Shorts and Skirts

Featured review by Twig

A Purple Rain Adventure Dress is a nearly perfect hiking garment, especially for hot, muggy, and shaded conditions such as those found on the Appalachian Trail. I wore mine continuously for my AT thru-hike. I prized it for its supreme ventilation, simplicity, functionality, durability, comfort, and quick-drying materials. The side-pockets were perfect for carrying my phone, snacks, toiletries, and a myriad of other things. I never thought I'd find a more comfortable piece of clothing than a Purple Rain Adventure Skirt, but the dress design is my new favorite.

  The most classic of AT scenes atop McAfee Knob The Purple Rain Adventure Dress in Shenandoah National Park My Background & Experience with hiking skirts and dresses: In 2017, I began a series of adventures that would eventually lead to a career, of sorts, in thru-hiking. I started with several section hikes of the Appalachian Trail, as well as a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail. These were my first trails wearing a Purple Rain Adventure Skirt, for which I published a review of my very positive experiences at the time.  Southern Terminus of the CDT, in my favorite Purple Rain Adventure Skirt (worn on the PCT, CDT, and AZT)  and a merino T-shirt.

Read more: Purple Rain Adventure Dress reviews (2)

Reviewed by Andrew F.

The Gravel Shorts are made for mountain biking and double as a good pair of hiking shorts. Some cycling-related features and adjustments make these a good choice for biking. The shorts have no padding, so I liked these better with a padded undershort for longer and rougher rides. For hiking and cycling, these shorts are a winner.

BASIC INFORMATION The Showers Pass Gravel Shorts are made for mountain biking. They are made from a 95% nylon/5% spandex fabric that has a nice bit of stretchiness that cyclists will appreciate. They have two big front pockets and one smaller, rear pocket, all with mesh liner material that helps with ventilation. The rear pocket is actually a dual pocket—it’s an open pocket, but within that, there’s a section that’s secured by a zipper.  The shorts have a number of design elements that make them particularly good for their mountain-biking purpose.

Read more: Showers Pass Gravel 10" Shorts review (1)

Featured review by Ashleigh

Patagonia's Baggies are my go-to, do it all shorts. They are lightweight, breathable, packable, abrasion-resistant, water-resistant, quick drying nylon shorts. The DWR treated Baggies sport a 5" inseam, two quick drain pockets with mesh in the bottom, and a stretchy elastic waistband with tie. I hike, kayak, wakeboard, play tennis, jog, work out and do just about everything in these shorts! If I had only one pair of shorts, these would be the ones. Patagonia has been making these for years and are made for babies on up to men's and women's.

My Patagonia Baggies have been through it all. I love these shorts! I would literally wear them every day if I could. I bought them primarily for hiking because I had heard so many great things about them. They are perfect for hiking because they have pockets (but they are not big baggy cargo pockets), they resist abrasion and water, they are breathable and comfortable, and they do not chafe. Nowadays, ladies' shorts tend to be rather short (3" inseam), but the 5" inseam in these is the perfect length for me.

Read more: Patagonia Baggies Shorts 5" reviews (5)

Featured review by T.J.

Outdoor Research's updated Ferrosi fabric delivers big on comfort, stretch, and durability, but sizing and features should be considered with the Ferrosi Short.

Having previously reviewed an older version of the Outdoor Research 10-inch Ferrosi Shorts, that had a strong but not particularly long life, I was excited to try their latest fabric update in the newest 7-inch model they’re offering (see my original Ferrosi Shorts review below). After a season of very frequent California trail use, including moist Redwood forests, High-Sierra backpacking trips, desert overnights, and frequent use near my home next to a national forest, I’d say there’s a whole lot of good with these shorts, but a couple of things to consider if you’re thinking about pulling the trigger.

Read more: Outdoor Research Ferrosi Shorts reviews (3)

Featured review by Jakuchu

Light but protective short that gets out of the way, yet lets you carry tons of stuff.

Fit I will say it up front, I love the Strider Pro shorts. When trail running or hiking up steep hills I love the fit of them. The 5" inseam means they do not pull on your quads when going up steep terrain. They have a split on the side to give you extra freedom of movement while covering you up well enough. For me a 5" inseam is perfect. The waistband is a good elastic, but also has a lace that you can tie in case they would sag on you. I can't speak for everybody of course, but the fit on me is great, and the adjustability makes me think it would fit most people very well..

