REI Sahara Convertible Pants

www.rei.com
Converting from pants to shorts (when you’re wearing a two-in-one combo) typically means sitting down, unzipping the legs, and then wrestling them off over your hiking shoes. And if your kicks have gotten muddy, the pant leg interiors will get muddy, too—unless you add another step and remove your footwear. REI’s Sahara Pants have a simple, ingenious solution: they’ve run side zippers up the full length of the lower leg, providing both an easy method to cool off and an efficient way to remove the legs without so much as sitting down. Just unzip vertically, then unzip the loop at the thighs and you’re in shorts mode, no muss, no fuss, and no dirt or mud (the color-coded thigh zips also make it easy to put them back on).  The lightweight nylon fabric has a UPF 50+ rating and has been treated with a DWR finish to help shed moisture and stains, and the elastic waist helps dial in the fit.  We love the travel- and trail-friendly profusion of pockets, including side cargos, front hand, a zippered coin pocket, and two rear pockets (one zippered).  The gusseted crotch also allows for freedom of movement on the trail. Sizing, however, might prove tricky; the inseams come in two-inch increments (which is great as the pant’s can’t be easily hemmed), but the S, M, L, XL designation could leave some between sizes.