Posts Tagged travel pants
Convertible Travel Pants from Mountain Khakis
We’ve checked out quite a few versions of convertible travel pants from multiple brands here on Practical Travel Gear. These double-duty items are a backpacker staple and you’ll see more than a few upscale adventure travelers wearing them too.
Sure, they’re a little dorky, even when they come from a rugged brand name like Mountain Khakis, but they come in handy in a whole lot of circumstances. For instance when you’re going on a hike that starts out at freezing in the morning and gets to a balmy, or downright hot, temperature by the afternoon. Zip off the legs, stuff them in your pack. Or in countries where it’s unheard of—or even downright rude—to wear shorts in public. Pants by day outside, shorts by night in your hotel/hostel/guesthouse. Or a place where mosquitoes don’t bite during the day, but they turn into voracious hunters when the sun goes down.
Whatever the reason, these also help you stay under that low weight limit on prop planes in Central America and Africa and on those European budget airlines with ease. Two clothing items in one.
Mountain Khakis has their own spin to the style with their Granite Creek Convertible Pant. It’s a departure from the heavy khaki roots of this Wyoming-based company since you’re obviously going to travel with these and they need to be light. They weigh in at 6.3 ounces, which is certainly not going to be much of a factor in your packing weight.
True to the brand, these feel strong and rugged, however, like they’re going to last you for a decade. They’re made of brushed nylon that’s quick drying, wicking, and provides UPF 50 sun protection. The tag and listing on their website say they’re treated with Scotchgard protection to make them water repellent, though my demo pair was apparently out sick the day that got applied. Mine dried super-quickly, but they soaked through from the start when I ran water tests. (If you get a pair of pants where something is not right though, the company has a one-year warranty.) These come with real metal zippers, a metal button to close the fly, and Velcro on one pocket. There are also 10-inch zippers on the leg flaps so you can get these off without removing your shoes. I’ve missed that on some other ones I’ve tried.
These being travel pants, there are pockets galore: two regular side pockets, one square pocket on the leg, a secret zippered pocket inside that, and another zippered pocket on the other side. Plus another one on the back. You can stash a lot of goodies in these. Note that these are regular pants secured with a belt—not drawstring or elastic ones. A lot of people prefer that, but be aware if you’re looking for ones without loops.
Follow this link for a full description and a look at the four color choices on the company website. A women’s version is coming next year, but you can get non-convertible Granite Creek travel pants for women now. They list for $90. Check prices on the Mountain Khakis Granite Creek Convertible Pant at Backcountry or at Altrec.com.
* Giveaway time! If you’re such a cool guy that you can get away with wearing green pants (or you’re a local rock star who needs stage attire), I’ve got some pants for you. MK sent me some nice Lake Lodge Twill Pants that don’t fit me. They’ve got a 32-inch waist and a 32-inch inseam. If that’s close to what you wear, click on that link and under color pick “Mint Julep.” If you can see those pants on your legs and live in the U.S., leave a comment below. On September 8, if there’s more than one reader who fits the description, I’ll pick a name at random and get in touch for a shipping address.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on August 25th, 2011
A Year of Travel Gear
For the past year I’ve been living at 6,500 feet in central Mexico, in a historic colonial city that involves lots of climbing up hills, stairs, and cobblestone streets. In that time I’ve also traveled to a dozen other places in Mexico, and to Sedona, Salt Lake City, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, and Peru. I’ve used and abused a lot of gear during that time, so here’s a look at what was really useful and what held up well.
I’ve been wearing travel pants at least half the time, whether I was traveling or not, because they’re lightweight and were easy to carry down in a suitcase. The Titanium Expedition ones from Colombia Sportswear I reviewed a while back held up well except around the back pocket, where the ironed-on pocket glue gave out after a while. The ExOfficio Altyn ones did better and if I hadn’t spilled chili-laced food on them now and then, they would still look practically new—even though I’ve had them since spring of 2009. Their FlexCord corduroy pants I wore all winter still do look new.
