Cover Your Butt - The Best Hiking Pants for Backpackers

In this video:

My go-to backpacking equipment:

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In today's video, we are talking about pants. I have highlighted three different types of hiking pants, all of which differ in their material and usage. These pants also vary in the types of environments they are good for, which is something that is very important on your hiking and backpacking adventures.

[scottm]

Nice video. Please allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment though: for those who want a great performance pant that runs 50 bucks cheaper than the high end manufacturers, Wrangler Outdoor Stretch zip cargo pants are a nylon/spandex blend, have seven pockets, are durable, are priced at $22.98 and are easily found at godawful Walmart and Amazon. You won't get invited to anyone's cotillion or the country club if you are caught wearing them, but you will certainly get a great pair of affordable pants that destroys anyone's excuse for wearing denim on the trail. Thanks again for a great video, Eric.

[LeakyWadersAdventureClub]

Fjallraven makes great stuff. Love their paints. Their g1000 fabric is great and can be waxed for added water resistance. Great brand to look into for anyone in the market..

[scottgtit]

So I must say while I have all kinds of name brand gear, surprisingly my favorite hiking pants are Amazon specials... Postropaky. They are like 35 bucks I think. Super stretchy, comfy, well thought out, durable, water resistant.... They are awesome. My name brand pants tend to stay in the drawer....

[Brad-]

I'm in 🇨🇦 and I've been trying out the British company mountain Warehouse that opened here a few yrs ago and I realy like their cargo style pants for trekking, decent quality and and you can get them at a great price as the have great sale discounts .being cold weather here I love the winter pants w fleece lining . Just a tip for frugal ppl like me 😁. cheers mate !

[TheBeatenPaths]

I'll never give up on my Fjallravens. I'm an outdoorsman and I work in the trades. Fjallraven have Carhartt beat all day. And light enough to wear hiking.
Yes, you pay for them, but they'll outlast 5 pairs of Carhartts. Buy once, cry once.

[kenwebster]

My hiking pants are and always have been heavy weight polycotton workwear. Why, you ask? Because I live in Australia and mostly hike solo and also fly fish in the back country where I encounter lots of snakes. Most Australian snakes have fairly short fangs that have difficulty penetrating thick loose fabric, so I wear the cuffs free to increase the chance of a snake strike only finding a mouthful of thick cloth with no flesh in it. I also wear heavy gaiters under the pants when predominantly around streams, such as when fly fishing or just navigation the terrain. This provides added snake protection. As this is a hiking channel, you may not be aware that many fly fishers wear specialised wading boots and wet wade, particularly in warm weather which we have lots of in Australia. So, the heavy fabric is not a thermal issue, I just wade & get the pant legs wet which then provides extensive evaporative cooling when not wading, simple & obvious isn't it. Of course, getting wet right before setting up for the night is to be avoided but that is no problem at all. I have seen loads of very venomous shakes, a few have has a go bit zero contact so far. It's a system that works. Any time you are near water in Australia in summer, you need to be extra vigilant about this because if bitten, you have to apply a an shake bandage, set off a PLB and stay put and wait for assistance. Any attempt to to self rescue is just going to pump venom through your system with fatal consequences. A PLB is your only chance for survival from a fatal bite. You or your group must have one on every walk.

[justo]

I got a pair of Ferrosi pants earlier this year and they are sized HUGE. I've re-ordered another pair cos I like them, but this time 2 sizes smaller than usual for me.

[rivercitymetaldetecting]

For hiking I own 5 pair of Prana Stretch Zions. 3 of which are convertible.

I also have a pair of Fjallraven Kebs(Jacket as well.)

Climbing Arcteryx Psiphon AR which are sadly discontinued and the Alpha AR 100D(Alpha SV jacket as well) when things get spicy.

[Glenbard]

I have used the OR Ferrosi pants quite extensively and can vouch for their comfort and durability. I wouldn’t hike with anything else. They are not for very cold weather but I tend to be really hot…. So they’re great when you want the bug protection of a full pant but something that will be cool on your legs like shorts. 10/10.

[JarradShaw]

I just got Outdoor Vitals Satu pants. Kinda in between slim and regular fit. Ventilation on the sides. A lil extra tightener on the waist, and some other nice touches. But… not cheap. They’re So comfy and look great. Even worn them on sales trips, lol. But… that price.

[MaylesTrails]

Patagonia Terrebone joggers is the correct answer for 3 season hiking / backpacking. Comfortable, extremely lightweight and packable, and quick drying.

[fernandomunguia]

My go to pants are the Arc'teryx Gamma AR for most of the year and Sigma SL for the summer. Both are so comfortable and look great.

[bottomlinebassin]

For me, it's the Vertex Stretch LT and the Wrangler ATG outdoor pants.

[olegoathiking]

I've been testing out LL Beans Cresta Hiking Pant for the last three months. I bought them on sale $54.99. Stretchy, comfortable, light weight, water resistant, and blocks the wind. Of course, when it's cold, so are the pants. Solution - my fleece pants underneath (you can buy them fleece lined also). I also used the poly-pros on under everything one really cold day. These are really great pants.

[ronaldrose]

Hello 👋 Eric, thank you for sharing this great review. I'm in the market for new trousers for the backcountry. All the best to you. Stay safe out there. 🤗

[brockjensen]

Duluth Flexpadition, First Lite Corrigate Guide, and Prana Zion Stretch. My top 3.

[ervalkat]

Thanks for this review! I ordered the Coalatree pants after your review, using your link. Can't wait to try them!

[axiom]

Love the vid! I have also been using the trailhead pant by coalatree, I have snagged these on giant thistle bushes and jagged rocks while climbing and still haven’t gotten one tear! Very happy with there durability! Also, I never knew it before but they can fold up into the front pocket for space saving 🤙🏼

[frstesiste]

IMO these are great designs for dayhikes and shorter overnight trips and all round use, but for long distance hiking I prefer pants with no pockets or belt loops that can create blisters under a hip belt.

[monkeymox]

When you find a video three days after buying new gear... oh well, still very informative and useful! I've had a pair of cheap craghopper trousers for about ten years, but I tore them recently and thought I'd treat myself to something a bit nicer. They were perfectly good trousers though, very hard wearing, quick-drying and lots of pockets, I had thousands of miles on them. I've just replaced them with Montaine Terra and I'm happy so far after one day out, good ventilation and they feel like they give good manoeuvrability, the only downside is that I'm going to miss having a huge map pocket.