The most heavily worn piece of clothing is undoubtedly trousers. Choosing the best trousers for outdoor use for yourself, given the currently very wide range on offer, is not at all easy. After long consideration and selection, I chose the Urban Tactical Pants PolyCotton Ripstop trousers from the proven Polish manufacturer Helikon-Tex for myself. The manufacturer managed to create universal trousers with a very wide range of use.
ONE PAIR OF TROUSERS FOR MANY AREAS OF USE
I would define these trousers as year-round (with thermal underwear in winter), practical and versatile. Thanks to their functionality, they can cover a very wide range of outdoor use in varied and demanding terrain, up to the high-mountain conditions of the High Tatras. They are even great for the city or for trips. On hot summer days when climbing uphill, I did not use the trousers, because I actually got quite warm in them. For hot summer days, the fabric seems a bit thick to me, so I preferred shorts, like any normal hiker.
CHOOSING THE SIZE AND COLOR OF THE TROUSERS
With a height of 182cm, 80kg and a waist of 100cm, even two sizes fit me, both XL and XXL. I prefer a slightly looser cut of trousers, so I chose one size larger than I normally wear; in the photos I am wearing size XXL. The adaptability in choosing the size is amazing. Even though the trousers are a bit looser, thanks to the option of flexible waist adjustment, the larger size trousers fit me perfectly as well. The length of the trousers in size XXL also fit me completely ideally. I chose the color Jungle Green – something like a dark forest green. This color blends completely into nature, but unfortunately it shows more dirt than any darker color.
TESTING CONDITIONS
The test took place over 3 months during the summer and into autumn, focusing on time spent outdoors on easy to difficult hiking trails in the High Tatras, Malá Fatra and Veľká Fatra, as well as during regular everyday wear in the city. I wore the trousers for daily 9km walks with my dog outdoors in all weather. The trousers went through testing from warm sunny days up to +22°C, to cold rainy days with temperatures down to -1°C. Within this temperature range, I was not cold (I did not use thermal underwear) nor did I overheat. Twice during hiking I was hit by strong wind gusts of up to 50 km/h, and once I experienced a cold, day-long autumn rain in Veľká Fatra.
MATERIAL COMPOSITION
The fabric of the trousers is made of a densely woven blend of cotton and synthetic fibers: 60% cotton, 37% polyester, 3% elastane, weight 215g/m2. A pleasant, slightly stretchy mix allows great freedom of movement in demanding terrain. The material used is sufficiently durable – no mosquito bit me through the fabric, and it is also sufficiently abrasion-resistant – it easily withstands contact with rough rock. The trousers are not waterproof, nor do they have a water-repellent finish; once wet, they can dry quite quickly. The fabric did not fade from the sun.
COMFORTABLE MOVEMENT IN A COMFORTABLE CUT
The cut of the trousers will please those who prefer a comfortable, looser cut that does not restrict any movement whatsoever. There is no problem with large or high steps, nor with sudden movements; I did not notice any discomfort, e.g. pressure, constriction or skin chafing. Freedom of movement is exemplarily supported by the slightly stretchy fabric, a looser cut at the thighs with shaped knees, and a higher elastic waistband – the trousers do not slide down from the hips.
On the sides and thighs there is enough free space for movement in demanding terrain. When putting on boots, the wide lower hem of the pant leg can be pulled up even over a thicker calf. After rolling the pant leg down from the calf, the width and length of the leg will cover any wide boot, so that dirt or snow does not get into it while walking. Thicker winter base layer bottoms can be worn under the looser cut, and the pants still are not tight.
EQUIPMENT
The manufacturer Helikon-Tex paid particular attention to the equipment. It has fitted the proven and tested design with successful functional details that you can fully rely on. What impressed me was the cleverly and practically designed waistband and pockets. The pockets can really be loaded and burdened heavily, and the pants can be secured to the body with the belt.
Nothing about the load gets in the way during movement. The waistband is neither too tight nor too wide, it always adapts to the body thanks to the elastic band in the waist and fastening not with a button, but with a quality wide hook-and-loop fastener, which allows the width of the waistband to be adjusted at will – you can "stick" the pants to your body at the waist. A wide flat elastic band is sewn into the waistband, which tightens the waistband and adapts it to the hips, so the pants do not slip even during the most demanding movements. What suited me very well was the maximally reliable fastening of the waistband with hook-and-loop fastener – it eliminates any inconvenience with buttons. The wide belt loops, which by the way are more numerous than usual on pants and are properly positioned, can fit a belt up to 50mm wide. A belt this wide can be pulled tight and still does not cut in or press.
On the inside of the waistband there are two small hidden pockets, e.g. for money. The pockets can be described in one word: pampered. Their number is an impressive 12, which you really will not find on every pair of pants. With comfortable large openings to the front hand pockets, back pockets and thigh pockets, all openings are reinforced with double fabric for higher durability. The thigh pockets are flat in shape and do not stick out. Secure carrying of load in the pockets is ensured by zippers on the large thigh pockets, hook-and-loop fasteners with a flap on the two small thigh pockets, and equally by the exceptional size and depth of the pockets. Fully loaded pockets do not stretch out like, for example, on softshell pants.
