View Full Version : Hiking Pants
http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Mens-Aruba-III-Pant/dp/B0031U0AF6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Convertable, synthetic, low cost, mesh briefs. They seem like great pants. Anybody have any personal experience with similar pants, or have an alternative?
flemdawg1
05-16-2011, 16:25
Mesh breifs can be like a cheese grater on your junk if you've never tried it. Beware.
Toolshed
05-16-2011, 16:55
I have had bad, bad experience with columbia pants/shorts with built-in lliners. The edges are not smooth and ball up/wrinkly up between your groin and inside top of your thigh, causing massive red irritation, very painful..
I would stick with a better product like Ex-Officia. May cost more, but when you are miles out in the puckerbrush, the extra $20-$30 you saved suddenly doesn't seem to help much.
I also wholeheartedly agree with the cheese grater comments...
I hike in a pair of NorthFace cargo style shorts with the mesh liner and built in web belt (since discontinued). Never had the problem flemdawg1 mentioned.
May just try a kilt next time.
Check out the American Sportsman, nylon convertable from Bass Pro. $24.95. Mesh liner cuts out easily...
Ditto Flemdawg's and Toolshed's points. Felt like syphalis. Not that I would know what syphalis irritation is like. I don't know if it's the sized holes of the mesh, construction methods, mesh material, etc but it was irritating on the junk with the Columbia Silver Ridge and Aruba style convertibles. EMS, Ex Officio, even TNF make better designed convertibles in the same general price range. I'm not so keen on Columbia's seam sewing either.
Sorry. the Columbia Silver Ridge don't have a mesh brief!
I hiked with the Columbia Aruba pants for nine days on GA/NC portions of the AT last October. They worked great. The built-in briefs felt really comfortable on that trip, but I have not yet hiked in them in high temperatures and humidity. These pants (and others with built-in briefs, I presume) have no fly, and that took a little getting used to.
Jonnycat
05-16-2011, 21:59
Mesh breifs can be like a cheese grater on your junk if you've never tried it. Beware.
Last pair of nylon convertables I bought had the liner, which I cut out before I ever wore them.
I'm due for another pair this year, and I'm gong to spring for the eco-mesh pants, since I only used the convertables as shorts on one occasion.
Majortrauma
05-17-2011, 13:28
Or you can wear a kilt.
Jonnycat
05-17-2011, 13:38
Or you can wear a kilt.
Too many bugs.
Kerosene
05-17-2011, 13:59
I really love the Thorofare Trekking Pants (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/thorofare_trekking_pant.html) that I purchased from BackpackingLight.com. Just a tad expensive at ~$60 at closeout, but incredibly durable for a 4 ounce pant (most convertible pants weigh over 13 ounces).
Bare Bear
05-17-2011, 15:22
I had one horrible day with the mesh liner then cut it out, never again.