It’s rare when you find a pair of pants that can work for adventuring in winter and also wear around the house or even to work (depending on your job).
The Backcountry Winter On The Go Pants are stylish enough to wear every day for any reason. I used them for a hike and for walking the dog several times, and I really liked how comfortable they felt and how they protected me from the cold winter air.
I will say, the pants are stylish enough that you could easily wear them to a job if you work at a startup or some other workplace that accepts casual attire. I like being comfortable, so I wore them in a remote office quite often. For winter trekking, it means you can work on a laptop all day drinking coffee, and then head out after work and go snow-shoeing.
The catch is that, if you look closely, the pants are actually designed for being active. For starters, they are made of a thicker and durable material than the average khakis. I felt warm in snow shoes and walking the dog, and on one hike with a cold wind, I noticed the pants didn’t let the wind through the fabric.
There’s a side pocket on the right leg, which was really handy when I was snow-shoeing. It means I could put my keys and phone in that pocket and not worry about losing them. I’m basically at the point where any pants that don’t have a side zip pocket like this won’t work for me. I tested UA activewear pants years ago with a side zippered pocket and still to this day use them for biking without any worry that I’ll lose my keys or wallet.
So, you might wonder — what gives the pants away for work? One is the zippered rear pocket, which is fine for exercising and hiking, but if you pay the bill at a restaurant, it will be a bit more obvious you are not wearing dress pants. You also can’t wear a belt, since the pants use a drawstring that reminds me of wearing sweatpants. Maybe Backcountry would say, why are you wearing these to work in the first place? To that I would say, because that’s how I roll.
I think most people are moving in that direction, too. We like to be comfortable at work, and most people have accepted that the trends are all pointing to more and more confort, working remotely, and less formal attire.
The pants flex easily and don’t feel stiff. I liked how I could also cinch up the cuffs and keep them at that length while wearing boots or cross country ski boots.
In the summer, I plan to try them again in the rain and on sunny days. The pants have moisture wicking capability to keep you warm and dry. The fleece lining might be a bit thick for hot summer days, but that depends greatly on where I go and the time of day. I also bike a lot, so I’ll be curious if these pants provide the right comfort and warmth on morning rides.
Overall, I really like how they feel, how they flex, and how they look for work and for my adventures.
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