The Greatest Mountain climbing Pants for Males of 2024

The legs are the body’s primary mode of transportation, and pants are their first line of defense. Finding the best hiking pants for your objective can keep your legs comfortable, warm (or cool), and abrasion-free, keeping your mind on the trail ahead.

We focused on comfort, durability, construction, performance, and price, relying on the experience of our field testers. These folks tested pants across the Andean cloud forests, deep desert canyons, high mountain peaks, on long-distance trails, and even in everyday use. These pants feature innovative materials, with fabrics that can shed water, block the sun, deflect sharp sticks and rocks, and still perform after years of wear and tear.

Our team collectively tested a plethora of these durable, lightweight pants for the creation of this guide, with current author Rob Simpson having put countless different models through demanding tests in the past year alone. Rob has post-holed through waist-deep snow on high-altitude adventures, plodded in the blistering heat through the desert, and slogged along muddy paths in a legion of different hiking pants. He’s intimately familiar with what makes a worthy pair of trousers for any backcountry scenario and allows only the very best into this roundup.

While no single pair of pants works for everyone, we’ve tested a variety of models and broken them down into relevant categories. If you want help determining what you need in your hiking pants, jump to our buyer’s guide at the end of this article, or check out our comparison chart and FAQ.

Editor’s Note: We refreshed this article on September 25, 2024, by adding four new products, including three award winners: our new budget pick, the REI Trailmade Pants; our most durable choice, the Fjallraven Vidda Pro Ventilated; and our favorite convertible pants, the REI Sahara.

The Best Hiking Pants of 2024

Hiking Pants Comparison Chart

How We Tested Hiking Pants

It’s no exaggeration to say the GearJunkie squad has collectively clocked tens of thousands of miles on trails all over the world with these hiking pants. Not all hiking pants are created equal, and we know what makes a pair worthy of any real estate in our hiking loadout.

Lifelong gear testers Justin La Vigne and Steve Graepel led the charge with this guide back in July 2020, settling on our initial roundup of nine pants. Both are seasoned backpackers, hikers, and all-around outdoorsmen. They know the importance of a solid pair of pants for all-day comfort on trail. Justin has backpacked over 7,000 miles, including thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail and Te Araroa in New Zealand. He also has a passion for mountaineering, having spent time in the North Cascades on Mt. Hood and Mt. Rainier, as well as Denali in Alaska.

He has a different pair of pants for all of his outdoor endeavors and for each season’s challenges. He’s pushed pants to their limits to hone in on their best utility.

Senior Editor Chris Carter took over this guide in August of 2022 and has been rifling through his closet, scouring the interwebs, and incessantly bugging the pros to narrow in on the streamlined selection of pants. Chris has thru-hiked the Triple Crown of long trails in the United States and continues to explore and backpack all over the world. He has put thousands of miles on a variety of different hiking pants through different climates and terrain and knows what to look for in trekking clothes that need to last for months of torture.
In 2024, Rob Simpson took over this guide. As a college student in Southern California, Rob got his first outdoor job as a camp counselor and backpacking guide just outside Yosemite National Park. Off and on for the next 25+ years, Rob spent his time leading backpacking, rock climbing, and winter camping trips all over the Sierra Nevada range.

Now Rob lives in Salida, Colo., where he loves hiking countless 14ers and exploring all the Continental Divide and the Rockies have to offer. Together, we have tested each of the pants in this guide on real-world adventures and feel confident recommending any of them for long hikes or demanding backpacking trips.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Hiking Pants

Hiking pants are important investments for all-day comfort on trail and need to be chosen wisely before setting off on your adventure. The type of terrain you plan to encounter on your trip, the temperatures you will be hiking in, and the level of exposure to the sun all factor into which model would be the best for your needs.

Continue reading to help narrow down the selection and find the perfect pair.  And, if you’re looking for women’s-specific models, check out our guide to the Best Hiking Pants for Women.

Pant Length & Versatility

Hiking pants come in three main options: full-length, convertible, and roll-up. Full-length pants are a great option for complete leg protection, even in the summer. To combat overheating, most pants have mesh pockets or vents.

Convertible pants like the REI Sahara Convertibles are the ultimate 2-in-1. The legs zip off and can be worn as shorts or pants. They’re a great option for variable weather and multiday hikes where you want more options and less gear to pack, but it’s tough to find a pair that doesn’t look goofy. It’s also nice to be able to pull the legs off without having to remove your hiking boots — a luxury, not all convertible pants offer.

Roll-up pants are somewhere between full-length and convertible. When rolled up, a tab, button, or drawcord secures the cuff.

The alpine-centric Arc’teryx Gamma is a heavier, more durable model that we’d hesitate to wear on the hottest summer days. However, it also has useful drawcords on the cuffs, so it’s easy to pull them up and get some airflow on the calves.

Drawcords around the ankles can keep the cuffs secured up around the legs. Pants without them will need to be rolled up.

Mobility

Being able to move freely in hiking pants is a major concern. Whether running down the trail or scrambling up a rocky patch, you don’t want your pants restricting your movement.

