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Patagonia Gi III Pant

rated 5.0 of 5 stars
photo: Patagonia Gi III Pant hiking pant

The Patagonia GI III Pant is a lightweight, quick-drying, durable pant that does a decent job of blocking the wind. The elasticized waist gives a comfortable fit, and the included belt helps keep them in place during strenuous activities. Two large handwarmer pockets, a large zippered cargo pocket on the right thigh with elastic lanyard inside, and a large zippered pocket on the right hip allow you to securely carry smaller items like a wallet, cell phone, compass, keys, etc.

Pros

  • Light weight
  • Durable
  • Excellent fit and feel
  • Very quick drying
  • Wind resistant

Cons

  • Hip pocket is more toward the center
  • Belt buckle not the most secure.
  • Belt loops only allow for very narrow belt

I picked up these pants a few weeks ago because with warm weather coming I can't wear my waterproof/breathable shells every day. These are the most comfortable pants I've ever worn, bar none, and are just as suitable for casual wear as they are for the trails. They fit loose, but not excessively so, and I can't put myself into a position that causes them to bind anywhere.

On the trails, they're great. I wore them snowshoeing in Jackman, Maine, yesterday, and with temps in the 50s I was comfortable even with the exertion of plowing through deep, wet snow. In addition, the snowpack — easily 6-8 feet deep, if not more — was settling and developing voids underneath, which my 275lb weight was finding with alarming regularity.

The snow, being wet, caused my pants to get wet as well, but they dried so quickly I never really felt them wet. Also, more than once my leg ended up underneath a buried limb or fallen trunk, and even with all the struggling necessary to extricate myself the pants never ripped or even snagged. 

The pockets are great, but like I mentioned earlier the hip pocket is a little weird. It actually extends from the butt-crack to about halfway across the right cheek, so anything you put in there is going to be half in your butt when you sit down.

On the bright side, however, the zipper keeps anything you put in there secure, and the same goes for the cargo pocket. The handwarmer pockets are deep enough that I was able to keep my cell phone in one and not have to worry about it falling out even with all my contortions getting out of collapsed snow.

I got these from backcountry.com for 20% off, but after having worn them I'll gladly pay full price for more pairs. I just wish they came in more than two colors (Forge Grey and Khaki), but the two colors they DO come in look great. I can't wait to see how they look after being laundered a few times.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $55.20

These are the best hiking pants that money can buy!

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Dry fast
  • Versatile
  • Durable

These pants are so comfortable. They work well in the summer or in the winter.  In the summer I'll wear them alone, in the winter I'll add some long underwear underneath them. 

They are so durable too. I've worn them in so many different occasions and they still look as good as when I bought them two years ago. They have a nice built-in cinching belt. They also have two generous pockets just above the knee along with standard hip pockets. 

I'm wearing them in the picture below.  
image.jpg

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $85

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Specs

Price Historic Range: $30.73-$89.00
Reviewers Paid: $55.20-$85.00
Product Details from Patagonia »

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