Read more: Patagonia Strider Pro Short reviews (3)

Reviewed by OutdoorKelly

The Patagonia women's Dirt Roamer Bike Shorts pack a host of straightforward, well thought out features into a simple pair of shorts. The material and seams stretch together, offering an unrestricted range of motion, and the lightweight fabric wicks moisture, repels water, and dries rapidly. They were hands down my favorite shorts to ride in this past season.

Testing Conditions: I tested the Patagonia women’s Dirt Roamer Bike Shorts as a member of the Trailspace Review Corps. I wore the shorts mountain biking in and around the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire from June through October 2018. I also brought them with me on an October road trip, mountain biking in Bentonville, Arkansas, and around Asheville, North Carolina. Temperatures during testing ranged from about 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.                                                       Out for a spin Fit and Comfort: I’m 5'4" with a fairly curvy lower body (35" hip, 27" waist).

Read more: Patagonia Dirt Roamer Bike Shorts review (1)

Reviewed by LoneStranger

This simple, kilt style, silnylon wrap is great for those who hate wearing rain pants because they need more ventilation. Light to carry and easy to put on, especially compared to rain pants, the wrap works best on open trails and paired with a jacket or short poncho.

So often I find that getting raingear out and on before I'm soaked is a pipedream. Combined with the steamy interior I often opted to just get wet from the rain rather than bother unless it was really cold. I'd just hike faster to keep warm and dry out in camp. The EE Rain Wrap has changed that and given me something that works on family trips where fast hiking isn't an option and goes on fast. Several inches fell in just a few hours on this Baxter State Park trip. Real world testing indeed! Fit & Comfort: The EE Rain Wrap is basically a rectangular, silnylon tarp that has snap closures and a gathered elastic waist.

Read more: Enlightened Equipment Rain Wrap review (1)

Featured review by Twig

The Purple Rain Adventure Skirt has become one of my all-time favorite pieces of clothing for its functionality, versatility, comfort, and durability. What sets it apart from all other hiking skirts are the functional cargo pockets and a stretchy yoga-style waist band. It is the kind of garment you can eat, sleep, bathe, swim and walk thousands of miles in, never once having needed to take it off. This versatility makes it an ideal candidate for long-distance hiking and other endurance activities. It gets my highest honors by being a part of my ultralight equipment for multiple thru-hikes/section-hikes this year. It’s so good, I couldn’t resist buying a second one (even though the first still has many years left in it).

Hiking skirts: a brief background and intro (please scroll down for just the skirt  review): My interest in hiking skirts was first sparked by a Review Corps product I received for testing, the Sierra Designs Silicone Trail Skirt. Despite the skirt being a little too short and large at the waist, I really grew to like it. Here are some of the many benefits of hiking skirts for women (many apply to men too!): Ventilation is supreme. Pair with a set of merino undies for odor-free bliss. Freedom of movement…no restriction around the knees and no annoying swish/swish around the ankles, as commonly experienced in pants.

Read more: Purple Rain Adventure Skirt reviews (4)

Featured review by MrsMustard

This wrinkle and water resistant skirt can fold up into pants or shorts and is perfect for hiking or travelling. It is lightweight, breathable, and even fashionable!

I purchased this "hiking" skirt about 5-6 years ago after reading about it on whiteblaze.net. I have used it on many, many trips and washed it many times and it still looks brand new! I purchased the regular, ankle length skirt and usually wear it as such. The fit is very comfortable since it has an elastic waist band and a drawstring, however, I have found that I need to use Body Glide under the waistband while hiking to avoid friction.   It comes with a clip to adjust it from a skirt to pants or shorts.

Read more: Macabi Skirt reviews (4)

Featured review by Terry.Tyson

For comfort, ease of movement and adaptability, hiking in a kilt for the first time can be a revelation. Sport Kilt manufactures a quality lightweight, microfiber hiking kilt that could be worn by men or women. For the price and the workmanship, it's hard to find a better hiking kilt.

Sport Kilt of Signal Hill, California, was the result of a group of athletes who were looking for a garment that could be easily be donned after an exhaustive event with no locker room nearby. Taking a nod from surfers in Long Beach who'd wrap a towel around their waist to remove their trunks after surfing, the Sport Kilt (SK) concept quickly gained favor from athletes as an alternative to shorts. Their attention to detail, quality of workmanship and competitive prices lead more traditional kilt wearers to become satisfied customers as well.

Read more: Sport Kilt Hiking Kilt reviews (2)