Submitted by kiwimistic t3_ye5qs5 in BuyItForLife
Was hoping to get some recommendations for mens work pants for my fiancé. He does mapping and surveying so he’s outside 90% of his day. Winter is covered but summer.. he was using Kühl but every single pair has ripped directly under the back pockets. Would love to find him something with a gusseted crotch and that’s lightweight.
With the conditions that surveyors deal with (branches, uphill, bending over) it’s hard to get light weight pants that last. Maybe check out 1620 USA, truewerk, or Duluth trading comp. They give you some different options between heavy fabrics and lighter and more comfy pants.
Take a look at Prana Stretch Zion. They're my adventure pants but they might fit the bill.
+1 for these. my absolute favorite pants
How do they wear? I have a pair of Prana winter pants made of recycled bottles. The fibers are starting to stick out of the pants like fine hairs.
Mine are like new after 4 years. I've recommended them here before and someone commented that the current Zion II is less rugged. I have 2 pairs and a more recent purchase of the Vaha pants and all have been very good quality so I'm a fan of Prana but can't comment on the latest version.
Nice, I'll check them out.
For what I used them for, the small hairs don't matter. But it did give me pause when considering them for casual clothing.
Look for something that uses hemp, which is tough and lightweight. Patagonia makes something that might fit the bill (even has a gusseted crotch): https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-all-seasons-hemp-canvas-double-knee-work-pants-regular/55785.html
>These lightweight yet durable double-knee work pants are made from our innovative 9.6-oz All Seasons Hemp canvas, which needs no break-in and offers the toughness, comfort and breathability needed for warmer weather work.
I am a Surveyor of several decades experience. I pretty much stick with military surplus trousers and such from places like Sportsmanguide.com for field clothing.
The work is very hard on clothing, and eventually everything gets snagged on a barbed wire fence, or sticker bushes, or worn from scrambling on rocks or down slopes, etc.
Which is to say that BIFL isn't happening here, at least not for trousers.
I do spend good...very good...money on boots, but with trousers I go cheap military surplus and consider that even those won't last forever.
I do a similar job (ecologist) , and I spent a fair bit on some rip/thorn proof trousers. When they ripped I was gutted. When my supermarket chinos (£15) ripped I wasn't bothered. Still lightweight when they get wet (unlike denim). I'm not sure a BIFL pair of trousers exists for outdoors work!
I'm an archaeologist in the US southwest, often off-trail in scrub. I had the same issue with Kuhl not lasting. Look for something ripstop, probably cotton-nylon or cotton-polyester blend for durability and comfort. I've been wearing LAPG Urban Ops Tactical pants for years and am happy with them. Not as flattering a fit as some, but cheaper and much more durable than Kuhl: https://lapolicegear.com/lapg-urban-ops-tactical-pants.html.
I love the 1620 Workwear Utility pants that someone else mentioned, have 2 pairs. They're bombproof, but I wear them in the shop not the field - too stiff and heavy for the range of motion I need. Their Tech Stretch line would be better for field use but I haven't tried them yet.
I bought some Vertx Phantom Ops tactical pants from LAPD.com because I hate wearing pants when its 105 with 50% humidity in texas.. They have mesh running down the inner seams. I am not allowed to wear shorts at work, but this is the workaround. Absolutely feels like wearing shorts. Highly durable like most ripstop gusset crotched tacticals. Wish I would have thought of this genius idea.
1620 is the best
My neighbour who’s a landscaper swears by Blaklader. Expensive, but they’re Canadian made (at least the ones he has are) and seem to last quite a while. He’s got two pairs that he’s been rotating for the past couple years and they’re still going strong.
https://www.blaklader.ca/en/all-products/men/pants
Also, the friggen pockets are amazing. There’s tonnes of usable space.
Personally, I’ve used Duluth Firehose pants for the past couple years on the farm but they get pretty warm, and are pretty thick for summer wear.
Carhartt has a good selection and they last long.
When I was doing commercial brewery work I lived in my Carhartt’s. I like the double fronted rip stop design. I’d get almost a year out of a pair washing them DAILY when I’d get home from work. I was around all sorts of gnarly chemicals, metal that could snag, and pocket fulls of parts and tools. My only issue with them is the black color fades a little quickly. I would go back to them for sure. They could very well work for surveying too.
Blåkläder, i do alot of work in the event business. Have 2 pairs of long ones and 2 pairs of shorts. I rotate them. Have them for 10 years now. Now slowly they are fading and becoming thinner. But for work pants awesome. In the EU they give you lifetime warranty for all the seams and zippers if i’m not mistaken.
I have a friend who does heavy work and swears by these. I’ve seen him wearing them and they look solid but I’ve never tried them myself.
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I've heard good things about these but haven't tried them myself.
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/sarma-outdoor-pants/58279
I’m a big Duluth Trading Co. fan. I had several pair of hotter weather work pants that really stood up well in Louisiana. They also have a pretty good warranty and lots of options.
Muncie4 t1_itw2ki9 wrote
https://www.filson.com/bottoms/pants/dry-tin-5-pocket-pant.html