Men's convertable hiking pants

[Drew1578]

Howdy -

I'll be leaving from Ferrol on May 5th and I'm slowing getting all my gear together. I was considering taking two pairs of shorts along with one pair of convertible pants (and a pair of rain pants) for the trip, but having spent the last couple of days researching what pants are out there (reviews, prices, etc.) I'm not sure if I want a pair. Every pair seems to have drawbacks (zippers, too snug, etc.) and I don't want to spend a lot of money on a pair of pants I'm not likely to really wear again. I'm a shorts kind of guy normally, but walking the Camino Ingles at the beginning of May it's probably more practical to just have long pants available.

I do have a pair of hiking pants (Columbia) that I might take instead of the convertible pants and I thought I could, if the day is cool in the morning and warmer in the afternoon, either change from the long pants into shorts or wear shorts under my rain pants. I tend to run warm anyway so once I get walking I'm probably get pretty warm - unless it's raining of course.

Any thoughts?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I brought two convertible pants with me for a summer CF. I only wore them as shorts once, for a swim. If I do another camino I likely will bring only one and a pair of long hiking pants. I'll wear the convertible when walking and then switch into the normal looking pants when in town. It took me a long time to find a pair of convertibles that felt good when worn long. About the only time I wear shorts is to prevent knee constriction when hiking a steep mountain trail.

Another thought: Read one of the kilt threads.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Drew, I only take two pair of shorts.

One pair of shorts are part of my REI Sahara zip off pants. These pants are good in that they are easy to convert, there are vertical zippers at the bottom of the pants legs that run about 9" which when unzipped allow one to put on and take of the pants or pant legs without having to remove footwear. The pants are among the lightest and they are quick drying.

Here's my line of reasoning that works well for me.

Most often the only shorts I walk in are the running shorts. The REI Sahara's are there as backup, and that works well because it also combines having a light pair of pants with the ability to convert into that extra set of shorts. Saves space and weight.

IF I were taking a non zip off pant like the the Columbia, then I would just rely on the one pair of shorts and use the pants as the back up. I would not take two pair of shorts PLUS the pants.

 

[RJM]

I have two pairs of convertible pants. A pair of Columbia and a pair of Kuhl brand. Both brands very good, the Kuhl's are a bit sturdier and more versatile and the Columbia's are lighter. Both have zippered pockets and a gusseted crotch. Must haves IMO. Both easy to zip on and off the leg portion. Takes like one minute to do so.
What I have done before is bring both sets as my total pants and shorts for walking the Camino. The Kuhl's have a slight edge for wearing during travel to and from the Camino. Something nicer of wearing a sturdier set when you travel.

 

[TMcA]

One pair of shorts with deep, zippered pockets
One pair of pants (convertible or not) with deep, zippered pockets
One set of tights (mine are black and fly-less)

The tights can be worn at night if the albergue is cold, under your shorts during the day if the weather is cold, or maybe even by themselves if your pants are drying on a line somewhere. They are light and easily compressible.

We departed from Pamplona on May 10, 2013 and the morning temps were below freezing on 5-6 days of our walk, so we layered up (tights included) on those cold mornings. The weather usually warmed up by noon on those days and we then stripped off our layers.

Buen camino.

Tom

 

[Drew1578]

Drew, I only take two pair of shorts.

One pair of shorts are part of my REI Sahara zip off pants. These pants are good in that they are easy to convert, there are vertical zippers at the bottom of the pants legs that run about 9" which when unzipped allow one to put on and take of the pants or pant legs without having to remove footwear. The pants are among the lightest and they are quick drying.

Here's my line of reasoning that works well for me.

Most often the only shorts I walk in are the running shorts. The REI Sahara's are there as backup, and that works well because it also combines having a light pair of pants with the ability to convert into that extra set of shorts. Saves space and weight.

IF I were taking a non zip off pant like the the Columbia, then I would just rely on the one pair of shorts and use the pants as the back up. I would not take two pair of shorts PLUS the pants.

Thanks - I'll swing by REI and check them out. I have been "training" in a pair of Brooks running shorts that are really comfortable. I did think about taking them instead of another pair of shorts.
Once I'm done with the Camino Ingles and spending a few days around Spain, I'll probably wear long pants anyway.

 

[Deleted member 43985]

Just a thought but if you're walking from Ferrol to SDC I'm not sure if you'll need so many pieces of (outer) clothing. Pretty sure if I was just walking 5-7 days I'd take the convertible pants and a poncho. If it's warm, zip of the legs and walk in shorts. If it's cold, leave the legs on. If it's cold with high winds, pants and poncho to cut the wind. If it's raining, pants and poncho and then zip off the legs at night to dry them while you wear the shorts out to dinner. For those few days you'll likely not even need to wash the pants, just the kit you wear underneath. Sometimes the joy of the Camino can be the simplicity it allows in your daily life

 

[Drew1578]

I have two pairs of convertible pants. A pair of Columbia and a pair of Kuhl brand. Both brands very good, the Kuhl's are a bit sturdier and more versatile and the Columbia's are lighter. Both have zippered pockets and a gusseted crotch. Must haves IMO. Both easy to zip on and off the leg portion. Takes like one minute to do so.
What I have done before is bring both sets as my total pants and shorts for walking the Camino. The Kuhl's have a slight edge for wearing during travel to and from the Camino. Something nicer of wearing a sturdier set when you travel.

