Ultimate Pants?

[BRUTE]

brute doesn't hike, the wool slacks have lasted much longer than the Bluffworks, brute normally doesn't throw anything in the washer and dryer. JamesR can try the Bluffworks, maybe they work well for him. brute would recommend checking the label before throwing them in the dryer though, wouldn't want them to melt, now would JamesR?

[jennypenny]

Update on the Bluffworks pants: DH has owned 4 pairs for 3 years. He wears and washes them at least once a week. The wrinkle-free finish is completely gone and they always need to be ironed, but they still look nice once ironed. He hasn't popped a button, split a seem or knee, worn through the seat, or torn a pocket. He's very hard on clothes and travels with these every week so it's a miracle that the pants have held up. They are easy to wash in the shower and drip dry when traveling. As I said they need ironing now, but otherwise they are perfect.

My boys (who aren't boys anymore) need dress pants so I'm going to try their chinos. I'm curious if anyone owns them (DH owns the dress slacks).

[C40]

my current pants system:

Jeans: Levi's 541 30x32. Retail is $75 but they can be found for $25 on clearance. If I notice a Levi's store and I could use another pair or two, I go inside and it just takes a couple minutes to check the clearance rack. The great thing about Levi's is that their sizes and proportions are consistent. I believe that once they make a new style number, they make it in the exact same shape/proportions for as long as they call it that number. This makes jean shopping very easy. You can figure out what style number and size fits you well - just once - and then your future jean shopping is as easy as mine and you can be getting jeans that fit you perfectly. (note - after sorting out jeans that fit me well (and are fairly close to being tight), I've learned that it's important to air dry them so they don't shrink.. or if they must go in the dryer, to use the lowest heat possible and have them in the shortest time possible. Also I only wash the jeans when they really need it, and if I'm about to do something dirty, I put on crappy pants or my worksuit)


Hiking Pants: I've been using Kuhls. I forget which. There are different categories of sizing and I think I get the bigger ones that have room for my butt and thighs. They're like $30 when you find them on sale, which is a pretty good deal. I get one of the more rugged types, and they work well for walking through plans/brush. One of them did get a small rip while shimmying up and through a slot canyon.

[Stahlmann]

work:
loose formal black trousers

I don't how I'll solve pants problem in the summer, but for the autumn -> early winter and early spring -> mid spring I liked following combo:

"thermoactive" long pants + loose short cargo pants with really big pockets

+ best protection against mosquitos I've found (not especially effective though...)
+ I have direct access to my stuff (wallet, keys, mobile)

- style

[Gilberto de Piento]

I like jeans from the thrift store but they are tough to find in the right size and not worn out and the right price.

Dress pants from the thrift store are easier to find. Synthetic seems to last forever and doesn't shrink.

For outdoors activities Prana Zion pants and shorts are great. They dry fast, don't seem prone to smelling bad, stretch a little so you can move easily in them (they are meant for climbing), are relatively durable, aren't super thin like most hiking pants, and don't look bad (though they do look "technical"). The downside is they are very expensive and not something you are likely to find at the thrift store.

[Sclass]

I wore these european military wool pants while working in a cold area. They were warm and lasted a long time. I think I got them $12 at a surplus store. They lasted longer than my SO wanted to look at them and they got donated when I was away.



Nowadays I’m into the cheapest “Faded Glory” Walmart house brand of jeans. They only cost $10 a pair. I get three pairs every six years and wear them till the knees blow out. Then I make cutoffs and hem them up into presentable shorts. Some guy passed me by last week and said “nice cutoffs”. I think he meant it, I hemmed them on my upholstery machine.