Introduction
The right clothing can help make a trip more enjoyable and less stressful. Some of us worry about not having the right attire so we over pack and end up lugging unnecessary items everywhere we go. A versatile pair of travel pants can cover numerous situations and give you comfort you will have what you need. I was given the opportunity review a pair of KUHL travel pants. The pants were provided free of charge, but this review is mine without input from KUHL.
The pants I selected for this review (KUHL let me pick the product) was the Renegade PANT. These are casual/technical in style, though KUHL makes others that have a more dressed up look. I selected this specific style, as I wanted travel clothing for active trips and outdoor activities. I would consider the pants to be versatile and work for city touring as well as an outdoor hike.
I have been wearing the pants off and on for several months in different travel situations during trips and activities we already had on the books, including:
- Hiking in Yellowstone National Park
- Skiing in Austria (under snow pants)
- Sightseeing in Vienna
- Traveling through various airports
- Walking my dog
- Around the house, other daily / weekend activities
Materials, Design and Features
These pants are made of a branded material called DuraLux which is mainly used in outdoor and performance wear. It is a 91% polyester to 9% elastane (also known as spandex) blend. The material is designed to be durable, breathable, slightly stretchy and comfortable. Some of the properties of DuraLux include:
- Quick-drying
- Moisture wicking
- Water resistant
- Abrasion resistance
- UPF 50+ sun protection
The pants have a wealth of pockets, starting with the usual two front and two back pockets, similar to any pair of jeans or normal slacks. In addition, there is a zippered side pocket on each leg. The KUHL website gives the impression that there is only one zippered side pocket. That isn’t the case, there is one on each leg. The zippered pockets are a nice feature for active / travel apparel. I used them to secure things like my wallet, passport and hotel room key. There is also a pocket on the right leg that is specifically designed for you to drop your cell phone into. I didn’t use this much, though I think some people might. It does provide ready access to your phone which is helpful when taking pictures for example. I have a larger size phone (iPhone Pro Max) and it was able to fit into this pocket, though it was a little tight. The back pockets close with Velcro, giving you many options to secure your stuff.
See below for an overview of the pockets and other design features. Don’t judge me on my drawing skills.
Performance
I have found the KUHL pants to be soft, stretchy and very comfortable. I’ve worn them on some long flights and put them through the paces hiking, skiing, and sightseeing. They are pretty lightweight and worked well skiing with a thermal base layer underneath and ski pants on top. The water resistance wasn’t something that I was specifically looking for, but found it to be a good feature. Water resistance also translates to stain resistance and a small drink spill during a flight wiped off the pants without issue. The pants have what KUHL describes as “articulated knees” which is a fancy way of saying there are curved seams in the knee area, allowing for natural movement without the fabric bunching or restricting motion. There is also a gusseted crotch which means there is a triangular fabric panel sewn in the crotch with the purpose of reducing stress on the seems and allowing for greater range of motion. I’m not sure I specifically noticed either of these features, but if nothing else, significant thought has been put into the design. Lastly, I think you would need to work hard to wrinkle these pants. The polyester / spandex material is such that they don’t really wrinkle.
Care Instructions
The directions for washing are as follows:
- Machine wash cold, delicate cycle
- Do not bleach
- No softener
- Tumble dry low
I have ignored these instructions as I expect most people will. I have not bleached them or used fabric softener, but every wash I have done has been on the regular cycle with warm water and normal / permanent press dryer heat. I haven’t noticed any shrinkage or other issues as a result. Mistreat them at will.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Thoughtful, capable design | Don’t love Velcro on the back pockets |
| Light weight and comfortable | Not cheap |
| Versatile, work in the city or outdoors | |
| High quality construction and materials |
Final Verdict & Closing Thoughts
I very much like and enjoy these pants. More than I thought I would if I was being honest. They are comfortable and I like the fit, style and general feel of them. They have held up well after months of use and pretty much look like new. They are not inexpensive. You can find cheaper similar options (as well as higher priced versions). I generally prefer to buy fewer, high quality items. These pants would fall into that bucket for me. I would expect to get years of use out of these so the cost is less of a concern. I would definitely recommend the Renegade pants as a solid buy and intend to get more Kuhl gear in the future.
I hope you found this review helpful. If you have questions, please leave them in the comments.
Happy Travels,
Bill
Link below for the specific pants worn for this review. Please note, this is an affiliate link and we may receive a commission if you purchase the item.