I’ve worn my North Face Gore-tex hooded coat through two rainy seasons now and it has never let me down. Through drizzles and downpours, it keeps me dry without making me bake inside.
I’ve plowed through a lot of shoes in the past year, some I’ve stuck with long after I was reviewing them, others I’ve loved less as time went on. The hiking shoes I like enough to take home with me are my Hi-tec Viper Trail Ultra ones. Besides those, the footwear that’s gotten the best workout is probably the pair of Keen Rockaway sandals I wore 9 months out of 12 and took on a few trips. They’re comfy, even after walking around all day, my feet stay cool, and they look good.
Every bag and piece of luggage I brought with me and used repeatedly has held up well and all of it’s going back with me, so no complaints there. High marks for Eagle Creek, Tom Bihn, Kelty, and Osprey. All the Sea to Summit accessories are still going strong too, like this little toiletry kit I take with me every time I’m going carry-on only.
Somebody stole my Victorinox Swiss Army knife out of a checked back somewhere in the Mexico City airport, but I can’t really complain since my mom got it for me before my first round-the-world journey in, oh, 1993? Not bad for something that retails for $22 at Backcountry.com.
There’s a rattan crushable hat from Tilley that I’ve worn all year in the high altitude Mexican sun, but the company ended up killing off the product before I even got to review it. It’s a testament to the quality of their goods though that this one has kept its shape that whole time and still looks great. It’s hard to go wrong with Tilley hats.
And of course no gear round-up would be complete without three items I take on almost every single trip: my SteriPen Opti water purifier, my Callpod Chargepod for keeping the gadgets going, and my Kangaroom pouch for keeping all those gadgets and cords in once place.
Got wanderlust? Check out our sister pub Perceptive Travel for the best travel stories from wandering book authors.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on July 13th, 2011
Beach Clothing for Women – Friends of the Reef
A while back I reviewed a batch of Friends of the Reef beach-ready clothing for men. Some of their line is unisex (like the microfiber bucket hat that my daughter likes), so the lines are kind of blurred, but here are a few items that the female tester of the house has been trying out.
Friends of the Reef, based on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, sells the kind of lightweight, easy-care, casual clothing you see happy people wearing on seaside vacations.
If you’ve been in Southeast Asia, you’ve seen this first item adorning the bottom half of many a traveler: the Thai fisherman pants. Thai fishermen don’t actually wear them much anymore, preferring to don western clothes while we don theirs, but these are great travel pants. They adjust to your size (whatever that may be), they let air circulate, and you can cram them into a backpack without worrying that they’ll look bad after. This Mexican-made version is unisex, but if you ask me they look a lot better on women. Unlike the ones you buy in Thailand, these come with instructions on how to properly put them on and tie them—or there’s a video on the website. They come in black or white and are $33.
A pair of FOTR Microfiber Cargo Pants have been a big hit. These are like capri pants with extra pockets. They’re super-lightweight and dry quickly, so they’re great to pack for travel. They list for $42 and come in green or sand.
It’s not all bottoms though. My tester also dug this V-neck Cotton Cross Top that’s just 22 bucks. It lives up to its “flattering to the figure” claim and can work in multiple wardrobe situations when traveling—always a plus. It comes in black or white. (No, that’s not my wife in the photo, but she does do yoga…)
If you’re vacationing in Cancun or the Riviera Maya, you’ll find Friends of the Reef clothing in many stores there, all of it at very reasonable prices. If you won’t be heading there anytime soon though, you can still order direct from www.FriendsoftheReef.com. There they offer clearance sales, bucket hats at 2 for $20, and reduced prices on matching coordinates.
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Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on June 23rd, 2011
Friends of the Reef Beach Clothing for Men
We review a lot of double-duty travel gear for multiple conditions and climates, but hey, sometimes you just need to pack some beach clothes and that’s it. Next time you’re heading to the Caribbean Coast of Mexico, check into a store carrying the Mexican-made Friends of the Reef line. You’ll find some excellent travel clothing for warm climates. Lightweight, comfy, and good-looking—what else do you need for toes-in-the-sand time?