This is where design features like a gusseted crotch, articulated knees, and stretchy materials prove useful. And because everybody is shaped differently, it can be helpful to try on a few pairs before buying to ensure a snug (but comfortable) fit. It’s also important to consider that you may need to find the right belt to help secure your pants comfortably around the waist.

Some pants run slim and restrict movement. Conversely,  Black Diamond’s Alpine Light and the Beyond Clothing Ascent Glide Pant strike a perfect balance of lightweight durability and mobility.

It’s also important to consider how comfortable your pants will be when wearing a fully loaded backpacking backpack. Make sure they fit you well so you don’t have to wear a belt to keep them up, as that could rub uncomfortably against your pack as you hike.

Weather Protection

Just because you’re wearing pants doesn’t mean you’re safe from the sun’s damaging rays. If you are hiking on extremely sunny days, look for pants with rated UPF protection of 40 or 50.

A DWR coating doesn’t make pants completely waterproof, but it adds enough wet-weather protection to keep you dry while hiking through dewy brush or in light showers. DWR keeps water droplets on the exterior, allowing them to simply roll off.

DWRs will eventually wash out over time. For optimal performance, you’ll want to treat heavily used hiking pants on occasion. Nikwax Softshell Proof Wash-In is an easy way to keep your pants repelling water year after year.

And if you don’t want pants with DWR, the Fjallraven Abisko Midsummer is a great option. Fjallraven steers clear of DWR and instead sells an aftermarket wax that you can apply to beef up the water resistance.

These additions start to creep up the cost of pants. However, our budget choice, REI’s Trailmade Pants does have a DWR and UV protection and is an incredible value.

Additionally, weather protection can make pants a bit more heavy and less mobile — factors to consider when thinking about your hiking objectives. We personally don’t place DWR treatment high on our wish list when shopping for hiking pants, as we generally throw on a dedicated pair of rain pants if the heavens truly open up. Some hikers do like them for light rain and mist, however.

Additional Features for Hiking Pants

The little extras can really make or break a good pair of pants. Well-positioned cargo pockets, zippered pockets, belt loops, and built-in belts are some of the features available. Whether you want these or not depends on your personal hiking plans and style.

In general, you want your hiking pants to have a healthy features-to-weight balance like we found in the Fjallraven Vidda Pro Ventilated Trousers. Lightweight breathability is of utmost importance in most hiking scenarios, and many features are just plain gimmicky without adding much utility to your trip.

If you enjoy carrying loads of extra trinkets in your pockets while you plod along, extra zippered and cargo pockets may be your cup of tea. If you plan on carrying most things in your backpack or hipbelt pockets, however, save some weight by snagging a slimmed-down pair of pants with only the necessities.

It’s also a good idea to test out your hiking pants with whatever backpack you plan on wearing for your trek, to make sure the waist feels comfortable under load, and won’t cause chafing over the long run. Integrated belt loops can be helpful in some instances, but we’ve found that they rarely feel cozy with a 30-pound pack pressing down on them.

Frequently Asked Questions

It truly depends on where you are going (dry desert, humid forest, bushwhacking), how long you will be out (hours, days, weeks, months), what the weather will be like, and your personal preference. We laid out plenty of options above that cover these variables.

For long-term use, you should be looking for a pair of pants that have durability, can repel water or dry out quickly, and has features you want (pockets, belt, leg zip-offs). It’s better to consider these options initially, even if you end up dishing out more money. The best hiking pants are the ones that meet your unique needs.

Again, this is a personal preference. One of our authors hiked with a guy on the Appalachian Trail who only wore shorts for the 2,000+ miles, no matter the weather. In contrast, he mainly wore pants to protect against mosquitoes, sun, and abrasions. If it was really hot, he converted his zip-offs.

If you’re in the Sonoran desert where temps are scorching you may want the option to convert to shorts, so cut-offs may be your best option. If you’re blazing through thick brush in the Alaskan backcountry, you definitely need to protect your legs from getting cut up, so the Fjallraven Abisko Midsummer Zip Off Trousers do the trick.

Do tires for your car matter? Go ahead and hike in your work pants, jeans, or sweatpants, and then try a technical pair from the list above — that should answer your question. If you are just getting started, try a pair of less expensive pants like the Columbia Silver Ridge Cargo Pant, then work your way up as you determine what features you’d prefer.

Jeans are not the best option because they are made of cotton, and cotton does not wick away moisture. They’re also not breathable, have no stretch, and are quite heavy. In general, you’ll want to stay away from clothing made of cotton, linen, denim, or anything stiff.

It’s always best to wear and pack layers when hiking. You want to think of your body as an onion with the option to layer down. Loose clothing with breathability is ideal, ensuring that you’ll stay cool and wick away moisture. Having clothing that has UPF of 40-50 within the blend of materials can help with avoiding sunburn.

If you’re in buggy areas, having clothing with or treating your clothing with some type of bug repellent can help keep those pesky mosquitos, ticks, and sandflies away. Lastly, color is important.  Keep your clothing, including your pants, on the lighter side, such as light beige, gray, or cream. Darker colors tend to absorb heat, while lighter colors reflect it.