When I need to pack lightweight hiking pants, I often opt for hiking tights. But recently, when I needed to switch up my routine, I tucked a pair of Jack Wolfskin Women’s Prelight Pants into my bag.
The pants are made with Texadri Stretch—a super-stretchy softshell fabric that’s 84% polyamide and 16% elastane. The highly-breathable material absorbs sweat quickly, wicking it away from the skin and distributing it over a large surface area to effectively increase the rate of evaporation. The Prelight Pants also meet bluesign criteria by using materials that are made of a minimum of 90% reused, recycled, or bluesign-approved fabrics.
If you’re hiking in a warm environment, but need sun protection, these pants provide UVA and UVB ray protection without additional chemicals. The lightweight nature of the fabric won’t make you mind wearing pants instead of shorts.
The fabric dries extremely quickly. I don’t need more than one pair, because I can wash them quickly in the hotel room sink at the end of the day, and they’ll be dry and ready to go in the morning when I wake up.
As a great second use while traveling, I’ve worn these pants while lounging around my campsite and hotel rooms, when I’m not using them for hiking. They’d also be good for wearing on the airplane, on your way to the next adventure.
The Prelight Pants have two zippered pockets where you can stash your important small items. The elastic waist and cuffs are comfortable, and ensure a personalized fit. When caring for the pants, wash them in cold water, dry with low heat (or air dry, because it doesn’t take long), and don’t bleach, iron, or dry clean.
The Women’s Prelight Pants come in “dolphin” (gray) and picnic green, and list for $99.95 on the Jack Wolfskin site.