The storage space in the twelve pockets is so large that when I went into the outdoors for just a few hours, I did not need to take any backpack with me, everything I needed fit into the pockets on the pants and jacket. Into one thigh pocket, with room to spare, fit two 0.3-liter flasks of water, and it does not matter whether standing or lying down. A seven-inch navigation tablet fit into any of the six large pockets. With fully loaded pockets, it is possible to move comfortably, because all the pockets are distributed around the hips and waist in an ideal position close to the body's center of gravity.
During strenuous ascents on steep terrain, I appreciated the anatomically shaped knees. They allow a wide range of unrestricted movement. The knees are reinforced on the outside with double fabric and have an opening on the inside into which knee pads can be inserted for even better knee protection. A cord or elastic band (not included with the pants) can be threaded into the cuffs at the end of the pant legs, which allows the ends of the pants to be adjusted to different sizes and types of footwear by tightening around the ankle as desired. The lower parts of the legs and ankles thus remain protected against snow, dirt and moisture getting into the footwear.
Critically stressed seams are reinforced with double stitching, which maximizes strength and durability. All zippers are quality ones from the Japanese brand YKK, they are characterized by durability, do not jam, and can be easily opened and closed with one hand – the same applies to the hook-and-loop fasteners used. The fly zipper is large.
WEATHER PROTECTION
Generally, materials made from a blend or from purely synthetic fibers better protect against adverse weather and help the body maintain a stable temperature. However, every material, and logically also the garment made from it, has its limits. The pants I tested hold up quite well within these limits. I already mentioned that the pants are not waterproof and have no water-repellent treatment either, but I don't see this as a disadvantage at all, their purpose is not to replace a rain jacket.
I got drenched by rain like a shower several times, and the pants were genuinely wet. In such moments, the advantage of the fiber blend used became apparent. The fiber blend absorbs less moisture and quickly transports it out, so the fabric was dry again in a short time. One entire day in Veľká Fatra, I was accompanied by cold autumn rain. Over the tested pants, I put on another pair – waterproof membrane pants made of Gore-Tex Paclite Plus material. I expected that under two pairs of pants, I would be dripping with sweat. To my great surprise, even through two pairs of pants, sweat managed to ventilate out. The functional combination of cotton and synthetics, together with the air gap between the skin and the fabric of the pants, balances higher as well as lower temperatures very well. That is a great advantage. The fabric ventilates well and doesn't stick to the body, my legs weren't overheated, but weren't chilled either – I had no need to put on thermal underwear. The pants insulated me sufficiently even while standing in light autumn frost (-1°C). The densely woven fabric excellently resisted cold wind. At wind speeds gusting up to 50 km/h, I didn't get blown through.
EASY AND LOW-MAINTENANCE CARE
After washing twice in a washing machine with ordinary laundry detergent, without using any chemicals, all impurities disappeared from the fabric and left no residue, there was no fading of color, no shrinking of the fabric, nor any pilling. Since I'm a dog owner and spend time outdoors with my dog every day, what pleased me most is that dog hair doesn't stick to the fabric of the pants – it's enough to just lightly brush it off.
FINAL EVALUATION
Pros
- The pants look good - modern, stylish, sporty, fit well on the body, suitable for everyday wear, a choice of many colors
- Quality - the quality of workmanship made me a fan of the manufacturer, the pants can compete without any problems with much more well-known brands
- Pockets - there are many of them, they are large with easy access, correctly positioned
- Versatile design - thoughtful and elaborate cut and functionality for the demanding, for strenuous activities on a daily basis
- Universal use - designed for a wide range of activities and weather conditions, excellent for spending time outdoors by the campfire, mountain hiking, camping, fishing or staying at a cottage
- Comfort - comfortable across a wide range of movement even during demanding all-day activities in various conditions
- Excellent level of protection - maintains a pleasant microclimate, doesn't let wind through, breathable, resistant, durable, robust
- Ideal for outdoor and mountain use - for year-round use except for hot summer days
Cons
- the bottom of the pants from the knees down is wider, during walking the fabric rubs against itself and gets dirty from mud
- I would recommend a larger gusset in the crotch
- on hot summer days the pants are too warm
- the pants are not suitable for heavy rain, they get soaked through, but they can certainly handle light rain
Update – added experience from use during winter:
- I have confirmed that these pants can comfortably be used throughout the whole winter
- I did not overheat even in three layers: 1. thick base layer, 2. the pants themselves, and 3. Gore-Tex waterproof pants
- down to -10°C I managed with thin base layers with a fabric weight of up to 200 g/m2
- the higher waistband of the pants perfectly protects and warms the kidneys in cold, freezing weather - Choosing a size larger for winter was the right decision. Even with thick base layers under the pants, I could move around comfortably.
- In deep snow, I recommend wearing waterproof gaiters, because moisture from the snow rises up the fabric toward the knees.
- The fabric of the pants is so dense that you cannot see a switched-on flashlight through the pocket. I did not notice that I had a flashlight switched on in my pocket, and it drained the battery.
- The pants do not need to be washed as often as I thought. While walking, mud on the pants is washed off by rain, deep snow, or dew in tall grass.
