A Little Backyard Fun

Aloha,

So I am going to use this post to show off a little fun thing a friend, and I did a couple weekends ago (with pics) while talking about/reviewing one of my favorite pieces of outdoor clothing. I spontaneously bought a Groupon for waterfall rappelling with the company Northeast Mountaineering (I have a little short paragraph about thoughts on them below) a couple of months ago. While packing for this short one day guided activity, I knew exactly what I was going to wear to get pummeled by a waterfall. The pants I am wearing in these photos is Patagonia's Men's Gi III pant. I bought these pants in April 2016. They have since become go-to pant for hiking, traveling, camping, chilly nights on the beach, and basically any outdoor activity. As I said in my last post, I prefer to wear long pants over shorts, even when I am hiking, wading through streams, or in this case waterfall rappelling, no matter how hot it is. 

I bought these pants in Hawaii, with Hawaii type of hiking in mind—warm, muddy, and wet. At the time I was actually preparing for a short solo trip to Vietnam to do a cave tour that involved a lot of hiking, swimming, and more hiking in wet clothes after swimming. I already had two pairs of hiking pants that I just didn't develop a great attraction toward. They felt fine dry, but when wet they became heavy and didn't dry quickly. When I tried these pants out for the first time, they immediately became my favorite hiking pants. 

Let's talk about the noticeable pros. They feel amazing. They are nylon, so I was expecting them to not be stuffy and hot, but because they are SO lightweight and have a slight bag, they are relatively cool pants. They dry very quickly and even while they are wet, they don't feel excessively burdensome. The quick drying feature is so important when you are traveling, or outdoors for an extended period of time. There is nothing more uncomfortable than having to put back on wet clothes. Also, being this sort of swim trunk nylon material, they are really easy to clean. If you need to pack light, these are the pants for you. They roll/fold/crumple down to a very compact size making them great for light packing and backpacking. I think they look great too. Some of the cons might be contributing factors to the style, they are a "slim fit" which basically means it follows the shape of your leg, rather than hugging it tight (skinny), or being very loose (usually straight fit). They have a nice streamlined look, and could totally be worn as an everyday pant. I could probably ramble on into more detail than necessary, so let's move on... 

CONS. So there are some negatives about these pants, but I feel like fixing them, would also make some of the great awesomeness go away. First thing I noticed was the lack of spacious pockets. Hiking pants often have cargo pockets, front pockets back pockets, hidden pockets, too many pockets (did I say too many pockets?!). I love pockets, but I understand why these don't have many, and why they don't need them. There are just enough pockets to keep the absolute necessities in them without weighing you down. With two front pockets, a small zippered side pocket, and one back pocket you can carry ID, cash, and a car/house key. The second big thing I noticed right away was that there isn't any stretch in the fabric. It pulls on you a bit if you take a significant step up or make large movements. The gusseted crotch allows a wide range of motion for these pants, but the slim fit combined with no stretch in the fabric can cause some noticeable discomfort when making certain movements. I can't say for sure, but I think adding in that bit of spandex will take away from how quickly it dries and that feature is much more important to me than needing to pull my pant leg a tad before I take a big step. The one con that I actually would modify is the built-in belt. It works, it is easy to use, but I would prefer to use my own belt and have belt loops. 

Unfortunately, Patagonia is now on the Gi IV so I can't buy more of this exact pair. I will have to try out the new one and see how they work. They are made of mostly cotton, so while they might be great pants, they might not fulfill the same purpose and use of the pair I already have and love. 

Let me also take a moment to recognize Northeast Mountaineering. I have done two tours with them so far and have had great experiences both times. They are located near the White Mountains of New Hampshire and offer guided tours in many different outdoor activities. One thing that stands out to me about this company is that their guides have a real passion for the outdoors and the activities they are sharing with us. They aren't just trained guides with limited enough knowledge to do their job, but people who genuinely love climbing, hiking, skiing, mountaineering, and whatever else they offer. While I would love to be able to go out and do these activities on my own with friends, I don't yet have the knowledge or experience, and it is through companies like Northeast Mountaineering that I can satisfy some of that desire to explore and walk off cliffs backward. I also think their prices are affordable and well worth it. They also have a bunkhouse to provide an affordable place to sleep before, during, and after your adventure! Check them out here!

I hope you can bear with me as I find a track and flow for my blog. It will most likely be all over the place regarding content for a while, and hopefully, the focus will figure itself out. We'll see... Till next time! 

Oh, here is an old picture of the pants covered in mud. Great pants 😁

My Outfit:
Top- Oxalis long-sleeve hiking tee (Unisex)
Top #2- the North Face long sleeve running tee (Women's)
Pants- Patagonia Gi III (Men's)
Shoes- Vibram Fivefingers Spyridon (Women's)