Best jeans/pants for travel?

[toupee]

This is a really useful thread and I'm going to check out the Lululemon ABC and some others, but +1 for Prana Zion Stretch pants AND shorts. I've been living in a few pairs of these things for work and play, both at home and travel. They hold up extremely well, very little pilling, fall nice and flat and not very wrinkly even after a couple weeks of no washing. I believe they make a version without the side cargo pocket (which is fairly subtle) - and I might have to pick up a pair for job interviews or something.

The shorts are incredible too. So versatile. I can wear shorts to work and these are perfect to hop on a bike after work too.

[Kirk]

I ordered some pants from 1620, but haven't gotten them yet. I work in an office, but also do a lot of woodworking for fun and I wanted something good looking but tough and with utility pockets. The company got some pretty amazing reviews, and it's a pure-USA shop so I can feel better about supporting the locals.

[xnykid]

It’s been a few years since I bought the pants. Don’t remember any issues with the company. Can’t tell you if they are out of business but I’m traveling right now and the pants are going strong.


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[bb93fo57]

thunderbolt jeans. look better than jeans and are so comfortable that i grab them to pull on for coffee in the morning. you could wear them to bed if you wanted to but you can wear them to the opera also. water resistant so they don't stain and require very little cleaning. stretch 4 ways, not just 2. don't seem to bag at my knees. just look great day after day after day.
if your going to build a wardrobe for travel you need to check out thunderbolt jeans.
they are not the best for hot 4th of july summer travel since they have a fuzzy feeling lining they are worm. great in snow or rain though.
about $200 but with the 2 pair i have i can stay away from home for weeks and still look and smell good doin it.
jt

Just curious... @xnykid, how was your customer service experience with Thunderbolt Sportswear?

I was interested in their Mark II jeans. When I reached out to the company with a simple question about them, though, nobody would reply.

In case they didn't get the first email or it fell through the cracks somehow, I asked again. Same thing... no response.

It seems like they don't want to sell their $200 jeans.


Edited to add: I wonder if they are still in business? None of their social media accounts have been updated since summer 2018.

[MarkWebb]

I've had very good success with Patagonia Performance jeans, now made in dark gray as well as classic blue denim (note to self: dark blue denim hides coffee and food spills better than dark gray!). Patagonia has two fits (at least in their regular line of jeans, I think in Performance too) - slim and slightly looser - which helps. The weight - thickness - is lighter than Levi 501's while not super thin like Prana etc. So they do look like jeans but you don't feel like you are hauling around a ton of weight. The 20% Coolmax and thinner weight makes sink washing possible, they dry overnight in an aircon room (removes ambient humidity) if I twist them in a dry shower towel (or stomp-to-dry). And oh yeah the 20% Coolmax helps them deal with sweat better, the Coolmax evaporates sweat better than cotton which fiercely retains water.

I'm talking about jeans even though the original poster definitely wanted to stay away from them due to sweating issues. BUT for most of us, jeans - and cargo shorts - are Universal Travel Wear. If you watch YouTube videos of travel destinations you see a lot of jeans and a lot of shorts.

For inflight travel, I share the earlier commenter's concerns about fires.

The real risk is not nearby flames from fuel spills, its usually fireballs from fuel vapors.

Fireballs have a momentary "flash heat" effect. They are generally survivable, but it turns out the worst damage isn't from the intense momentary heat on your skin (even on bare skin), it's from tight stretch fabrics (Under Armour Heat Shield compression tees are the worst) melting while they sink into your skin, fusing fabric to skin and requiring painful debridement. Loose synthetics will melt ONto your skin; compression synthetics (Heat Shield, yoga tights, nylons) melt INto your skin.

That having been said, personally I go with the Patagonia Performance jeans - 80% cotton, 18% Coolmax synthetic, 2% elastane/Spandex "slight stretch". I feel, though I have no evidence for it, that 80% cotton, and lack of compression levels of Spandex, means I won't have the melt INto risk.

Unlike the thread-starter, I NEED the extra warmth of thicker pants on the flight. And, I WANT the Universal Travel Wear look - for both the flight and then again on the ground (I look around my flights apart from a few business travelers, it's almost all jeans and shorts - with increasing numbers of yoga pants). Jeans are definitely upscale compared to shorts.

Finally, if I want jeans on the ground, GOTTA wear them in flight, they are thick compared to travel pants and shorts, and just take up too much space in the checked 22" wheelie I use as luggage. Luggage gets thin, flat-folding (or tight rolling) specialized travel pants instead - REI, Royal Robbins, even the very versatile -in some designs - Kuhl, which aren't travel-specific but are still thinner than chinos. Heck I can pack 3 Kuhls in the space of 1 Levi 501's.

BTW your mileage may vary on jeans - the fits from different brands are all over the place. Thanks to the poster who recommended stretch Lucky, I'll check them out. I can't fit "young, trim, athletic" jeans anymore. I need granddad jeans.

[backpack]

Thanks for the tip, I went to the Columbia website and it showed me a bunch of local retailers.

[TRD]

Can you post a link? I looked on their site but did not see anything with that specific name. Thanks.

Mine are Columbia Women’s Back Beauty I have abunch of black and a bunch of grey.

https://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Wome...8vL&ref=plSrch

I got my ex the Columbia Men’s Titanium Men’s Pike’s Peak (not cargo/non convertible) and he was a pretty big fan too. They have a Men’s Royce Peak Pants as well which are also pretty great.

