An all-round, versatile travel pant is crucial for my lifestyle. If you–like me–go from hiking and trekking to airport lounges and city tours, you need a pant you can pack and know it will be there for all situations. Enter the ExOfficio Kukura Pant.
This pant is flattering, comfortable, durable, and stylish. Honestly, I love how ExOfficio dumbs down the travel style process for me, so that anything I wear from their women’s line looks good! The Kukura is a technical performance pant, which means it is water resistant, spill resistant and SPF 50. It has four-way stretch fabric that makes hiking, light climbing, and walking a breeze (plus this feature makes the pant super comfortable when sitting for long periods of time on airplanes or in cars). The waist has a stretch waistband, too, so it won’t bunch under a backpack, whether that pack is a daypack or a multi-day affair.
For the travel side of your plans, the Kukura has two security zip pockets to keep small essentials safe. One is located on the back of the pant (the other back pocket is non-zip) and one is on the upper thigh. The nylon and spandex blend is tough as nails–I’ve never had it rip or tear–and the pant features ExOfficio’s Indestructible Button System…a good thing, since I don’t sew (even buttons onto pants).
The fit is mid-rise, and the pant comes in regular or petite. I’ve found the petite to fit my very nicely off the rack (I’m 5’4″). The Kukura is slim-fitting in a flattering way, and snug without being tight. I suppose I can thank the spandex for that. The bottom of the pant flares very slightly, and I’ve worn the Kukura with hiking boots, sandals, and travel sneakers alike. I’m sure it could also be worn with winter boots, when that water resistance feature would come in handy. In fact, I’ll test that theory during a trip to Europe in December, and in the meantime, the Kukura will be along for the ride on trips to hike in both the Black Hills of South Dakota and Breckenridge, Colorado.
Pick up the Kukura on ExOfficio for $80 in black, dusk (which is more of a light blue) and slate. I absolutely love the black…goes with anything in my closet! The value of this pant is tremendous: it’s definitely a multi-use item to have in your closet and in your suitcase. It comes in sizes 2 through 16. There’s a men’s version, too, guys. Find the Kukura for a few bucks less on Amazon, in all colors and sizes, and on Backcountry.