Yeah, I know, I’ve heard all the reasons why these travel pants that convert to shorts are not for cool people. If you’re part of the fashion police brigade, you can ignore this review of ExOfficio’s version.
For everyone else—and judging by what I see on the road “everyone else” is a whole lot of people—these Nio Amphi ones are the top shelf version of this adventure travel staple. But first, if these convertible pants are so dorky, why are they so popular?
There’s one primary reason: one less item to pack. Here at Practical Travel Gear we believe in packing light and one of the best ways to pull that off is by choosing a lot of double-duty gear. These pants are exhibit A in that strategy. They’re pants when you need pants, but the legs zip off and they’re shorts when you need shorts. Handy on a hike or when you’re a man in a country where men don’t wear shorts (which is, unfortunately, most of the world). Pants by day, shorts by night in the hostel or guesthouse.
The ExOfficio Nio Amphi ones make the packing even easier by being super-light and wrinkle free. They weigh about half what a couple cheaper pairs I have weigh and they feel nicer on the skin as well. Their tag line says they “dry faster than you can say ‘amphibious’” and while that may be stretching it, I’ve repeatedly found them to dry in less than an hour on an outdoor clothesline—impressive.
These travel pants are water resistant and stain resistant and in my experience they still look like new after multiple trips and washings—both in the sink and in a machine. They’re light and wispy, but still pack a 30SPF sun protection.
As with most ExOfficio products, there are a lot of little details that set these apart. There’s a nice built-in woven nylon belt that can be removed, there are flaps covering the zippers on the legs when the bottom parts are removed, and there’s a soft liner around the waist to make them more comfortable. You want pockets? These pants have so many pockets you could stash your money in seven different places if you wanted, including two zippered back pockets, a couple that close with Velcro, and some secret stash pockets for change or bills.
The ExOfficio Nio Amphi pants come in three colors and multiple sizes for men and two colors for women. The list price is $75, but less popular colors and sizes sometimes get discounted to move them out the door.
Free Shipping On Orders Over $50 at ExOfficio.com
See the ExOfficio Nio Amphi Women’s version at Backcountry.com