They all look like slacks but dry incredibly fast and are easy to brush clean. My only issue with the Back Beauty for women is my black pants never match my black shirts or jacket because they’re a slightly faded black at this point.I’ve washed them all a million times so that’s fair. I just pair black tops witj grey bottoms instead.

[bltkmt]

Someone suggested Columbia Travel Pants to me on this forum a couple years ago. I now own 10 pairs, use them at work and think good thoughts about that TBer every time I pack for the next
adventure. They’re awesome.

Can you post a link? I looked on their site but did not see anything with that specific name. Thanks.

[xnykid]

thunderbolt jeans. look better than jeans and are so comfortable that i grab them to pull on for coffee in the morning. you could wear them to bed if you wanted to but you can wear them to the opera also. water resistant so they don't stain and require very little cleaning. stretch 4 ways, not just 2. don't seem to bag at my knees. just look great day after day after day.
if your going to build a wardrobe for travel you need to check out thunderbolt jeans.
they are not the best for hot 4th of july summer travel since they have a fuzzy feeling lining they are worm. great in snow or rain though.
about $200 but with the 2 pair i have i can stay away from home for weeks and still look and smell good doin it.
jt

[garuda]

I have one pair of Du/er Performance Denim Slim jeans and 2 pairs of the Live Lite A/C Pant Slim. The denim look and feel just like any other jeans to me. I like them and wear them pretty often, at home and while traveling. I can't honestly say they feel any cooler than regular jeans though. The A/C Pant on the other hand does feel a lot lighter and cooler than jeans. Plus they have a zipper on the upper thigh that opens to a ventilated panel for more air flow. They don't look like jeans, more like cotton pants or khakis. I don't wear them as often only because jeans are more my style, but since they are so comfortable I plan to bring one pair as my only long pants when I go to Cambodia later this month. If you are planning to buy a pair of either, I recommend buying a size smaller... maybe even 2 sizes smaller because of the stretch of the fabric.

Thanks for the advice Nate! I went ahead and bought a pair of the live lite AC as well as the jeans during the Black Friday sale. No returns for sale items but figured I could always resell them a few months later if it didn’t fit. Your recommendations were spot on with sizing and the fabrics.

These feel much better given they are predominantly natural fibers.

As much as I liked my slim dungarees, i still felt they were too skinny for my taste.

Also, as others have echoed, I still find synthetic fibers to be hot, that includes the new way longs shorts made of the lighter weight future works material.

I still want to try their 60/30 chino, as I have a pair of boardshorts that have a similar blend that feels natural. Only problem is I live where it’s warm and $267!?!? Yikes!

[Cristina]

Just noticed that Chase Reeves reviewed a bunch of pants, might be of interest to this thread!

https://youtu.be/E7eMr_YDQZo

Also make sure to look for his hilarious S25 review if you haven't seen it linked on the forums before.


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[TRD]

Someone suggested Columbia Travel Pants to me on this forum a couple years ago. I now own 10 pairs, use them at work and think good thoughts about that TBer every time I pack for the next
adventure. They’re awesome.

[Petros.Kyrillos]

I would suggest a good look at Men's or Woman's Adventure Khaki Pant from railriders dot com
It is great company with iron strong clothing. Used by many adventure seekers all around the world. Like TB it caters to the niche segment but with the highest standards and quality.
I own many of their offerings and never was disappointed.

[bb93fo57]

Another option to add to the pool, on the more affordable end of the spectrum: Eddie Bauer's Horizon Guide Travex line.

I needed another pair of travel pants like I need a hole in my head, but when I spotted a new pair of these $70 five-pocket pants for $9 at my favorite local thrift, I couldn't say 'no.'

Think a lighter-weight Prana Brion... jeans-y styling, comfy fabric, StormRepel DWR finish, UPF 50+ sun protection, etc.

Pros: nice price (especially given EB's regular sales), slim/straight cut isn't absurdly skinny, nylon/spandex blend is stretchy and forgoes garish flourishes that scream "technical."

Cons: no travel-specific features like concealed zippered pockets, telltale synthetic "swish"-y sound when moving.

If you are in the market for a casual jean-styled travel pant that is really comfortable, lightweight and highly-packable, it is easy to do worse.

If I were forced to choose between these at their online sale price of $49/pair (with the current 30%-off-everything Eddie Bauer sale code "climb") and Outlier's Slim Dungarees at $198/pair, I'd probably buy two of the EB in different colors and put the $100 savings into my TB bag fund. :-)

They also come in a chino style.

[nate5182]

Anyone have any experience with duer no sweat pants or jeans? I’ve been meaning to try some as I think I’ll like the material better.....

I have one pair of Du/er Performance Denim Slim jeans and 2 pairs of the Live Lite A/C Pant Slim. The denim look and feel just like any other jeans to me. I like them and wear them pretty often, at home and while traveling. I can't honestly say they feel any cooler than regular jeans though. The A/C Pant on the other hand does feel a lot lighter and cooler than jeans. Plus they have a zipper on the upper thigh that opens to a ventilated panel for more air flow. They don't look like jeans, more like cotton pants or khakis. I don't wear them as often only because jeans are more my style, but since they are so comfortable I plan to bring one pair as my only long pants when I go to Cambodia later this month. If you are planning to buy a pair of either, I recommend buying a size smaller... maybe even 2 sizes smaller because of the stretch of the fabric.