I was in the market for a good, strong, hiking and trail pant. Most of the options I came across were too heavy, not durable enough, or didn't have the right pockets. I research, but rarely purchase, clothing online, but these weren't on any shelves in my area so I took the risk and ordered a pair through Amazon, thanks to a "no-fee" return offer on them at the time. Though that guarantee turned out to be a bit of a hassle I was very pleased with the purchase and ended up with three pairs, one of each color.
Here is my overall analysis:
Pros:
1) The pants are lighter and more breathable than I expected.
I have other double-knee pants; they are quite heavy. However, these are made of a durable but lightweight cotton weave that breathes very well. Considering all of the extra pockets and associated material (including Cordura-lined back pockets) I was shocked at how light the pants were.
They represent the pants as being rip resistant ("Ripstop" as they say) and while I haven't seen them handle a rip, I am inclined to believe their claim. The particular weave of the cotton suggests that they would be hard to tear.
2) Good pockets and belt loops.
The pockets are strong, well-stitched, and located in the right places. The front hip pockets are deep and made of very strong cotton. Not the thin white cotton found in jeans, these are almost canvas-like; very reliable. As I said above, the rear pockets have thick Cordura on the inside as the lining. I am confident that my shop pencil or combination square will not easily rip through as it has with my work jeans.
The cargo pockets only have fullness on the rear seam, which is smart (the front seam lies flat, which prevents brush from catching easily while on the trail). They area large enough and close with durable snaps that can be opened one-handed, but don't pop open on their own. No buttons to fumble with or weak velcro patches. There is also a cell phone pocket (maybe a little small for some), an exterior "pliers" cargo pocket, and a hammer loop; all on the right side, so Southpaws beware.
The "patented tape measure patch" is kind of a gimmick as it isn't very thick leather and doesn't actually run on the inside of the pocket at all, which is where my tape always grabs and pulls. It covers the outside and the fold at the top of the pocket, but that's it. It's not bad, just doesn't really solve the tape pinching "dilemma."
The seven decent belt loops (including an extra wide center loop in the back) are well-spaced and provide good support and allow ample space for useful additions like binoculars, a flashlight, or a knife (yes, even a belt holster for those who are so inclined).
3) Serious stitching
All of the major seams are triple stitched. All of the secondary ones are double and pretty serious. Most of the single-stitched are not high tension seams (just fullness and folds it seems) and look sturdy. Also the thread is of good quality. See "Cons" below for a side note.
4) Relatively Reasonable Price
I paid [...] per pair (w/ free shipping and return shipping) on Amazon. Wrangler would sell direct at a little cheaper ($37 each I think) with free shipping on orders over $100. But of course, the return shipping would've been on me. So I went with Amazon. That's cheaper than Carhartts and these pants are lighter, have better pockets, and are better for hiking.
However, I recently found these on a shelf at our local hardware mega-center (Menard's, for those who know it) at around $30 per pair. That's a screaming deal. So look for them. You might be able to find a local retailer by going to [...].
Cons:
1) Be aware - Waist measurements seem to be on the low side.
I was thankful for the free return shipping deal, since the pants seem to run on the small side for their waist measurements. All of my other pants are 33s, but for these I needed a 34 to feel comfortable. And no, it wasn't merely wishful thinking on my part, the pants really do run tight in the waist.
2) Made in Mexico
If you're a "Made in the USA" person, these won't fulfill that criteria. But judging by the quality, Wrangler made it clear they wanted good workmanship. If you're simply sick of substandard products from overseas, especially China, these aren't that. Not even close.
3) A couple of single-stitch runs might not hold up.
Here and there, I have found a few stitching errors. Thread tails, needle burps, even one unfinished end. But all of them were in non-critical places. All in all, on three pairs I found 5 or 6 errors TOTAL. I don't know if you can do better than that for assembly-line clothing.
4) The free return shipping required a call to Amazon...twice.
Despite the "automatic" nature of the free return shipping offer from Amazon, both of the pairs that I returned resulted in a return shipping charge on the return amount. This required a call to an Amazon Support rep both times to have return shipping refunded to me as well. The reps were friendly, quick to reverse it, and noted that the return should have been automatic. But since it wasn't twice, it was obviously not something they were going to fix. Realizing that this is not really relevant to the product itself, i did not figure in this factor when giving the four star rating. Nonetheless, you should know it for your own decision.
Overall, very pleased with the purchase. Good, sturdy pants with nice features at a competitive price. They aren't Carhartts, but I didn't really want Carhartts or to pay Crahartt prices . I wish I had waited and bought it locally for the reduced price, but at the time this was as good a deal as I could find.
Owen d.