When you go hiking multiple times a week all spring and summer long, it can be easy to get a little stuck in your ways, wearing the same old T-shirts and trousers day in, day out. After years of hearing friends rave about Outdoor Research’s bespoke, award-winning soft shell fabric, I picked up a pair of Ferrosi hiking pants, eager to change my old habits and see what all the fuss was about.
Ladies and gentlemen, these hiking pants are excellent. They’re lightweight without sacrificing durability, incredibly water-resistant and boast a flattering fit that mimics your favorite pair of jeans (with some stretch and a few zippered pockets, of course). Let’s get into what makes these pants a cut above the rest.
Now made with 46% recycled material, Outdoor Research has put sustainability front and center on a classic hiking pant that offers ample pockets, durable fabric, supreme weather resistance and enough stretch to go from town to the crag to the singletrack with ease.
What we liked about it
There’s a lot to love about the Ferrosi Pants. They’re lightweight and breathable, weighing in at a scant 9 ounces, yet they somehow manage to retain the durability, wind resistance, and water repellence of a much thicker pant. Plus, with a 50+ UPF sun protection rating, you can rock them all day long without having to reapply greasy creams.
The durable soft shell fabric
Outdoor Research’s Ferrosi fabric truly feels like wizardry. While testing these bad boys, I held the pants over a fully running faucet in my sink for 1 to 30 seconds at a time, and even in 30 seconds of a torrential downpour, the pants retained minimal moisture. They are, hands down, the most water-resistant pants I’ve seen so far that isn’t specifically billed as a rain pant. They’re also incredibly quick-drying, should you head out in soggy weather or need to cross a deep stream on a thru-hike.
When rock scrambling in Colorado’s Front Range near Boulder, I noticed that, even when wedging myself into conglomerate chimneys to ascend a mellow class-four route, the pants’ claimed abrasion resistance really held up. I’ve since worn these babies on over a hundred miles of hiking trails, and they still look good as new.
Zippered pockets
One of the biggest gripes I always hear about women’s pants is that there are never enough (or secure enough) pockets. Not so with the Ferrosi Pants. The jeans-style front pockets are lined with mesh to retain their breathability, and the right pant leg offers an additional zippered mesh pocket that’s just large enough to stow a smartphone or a map and a snack. In the rear, you’ll find an open, slide-in pouch on the left side and a secure back pocket with a zipper on the right.
The Infinite Guarantee
In the outdoor community, when we talk about product warranties, we often marvel at REI’s infamous one-year return policy or Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee. However, Outdoor Research has some contractual gear protection up its sleeve as well, and it’s worth taking note of.
Outdoor Research proudly backs all its designs with a guarantee “throughout the lifetime of the product.” That’s it. If anything breaks for the entirety of the time you wear these pants, you can send them in for a replacement or store credit.
What we didn’t like about it
These pants routinely top the “best of” lists for a slew of good reasons. However, there are a few small things we’d love to see Outdoor Research change the next time they update this design.
Only one side pocket
I’m one of those hikers who loves to slide her phone in and out of a side pocket for easy GPS-checking and picture-taking throughout my hikes and backpacking trips. I also like to store a snack, keys and a lip balm in a second side pocket … if I have one. Unfortunately, unlike many of my favorite hiking pants and leggings, the Ferrosi Pants only provides a single zippered pocket (on the right side) for stowing an iPhone, so my Burt’s Bees sits awkwardly at my hip crease inside the front pocket.
Drawcord cuff is confusing
When I first tried on the Ferrosi Pants, I was initially pleased to see what appeared to be an elastic drawstring to help cinch up the pants to knee-length for hot days and mellow stream crossings. Unfortunately, there’s no video on the Outdoor Research website showing how to properly use this feature, and on closer inspection, it appears to be a simple drawstring to tighten the bottom of the pant for climbing or tick-prevention, in addition to creating a not-so-comfortable knee cinch. Personally, I prefer the snap closures on Prana’s Halle Pants, which allow for easy and stress-free cooling or steam crossing. Or you could go buck wild with a pair of Ferrosi Convertible Pants, if you’re into that sort of thing.
How it compares
With its high-quality fabric, great warranty and excellent design, I thought the Ferrosi Pants would come in at a higher price point, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that top competitors are typically $50-$60 more expensive than this gem. The Ferrosi Pants are cheaper and lighter than Patagonia’s Terravia Alpine Pants and roughly the same weight as Arc’teryx’s Gamma Lightweight Pants.
At a similar dollar amount is Kühl’s Freeflex Roll-Up Pant, which comes in loads of fun colors but is a smidge heavier at 12 ounces, something that could be a deal breaker if you’re really counting grams in your pack. Don’t mind sacrificing some waterproofness in the name of fashion? Prana’s bestselling Halle Pant II brings loads of great pockets and sustainability initiatives into the mix for virtually the same price.
Bottom line
If you’re seeking a durable, sun-protective, weather-proof hiking pant that’s more affordable than the competition, look no further than Outdoor Research’s Ferrosi Pants. Not only do these trekking trousers do a fabulous job protecting against wind and rain but they are also comfortable, flattering, stretchy and ultra light. The perfect companion on any adventure, from hanging at the local crag to long-distance thru-hikes to grabbing a craft brew with your friends afterward.