I’ve been wearing around two items of theirs that will be staples when I’m packing for hot weather. The first one is this pair of Basic Nylon Beach Pants. They’re unisex, with a drawstring at the top and ample pockets, available in four colors. The pants have two nifty features I like. First, that little button you see on the side is for when it’s time to take a walk in the surf without changing into a bathing suit. You just roll them up, button them in place with the tab, and you’re all set for a romantic stroll on the beach. You’ll look like you hopped straight out of a resort brochure.
The other nice touch is that these come with their own little pouch for packing. Despite all the travel pants I’ve reviewed, this was a first for me and I liked it. It make these easier to pack and easier to locate in my bag. Since the pants are made out of wrinkle-resistant nylon, they still looked fine when I took them out and put them on. These Basic Nylon Pants have a retail price of $35.
Going with these perfectly well is the Basic Nylon Beach Shirt, which is equally lightweight. It has venting like you see on the back shot, with mesh underneath for extra circulation. Two pockets are secured with Velcro. Be advised this shirt is sized really large though: the “small” is for a 46-inch chest, so I went with that and it’s still more than roomy. Apart from that, my only beef is that whoever sewed the buttonholes had a few too many Coronas the night before. They weren’t finished well and have frayed from the start. Not worth getting too bothered about as they still open and close fine, but check the buttonholes first if buying one of these in person. Hopefully my seamstress was just having a bad day.
Otherwise, this shirt feels more expensive than its $37 list price and it’s great for travel: fast-drying, wicking, and weighing next to nothing. It comes in five colors, including white.
Follow this link for where to find Friends of the Reef wear in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, or order online at their website. Stay tuned for a review of some of their items for women in a few weeks.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on June 1st, 2011
Mountain Khakis Women’s Cargo Capri
My colleague Tim sang the praises of his flannel lined Mountain Khakis a few weeks ago. I had the chance to try out some Mountain Khakis pants for warmer weather when I was in Hawaii recently, specifically the best-selling Women’s Cargo Capri. Like the pair Tim tested, these are no flimsy pants; they are made with stout, durable cotton twill. In fact, I likely wouldn’t bring them on too many tropical vacations in humid climes — but for the cool-ish, pine-tree-covered interior of Lānaʻi, where I was a couple weeks ago, they were perfect for an afternoon of browsing and eating in the tiny six-block downtown.
The pants are medium rise — sitting just below the waist — which is ideal for this 40-something mother of two who has no interest in sharing my muffin top or anything else with the world (too low-rise, and I’m flat-out uncomfortable, and constantly hitching up my pants).
I like the squared-off, angled pockets in the front, as well as the cargo pocket on one pant leg — convenient for slipping a small point-and-shoot camera, hotel key, lip balm and the like. The two button-flap back pockets are totally flattering to the backside. The legs are wide, which is great for my thighs, but if you have thin legs, you may find the pants too roomy in the thigh.
According to washing directions, the capris are pre-washed to “stabilize sizing,” but I’ve only line-dried mine. The fit is perfect on me right now (and the sizing is true to size), and I don’t want to risk them shrinking at all. The Women’s Cargo Capri comes in two colors — a warm Retro Khaki (shown right) or a cooler Willow (more white-ish grey).
I’m sure I’ll wear these capris all spring long at my Colorado home, as well as weekend jaunts nearby. I’m debating whether or not to pack them for an upcoming vacation to Mexico; as I mentioned, the fabric may be a tad too heavy to wear the pants comfortably in hot, humid weather. On the other hand, the Mountain Khakis Women’s Cargo Capri would make great plane pants, because they are soft and comfortable — and planes are notoriously chilly. I guess I’d just need to bring cozy socks to keep my ankles warm!
The Women’s Cargo Capri retail for $54.95 on the Mountain Khakis website; you may also find them on sale at Amazon.com.
Posted by Kara in General Gear on March 22nd, 2011
