Rab Vertex Pants

Very comfortable, breathable hiking pants.

I have always found it difficult to find hiking pants that fit my short inseam well. Usually even 30" inseams are too long, and tend to drag on the ground. These pants have superb fit all the way around. My wife always complains that most of my hiking trousers look super baggy, but commented that I look GREAT in these. ;~)

The stretchy polyamide/elastane fabric is very comfortable and highly breathable. Even on hard-charging uphill hikes, I never felt clammy or overheated. The fabric is much more soft and supple to the touch than most of the nylon trousers one encounters, and the balance between breathability and warmth is perfect.  

There are three zippered pockets... one on each hip, and one on the right thigh. They are the perfect size for phone/wallet/keys, or whatever you need to take along. The double snapped waist is secure without feeling too tight. The knees are gusseted for excellent flexibility when scrambling on Sierra granite.

Construction is top notch, with nice bar tack reinforcements in key spots. It is too soon to know how they will last over time, but they don't feel so flimsy that I feel like I have to be super careful with them.

An interesting feature is the drawcorded hem at the bottom of each leg, if one wants to seal things up when conditions warrant. Haven't needed to use this feature yet, so we will have to see how useful it really is.

I wore these on several fall hikes, with cool temps but sunny conditions. They are super comfortable, and I would highly recommend them to both hikers and climbers looking for a great pair of trousers. There is a women's version of this called the Helix available as well.