Men's multipurpose cargo pants, light hiking/casual office
I'm on a quest for the holy grail of pants. A jack of all trades cargo pant. I'm looking for the following features:
- Gusseted crotch, or at least something with a nice shape that can accommodate my physique and I can move in.
- Mostly cotton or polyester. Don't need it to be rainproof and blizzard proof. I hate the swishy swooshy sound nylon makes.
- Formal enough that I can wear it to work. Not looking for crazy articulation and zigzag stiches all over it. Just nice and simple and sharp. I work in tech so pretty casual. Most people wear chinos or nice jeans, nobody would bat an eye at cargos.
- Zippered thigh pockets!!!!!
- Comfortable for light hiking, maybe a little stretch but certainly not 15-20% spandex.
- Durable. I don't want to bust out the sewing stuff every time I fall
Some stuff I've found that's excruciatingly close:
https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/12951064/men's-guide-pro-shorts
Shorts but I LOVE the style and zippered pockets. Favorite shorts I own. but the nylon is annoying and the long pant version has weird articulation and stitching in the knees.
https://www.columbia.com/p/mens-silver-ridge-cargo-pants-1441681.html
Almost exactly what I want. I could tolerate the diagonal seams on the legs and the velcro pocket if they weren't 100% nylon.
https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-3023504/mens-sonoma-goods-for-life-regular-fit-flexwear-stretch-cargo-pants.jsp
I own these and I like them a lot. They're comfortable even for the time I had to practically sprint 2 miles to catch a train (i didn't make it sadly). And they accommodate my massive thighs and look really good. But no zippered pockets, and I don't really like the flaps on the back pockets. They often don't lie flat, and I never use the back pockets anyway.
My measurements: 29.5" inseam (I buy 30L), waist 28 or 29 inches but I usually buy 31-33W and have it brought in cause that's the only way my thighs will fit.
No real price limit but no luxury brands. Hoping for under $200. I'm desperate. 🙏
13 Replies
Don't try to buy "jack of all trades" pants. They'll look bad at work and won't hold up for hiking. Buy pants for work and pants to hike in.
I understand where you're coming from, and if I were an avid hiker that's what I'd do. But I rarely hike, and when I do it's like a few miles on not-too-crazy terrain. The kohls cargos have been great for that. My issue isn't with material/quality, it's with design -- I just can't find anything like those that has the beautiful sweet zippered pockets and back pockets that aren't weird
So if you have kohl's cargos that work well for your hikes, why do you want more hiking pants? Just get some pants for work?
It's because I don't like the pockets on the kohl's cargos
I want those but with zippered pockets. And maybe either normal jean-style or chino-style pockets in the back. Or flaps that actually lie flat. idc, again I never use the back pockets
Ok, look at Outdoor Research, Orvis, LL Bean, Patagonia, etc for some hiking pants
Duluth trading flexpedition pants might work. I haven’t tried them but I’ve heard good things
I've been on this quest. I agree with GSH that it's probably futile to find all-purpose pants. I picked up some nylon/spandex pants at Orvis that seem pretty nice so far. There's a thread in #waywt .
prana, kühl and rei's house brand may also be worth looking at though i'm not sure they'll tick every box
I used to have a pair of Prana brions. They were great. The new Brion II is much, much worse. Shiny fabric, bad fit, 0/10 would not recommend.
Depending on how casual your office is, maybe a pair of Gramicci pants? Here's a couple of listings but you might need to hunt around at other stockists to find your size.
https://gramicci.com/collections/mens-pants/products/cargo-pant
https://gramicci.com/collections/mens-pants/products/nylon-tussah-convertible-pant
I do hardware engineering at a fairly laid-back company, and Grammicis with a rugby shirt is pretty standard fare for me.
Range of motion is great, and a lot of their stuff is gusseted. The relaxed tapered stuff is very roomy in the thighs, and even the regular fit stuff like these should be pretty generous too.
Gramicci
Cargo Pant
Style Number: G2FM-P001 Two side pockets, two back pockets, and two lower thigh pockets Made with organic cotton stretch twill material - Cotton 98%, Polyurethane 2% Built in webbing belt Clean-line gusset crotch for style and mobility Inseam 31" Male Model - Height: 5'11" - Wearing size Medium While retaining functio
Gramicci
Nylon Tussah Convertible Pant
Style Number: G3FM-P025 Made from Nylon Tussah Material, Nylon 100% Detachable zip panels slightly above the knee Cargo pockets at outseams and deep front pockets Elastic waistband includes nylon belt that can be adjusted with one hand Inseam 31" Model Height is 6'1" - Wearing size Medium The Nylon Tussah Convertible P
Thanks for all the suggestions, definitely going to look at these brands next time I'm doing clothing research.
Last night I posed this same question to bing chat and (among many other no name brand recs) it gave me these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079JH5SQ6
Looks like exactly what I'm going for. I am praying they'll fit although I wear lee jeans so hopeful
Lee Men's Extreme Comfort Canvas Cargo Pant
Just like our founder, H.D. Lee, our passion is helping can-do people do more. We are committed to designing clothing that conforms to your body, allowing you to move through life freely. We help you chase the things that bring you joy and laughter. The things that make you fearless and hopefully...
Also, since I see a lot of you are recommending nylon pants: Have these pants made that sliding nylony swishing sound when you walk around in them? Or do I just have that conception because I haven't owned a quality nylon piece?
Topo Designs makes clothing in this lane