Arc'teryx Rampart Pant

If I only had one pair pants for everything, this would be them.

A few years back I bought a pair of these on sale. I wore them for all kinds of things... for hiking and for every day. When I lost forty pounds and lost two inches from my waist, they didn't fit anymore, so eBay helped me move them along. I've been wanting another pair of them, but at a hundred and ten bucks, I was waiting for a good sale. It has happened, and I have a new pair in the right size!

Though marketed as a hiking and trekking pant, they are so much more. I can wear them in the mountains. I can wear them to a nice dinner out. I can wear them to church. They look that good.

I have short legs and a long torso... finding decent trousers in a 30-inch inseam is tricky some times. The fit of these is spot on for me. Just right in the waist. Not too baggy, and no cuff dragging on the ground. Dual snaps secure the waste, and wide belt loops are available for a variety of belt sizes. There is enough room for a lightweight merino layer for chilly weather, if needed.

The "Terra-tex" nylon and elastane fabric is light, airy, and breathable. But if it gets a little chilly, I haven't found myself wishing they were warmer. Wicking is excellent, and I never find myself being conscious of them being damp. When wet, the light fabric dries in a flash.

There are two mesh lined hand pockets, with roomy thigh pockets in front, and two on the rear, for those who like to overstuff (I don't). 

Workmanship is excellent, as usual with Arc'teryx. The previous pair I wore frequently over a four-year period, and they literally looked new when I moved them on (actually sold them on eBay for more than I paid for them originally. Score!). I expect these to last a very long time.

And these pants look fabulous. They don't have that dorky hiking/cargo pant look, and if I only had one pair of pants to do it all—from trail to work to dinner out—these would be them.