Trekking Trousers

Trekking trousers, cut to move on ground that changes

Trekking trousers are built around movement rather than around a silhouette: stretch woven fabric, a shaped knee and a crotch gusset that lets a high step happen without the waistband dropping at the back. The range covers lightweight summer pairs, softshell versions with a brushed inner face for cold days, three-layer designs for exposed ground, zip-off styles that become shorts and cropped cuts. Weight, stretch and how fast the fabric dries are the three variables worth comparing.

What separates them from ordinary trousers?

Three details, none visible from across a room. The gusset is a diamond panel set into the crotch so the seams do not all meet at one point, which is where jeans split over a stile. Articulated knees are sewn with a bend already in them, so the fabric follows the joint instead of pulling the hem up the shin. And the fabric itself is a tight synthetic weave with a percentage of elastane, chosen because it dries in air rather than holding water the way cotton does. Anything sold as hiking trousers should have at least the first two.

Zip-off or full length?

Zip-off legs suit a day that starts cold and ends hot, and save carrying a second garment. The compromise is the zip itself: a hard line of teeth sitting above the knee, which some never notice and others feel on every long descent. Full length trousers with a rolling tab on the calf ventilate without that seam, and cropped cuts suit warm, dry ground where nothing needs protecting below the knee. Below freezing, longjohns under a stretch-woven leg add warmth without the bulk of a lined trouser.

Which details should you compare?

• Stretch: a small proportion of elastane in the weave is what allows a full stride uphill; a rigid fabric restricts it however generous the cut.
• Waistband: a partly elasticated back or an integrated belt keeps the waist honest when a hip belt presses down on it.
• Pocket closure: zipped thigh and hip pockets keep a phone in place when scrambling; open pockets do not.
• Cuff adjustment: a drawcord or tab closes the hem around a boot and stops the leg flapping in wind.
• Seat and knee panels: a doubled or reinforced layer at the two points that meet rock first.

How much rain will a stretch-woven pair take?

A shower, and not much more. A durable water repellent finish makes light rain bead and run off, and a quick-drying weave means a soaking dries on the leg while walking, often enough in summer. Sustained rain is a different problem, answered by pulling waterproof trousers over the top and taking them off once it passes.

How should the length be judged?

Against the footwear that will be worn with them. The hem should reach the top of a boot without folding on it, since fabric bunched at the ankle wears through where it rubs on the lacing. Measure the inside leg in walking socks and check the fit while crouched, since that position reveals a rise that is too short. A pair of trekking trousers for men is often cut with a longer leg than the same nominal size elsewhere, so expect a hem allowance.