Thanks for the feedback. I do plan on a few days in Spain sightseeing after the Camino so I do want something a bit dressier and I forgot about the flight over

 

[Drew1578]

Just a thought but if you're walking from Ferrol to SDC I'm not sure if you'll need so many pieces of (outer) clothing. Pretty sure if I was just walking 5-7 days I'd take the convertible pants and a poncho. If it's warm, zip of the legs and walk in shorts. If it's cold, leave the legs on. If it's cold with high winds, pants and poncho to cut the wind. If it's raining, pants and poncho and then zip off the legs at night to dry them while you wear the shorts out to dinner. For those few days you'll likely not even need to wash the pants, just the kit you wear underneath. Sometimes the joy of the Camino can be the simplicity it allows in your daily life

Yup - maybe I'm overthinking the whole thing...
I do need a pair of long pants afterwards as I'm sightseeing for a few days after the Camino.
Thanks.

 

[Drew1578]

Another thought: Read one of the kilt threads.

Um... I'm not sure I'm man enough to wear a kilt around the house much less in Spain...

 

[Dave2525]

I only had 2 pair. One convertible and one regular. The convertibles became my walking gear and the regular ones I wore at the end of the day and also for travelling/tourism before the Camino

 

[Drew1578]

One pair of shorts with deep, zippered pockets
One pair of pants (convertible or not) with deep, zippered pockets
One set of tights (mine are black and fly-less)

The tights can be worn at night if the albergue is cold, under your shorts during the day if the weather is cold, or maybe even by themselves if your pants are drying on a line somewhere. They are light and easily compressible.

We departed from Pamplona on May 10, 2013 and the morning temps were below freezing on 5-6 days of our walk, so we layered up (tights included) on those cold mornings. The weather usually warmed up by noon on those days and we then stripped off our layers.

Buen camino.

Tom

Thanks Tom -
I do plan on taking my SmartWool top and bottoms anyway as Galicia can get cold and rainy. I did consider my Brooks running shorts (which I've been using to train in) so your idea sounds great.

 

[Deleted member 397]

Convertible pants don't seem that logical to me. If you wear the shorts during the day and wash them in the arvo what's the point of having the legs while youre waiting for the shorts to dry? On my first camino on the second day someone was struggling to zip on one of the legs..several tried but the zip wouldn't budge....that's all he had so I don't know what he did.

 

[RJM]

Convertible pants don't seem that logical to me. If you wear the shorts during the day and wash them in the arvo what's the point of having the legs while youre waiting for the shorts to dry? On my first camino on the second day someone was struggling to zip on one of the legs..several tried but the zip wouldn't budge....that's all he had so I don't know what he did.

I think they are great because of the philosophy I try to have for everything I carry in my pack, and that is that they have more than one purpose, thus reducing weight and volume. There is considerable logic to traveling as light as possible on the Camino.
The convertible pants fill two roles. Long pants and shorts. Honestly I never gave thought to about the zipped off leg portions rolled up, in a pocket in my backpack, while the shorts portion were drying in the sun. It just wasn't something worth pondering. Also I never had an issue zipping them on and off. It requires little dexterity. Never had them get stuck. Actually for the most part I wore them in the shorts mode almost everyday when walking and turned them back into pants when it got chilly at night, or for just out and about in town.

 

[trecile]

I like the idea of bringing two identical pairs of zip off pants, but only bringing the bottom part of one pair to save weight. But I walk in a dress, so I'm not an expert in pants.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Convertible pants don't seem that logical to me. If you wear the shorts during the day and wash them in the arvo what's the point of having the legs while youre waiting for the shorts to dry? On my first camino on the second day someone was struggling to zip on one of the legs..several tried but the zip wouldn't budge....that's all he had so I don't know what he did.

Your point about waiting for the shorts to dry is no different then waiting for pants to dry; hopefully one has a second pair of pants or shorts to wear in the interim. I do; a pair of running shorts.

As for the zipper malfunction, I have not observed anything similar although, as you illustrated, it is possible. Then again, any bit of clothing or outerwear with a zipper has a potential for failure. I just don't find it a very high risk to be concerned with.

 

[JillGat]

Two pairs of shorts and a pair of convertible pants seems redundant to me. I can't imagine why anyone would need to bring more than one pair of shorts and possibly one pair of long pants. I only bring one pair of shorts, that I wear every day walking. If it's cold, I put my long underwear on under them. (I bring a lightweight dress to wear while the shorts are on the line, which may or may not be practical for you. After losing/forgetting my clothes on lines along the way the first time, I ended up with just one pair of shorts and one tee shirt. I picked up another tee shirt in an albergue Lost and Found box and I was good to go.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Two pairs of shorts and a pair of convertible pants seems redundant to me. I can't imagine why anyone would need to bring more than one pair of shorts and possibly one pair of long pants. I only bring one pair of shorts, that I wear every day walking. If it's cold, I put my long underwear on under them. . . . .

