Name: Adam G. Fisher
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight: 255 lb (116 kg)
Email Address: agfisher (at) yahoo (dot) com
City: Medford
State: Massachusetts
Country: USA

Backpacking Background:

I started backpacking when I started scouting in the early eighties. College and life kept me away from it for too long and I have started to get back into it. I enjoy day hikes whenever I can squeeze them in. Recently I have hiked in Australia (Alice Springs, Tasmania), New Zealand (Nelson, Wellington), England (North Yorkshire Moors), Germany (Bavaria) and Massachusetts. I like to take short to medium length backpacking trips in typical New England environments (forests, etc). My goal is to head out west for a week of hiking and camping with my wife in the Arizona area.

Review:

I received these pants as a Christmas gift in December of 2005. Since then, I have found them to be quite comfortable and very convenient. The first time I wore them was very early in the spring. The morning temperature was around 50 F (10 C) so I started out with the legs attached. My first impression was that they felt very light on my legs. Usually, because of my size, pants feel very tight and binding so it was a pleasant surprise to see that the light-weight material felt loose on my legs and did not restrict my movement. These pants moved into my normal weekend outdoor wear rotation. This involved walks through downtown Boston and hikes into the Middlesex Fells. The excursions were not to grueling but active enough for me to get a good feel for the pants. I quickly concluded that for day to day use they were very comfortable. Being a big guy I have a tendency to over-heat quickly. I really enjoyed the ability to convert the pants into shorts by removing the legs (from right above the knees) if it became too hot so I could cool off.

My next significant usage of the pants came on a two week long trip to Germany. During this time period I wore them almost everyday. The temperature ranges during this trip went from as high as 84 F (29 C) at the Bodensee (lower south eastern corner near Switzerland) to a low of 30 F (-1 C) at the 10,000 ft (3,000 m) peak of the Zugspitza (Germany’s highest peak). Weather conditions ranged from bright, sunny, and warm to heavy winds and hail. With these crazy changes in environment, it was nice to be able to have a piece of clothing that could change quickly with it. In the hot sunny weather the pants without legs were very comfortable. Not being a fan of “short” shorts I liked that with the legs removed the shorts were long enough to be comfortable but short enough to keep my legs cool and not be restrictive. In wet conditions the pants, because of their light weight, did have a tendency to stick to my legs. This was very mildly irritating but not to the point where I would need to change. In warmer rain conditions I would just remove the pant legs. I was also very happy with the speed in which the pants dried. After a torrential downpour that my wife and I got stuck in, on the Austrian border they ended up taking about an hour to get to a reasonable level of dryness once inside. In cold and windy weather at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) the legs went back on. Now these aren’t intended to be cold weather pants but at 30 F (-1 C) they kept my legs reasonably comfortable. Would I hike all day at that temperature in them, no, but for an hour or so it was more then adequate.

I also used these pants while on a white water rafting trip in Jackman, Maine. In the brisk Maine morning air I wore them with the legs attached. I was very impressed with the flexibility I retained when soaking wet. After the heavier rapids (Class IV) I removed the legs. They stayed wet for the entire trip (about 6 hours). They were very comfortable the whole time. I don’t think I would have wanted to hike all that time with them that wet though.

The pants have a zipper fly with a snap closure and a web belt over the snap. I never had a problem with either opening accidentally. The included belt, for me, was a little to thin. I would prefer something a little thicker so as to provide a little bit more support. The belt is removable but the built in belt loops are under-sized and will not fit a larger belt.

Another interesting feature of the pants is the pockets. The rear pockets actually sit more towards the sides of the legs then the back. This positioning is very nice for carrying bulky objects in these pockets. By slightly moving the pockets to the outside pressure from behind when stretching or sitting is reduced. The one small problem is that the rear pockets only seal with a small piece of hook and loop type fastener. I would have much preferred a zipper or something with a more positive seal. Both front and rear pockets have net meshing at the bottom to help with drainage.

The attaching and removal of the pant legs is very simple. Underneath a small flap of cloth is a zipper that encircles the entire leg. The zipper works smoothly and is easy to start. At the ankle is a vertical zipper and snap that allows the lower pant leg to be removed over shoes or boots. I am very happy with the removal of the pant legs over all. The zipper is very small and conceals well. I could hardly tell that they were zip-off pant legs when attached. The small zippers also made it a bit difficult for someone with large hands to remove but not impossible. One potential problem is that if the leg is not fully unzipped and the lower section catches on a shoe, rock, etc. the zipper can be forcibly separated. This requires the forcing of the zipper through the separated section. I do understand that this is something that can happen with all zippers and is not a very big deal for me.

The L.L. Bean Ripstop Zip-off Hiking Pants with the legs removed.


This shows the great placement of the rear pocket. It also shows the small piece of hook and loop fastener.


The zippered seam btween the upper and lower part of the pants is hidden very well.

Positives:

• Light-weight
• Best of both worlds (pants and shorts)
• Off-centered back pockets for comfort
• Well hidden zippers so pants look like normal hiking pants

My wife and I (wearing the pants) at the Zugspitza summit in Germany.