These light hiker pants from Salomon feature a softshell fabric that has a double weave for durability on the trail. The inner has a soft microgrid pattern, and although these trousers are made of a lightweight material they block out light gusts of wind and keep your legs reasonably warm in chilly weather. Warm weather breathability is great, making these an ideal 3-season hiking pant.
The waistband is one of the most comfortable we've worn in walking trousers, with stretch webbing right across the back as well as a drawstring adjuster at the front to tweak the fit. There are no belt loops so the drawstring needs to be reliable to avoid potentially embarrassing situations.
There’s a small amount of stretch and the cut promotes articulation and great freedom of movement around the bum and knees despite the trim cut.
The leg tapers down and there’s stretch webbing around the back of the ankle which can look a bit strange with a pair of big boots, but when paired with trail shoes they look okay, although still an acquired taste.
The two horizontally zipped pockets are mesh lined so can be used as additional venting. They're just deep enough for a phone and we find the position higher up the leg more comfortable than the normal spot lower down on the thigh. The horizontal pocket opening reduces the risk of items falling out, and they're much easier to access on the move.
The lightweight material and streamlined construction results in a very small package that takes up a tiny amount of space in your suitcase, and at a shade under 250g they won’t take up much of your luggage allowance either.
Far from being a one trick pony these hiking pants are versatile enough to be used in many other ways including on a recent trip to Majorca for Yoga in the morning and hiking in the afternoon.
The Outspeed hiking Pants are simple but effective, that simplicity translates to a comparatively low price of £70 which is well worth it for a versatile 3-season multi-activity pant.
