Hiking Shorts

Shorts cut for walking rather than for sitting about

Hiking shorts are built around movement: a waistband that copes with a rucksack hip belt, a leg that clears the knee on a step up, and cloth that dries after a river crossing or a heavy morning. The range covers men's and women's cuts, stretch fabrics, elasticated waists, zipped pockets and versions with a liner sewn in. What separates them from ordinary summer shorts is the seat and thigh cut, drawn for a raised knee instead of a chair.

What length works on the trail?

The inside leg measurement decides more than the style name does. A short inseam moves freely and cools quickly but leaves the thigh exposed to sun, bracken and midges. A longer inseam finishing near the knee protects the leg and still bends, though it can catch behind the knee on a steep climb. The test is a deep step up onto a wall: if the hem drags on the knee or the seat pulls tight, the cut is wrong whatever the waist size. The longer, heavier cuts held in military shorts sit at that end of the range.

Do you need a built in liner?

A liner is a light inner short sewn into the waistband. It removes a layer of clothing, holds everything in place on a long descent and cuts the rubbing that comes from wet fabric moving against skin. Against that, it dries more slowly than the shell and cannot be washed separately at camp. Walkers who chafe on hot days tend to want one; those who prefer to pick their own base layer do not.

Which details show up after an hour of walking?

• Waistband type: a fully elasticated or part elasticated waist sits under a hip belt without a buckle digging in, which a rigid waistband will do by the second hour.
• Pocket closures: zips keep a phone and keys in place when scrambling or sitting on rock; open pockets do not.
• Stretch content: a small amount of elastane in the weave is what lets a high step happen without the seat seam taking the strain.
• Drying speed: light synthetics dry while being walked in, cotton stays cold and heavy once wet.
• Seam position: an inner leg seam that sits under a pack strap or a saddle is the one that rubs.

How do cargo pockets change things?

Loaded thigh pockets swing with each stride and pull the waistband down on one side, which is why walking shorts keep them flatter and further back than a casual cut does. For carrying more on the leg, the fuller pocketing in mens cargo shorts makes sense. Lighter walking cuts trade that capacity for weight and freedom.

When are shorts the wrong choice?

On overgrown paths, on scree, on ground with ticks, and anywhere the wind picks up at altitude. Legs cool fast once still, and a summit stop in shorts undoes the warmth generated on the way up. A layer of longjohns underneath covers the leg on a cold start without losing the freedom of shorts. Many walkers carry both and change at the treeline, which is why the paired selection in hiking trousers & shorts is worth browsing together rather than separately.