Name: Katie Rompala
Age: 27
Gender: F
Height: 5'11" (1.8 m)
Weight: 145 lb (66 kg)
Email: krstull [AT] gmail.com
City, State, Country: Dillon, Montana, USA

BACKGROUND

I've been hiking since I was young. Current activities include car-camping and medium to long hikes in the Utah red rock, and hiking and snowshoe trips in the West. Southwest Montana is my current base for weekend trips in the area, while vacation time is usually dedicated to ~10 day trips to west-coast national parks and other wilderness spots. I hope to plan more backcountry trips in the future. For now, I don't worry much about lightweight packing, since I'm more involved in day hikes than overnights and therefore carry less. I enjoy cycling and running.

INITIAL REVIEW

October 21, 2009

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: Mountain Khakis
Year of Manufacture: 2009
Manufacturer's Website: www.mountainkhakis.com
MSRP: N/A
Measured Weight: 12.4 oz (350 g)
Size: 8 (Measured: 32 in, 81 cm)
Inseam: regular (Waist measured: 33 in, 84 cm)
Color: Ash
Material: 100% Nylon

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Construction: These are made of 100% nylon so they're light and comfortable. I'm glad there's no cotton in the fabric, since that would mean longer drying times out in the field and the possibility of them shrinking in the wash.

The waist band has belt loops that are 2.25 in long (5.7 cm) and 0.5 in wide (1.3 cm). The waist-band stitching is reinforced by curved stitching just below, which I'm quite happy about since that's where the bottom of my backpack usually sits.

Back Reinforcement and Belt Loops

The zipper area is reinforced by a gold strip of sturdy fabric, and is fastened by a strong metal button attached to the waist band by a metal shank.

Zipper and Button

There are three large pockets -- two angled hand pockets and one zipping cargo pocket on the left side. There are no back pockets.

The cargo pocket does not seem as useful as it could be, since it is too small and hard to get into -- my hand barely fits through the top.

The hand pockets are long and made of mesh.

Unfortunately, because these pants are designed to hug at the hips a bit, the length of the pockets does not add much extra room, unless I want my pockets to be bulging.

Sizing: Though I normally wear a size 6, I'd found from other Mountain Khaki product reviews that their pants can run a bit small, so I chose an 8 instead. I also normally wear long pants, but I'm picky -- 34" is just right, while 35" is always too long. So when I received 8 Regulars for review, I was dubious, since the length was wrong and it was a size larger than normal. Fortunately, the pants fit pretty well. The regulars, at 33", are a decent length for me. I could, perhaps, add half an inch to an inch, and the pants would be perfect. The waist, too, fits well -- I normally wear pants more around my hips than exactly at my waist, and the 8 was perfect in that regard.

Style: These look like pretty standard pants -- nothing too fancy or unique, and not too many extra features built in. They fit pretty well though, and the design is nice for a hiking pant. They are basically straight-legged, a bit roomy through the legs but not overly baggy. There is slight stretchiness to them, which I like because it means when I sit down, the pant legs don't ride half way up my calf, and that I can move easily and freely while hiking. The pockets complement the overall design, and the ash gray is neither too light or too dark. The pant legs are boot cut. Although there is no slit to give the bottom of the pant legs a wider girth, the circumference of the opening is about 10 in (25.4 cm), which is wide enough to fit around my bulky winter boots quite easily.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

Overall I'm fairly pleased with these pants. I like the look and feel, and the design and construction seem to have been done with care -- sturdy for rugged conditions while also light for quick drying times and apparent weightlessness on trail. I am annoyed at the inseam inconsistency, particularly because I have a hard time finding pants long enough. The regular inseam is longer than is standard, and I wonder if the longs would be too long. Finally, I'm concerned that the pockets won't be as useful as they could be -- the waist pockets look long and roomy but hug the leg too much to be very useful, and the cargo pocket on the left side is too narrow.

This concludes my Initial Report. Thank you to Mountain Khakis and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test these pants.

FIELD REPORT

December 2009

LONG TERM REPORT

March 2010

Read more reviews of Mountain Khakis gear
Read more gear reviews by Katie Rampala

Test Report by Katie Rampala

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