But when it comes to cutting ounces, nothing beats two-in-ones, and Silver Ridge leads the pack in comfort, durability, weight and value.  Ounce-shedding, minimalist design means a slightly slimmer fit, so volume-hungry pocket-lovers look elsewhere. 

The 90’s were weird, but zip-offs are still a thing.  Accept it.

Best For: Function-hounds, ounce-counters, fashion gurus.