I agree

 

[Deleted member 397]

I agree

Me too..shorts during the walk...long pants after

 

[ortemio]

The only problem with the zip-convertible pants ( for hairy legs like me! ) is that when used as shorts the hairs above the knee get caught in the zipper and get pulled out. That is an ouchy! After a few days you have a no hair zone that looks funny.... But it is worth the pain to have them.

 

[Calvin & Hobbes]

Howdy -

I'll be leaving from Ferrol on May 5th and I'm slowing getting all my gear together. I was considering taking two pairs of shorts along with one pair of convertible pants (and a pair of rain pants) for the trip, but having spent the last couple of days researching what pants are out there (reviews, prices, etc.) I'm not sure if I want a pair. Every pair seems to have drawbacks (zippers, too snug, etc.) and I don't want to spend a lot of money on a pair of pants I'm not likely to really wear again. I'm a shorts kind of guy normally, but walking the Camino Ingles at the beginning of May it's probably more practical to just have long pants available.

I do have a pair of hiking pants (Columbia) that I might take instead of the convertible pants and I thought I could, if the day is cool in the morning and warmer in the afternoon, either change from the long pants into shorts or wear shorts under my rain pants. I tend to run warm anyway so once I get walking I'm probably get pretty warm - unless it's raining of course.

Any thoughts?

I took two pair of convertible pants and they served me well. I hiked the CF in Sept/Oct. There were many days I started with the legs on and removed them later in the day. Plus, you have your two pair of shorts built in.

 

[Bumpa]

Um... I'm not sure I'm man enough to wear a kilt around the house much less in Spain...

"A man in a kilt is a man and a half" - Unknown

 

[bobbogram]

Pants for anyone on the Camino, even traveling to and fro, can improve your experience. Flying from the US to start and on return, the aircraft can be cool and the zippered side pockets are more secure and handy for fetching something instead of the back pockets while en route.
While on the Camino, the zippered pockets keep you from losing things and the full length is a better defense for bugs, scratches while walking through brush, and sunburn. Never have only one of anything in case of damage and on a long Camino because they would just wear out or get misplaced. Somethings cannot be replaced or repaired easily out on the trail.

 

[tomnorth]

Howdy -

I'll be leaving from Ferrol on May 5th and I'm slowing getting all my gear together. I was considering taking two pairs of shorts along with one pair of convertible pants (and a pair of rain pants) for the trip, but having spent the last couple of days researching what pants are out there (reviews, prices, etc.) I'm not sure if I want a pair. Every pair seems to have drawbacks (zippers, too snug, etc.) and I don't want to spend a lot of money on a pair of pants I'm not likely to really wear again. I'm a shorts kind of guy normally, but walking the Camino Ingles at the beginning of May it's probably more practical to just have long pants available.

I do have a pair of hiking pants (Columbia) that I might take instead of the convertible pants and I thought I could, if the day is cool in the morning and warmer in the afternoon, either change from the long pants into shorts or wear shorts under my rain pants. I tend to run warm anyway so once I get walking I'm probably get pretty warm - unless it's raining of course.

Any thoughts?

I’ve settled on prAna stretch Zion convertible pants. When I walked in 2015 I wore Columbia convertible pants. I brought two tops and one pair of bottoms. I wouldn’t do that again. As the days moved on it got colder. When I was washing the bottoms in a washing machine I got mighty cold. The prAna pants are a bit thicker than the Columbia pants. They also have more room in the thighs than the Columbias.

 

[Sixwheeler]

Shorts.

 

[David Tallan]

Convertible pants don't seem that logical to me. If you wear the shorts during the day and wash them in the arvo what's the point of having the legs while youre waiting for the shorts to dry? On my first camino on the second day someone was struggling to zip on one of the legs..several tried but the zip wouldn't budge....that's all he had so I don't know what he did.

I mostly don't wear shorts but occasionally I wanted to. Convertable pants allowed me to have shorts on the rare occasions I wanted them without the dead weight of carrying them the rest of the time. They also turned out to be very handy as a way to remove my knee brace without having to completely take off my pants.

 

[agu]

For me worked Karrimor Aspen Zip Off Trousers. Not very expensive, very light, long lasting and zippers are kind of hidden so the hairs above the knee will not get caught in the zipper while in use as shorts.
Another pair was Karrimor Run Shorts with Zipped back pocket and Open inner pockets. I used them in the evenings while in the Albergue.

 

[RuediG]

I'm realizing that no piece of equipment is completely perfect. The trick is to stay flexible, and sensible. (And I don't feel good about accumulating the perfect top line equipment that costs more than 90% of the world's population make in a year...)

 

[gerardcarey]

I've replaced the undies with two pairs of running shorts - unlined, silky, deep pockets.
Sorted now for undies, walk shorts, sleepwear, swimmers.
Matched with one pair of convertible pants.
Talk about multi-purpose in the autumn, I'm your main man cobber.
Regards
Gerard
I was once informed as to the extent I was "advertising" while riding a bike. Please ensure the leg length is "sufficient".