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What kind of pants do you climb in?

Original Post
Matt Hails · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 40

This could be a repost, and if it is i apologize. But I'm wondering what people prefer to climb in? Personally i usually wear either basketball shorts or sweatpants, but i feel like i could be missing out on something better.

Evan Sanders · · Westminster, CO · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 140

Basketball shorts in the summer, jeans in the winter.

ze dirtbag · · Tahoe · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 50

lycra......its the bees knees

T Howes · · Bend, OR · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 20

Arborwear Tree Climber pant for cragging.

RockinOut · · NY, NY · Joined May 2010 · Points: 100

Gym shorts year round...i`ll wear a soft shell or sweat pants over them if its cold out but take them off to climb in just the shorts.

rogerbenton · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 210

jeans.

or cargo pants.

or board shorts in the summer.

Mark Wyss · · Denver, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 255

Prana stretch zion pant. Have only climbed in them one season. I was stubborn to switch to pants at first cause I had always climbed in shorts and I fear change. The zions got very solid reviews on here before so I checked them out in person. Bought a pair right away. They fit great. They breath very well and have buttons on the legs in case you want to roll the legs up.

Kirk B. · · Boise, ID · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 60

Really anything that affords freedom of movement. I'm no Brand whore. Experimentation seems to be key. I had a great pair of Hooblies(spelling?) some kinda surfer pant, but they wore out.(dammit)
Still experimenting.

AnthonyM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 30

Jeans or a soft-shell pant (when it's below freezing)... According to a dumb quiz in Climbing magazine only trendy traddies wear jeans. It's what I learned in, never get scraped up, and feel comfortable all the time...

BrianWS · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 790

Martial arts pants with an elastic waist. Freedom of movement, fairly wind resistant, durable, and cheap (~$20 per pair). They're a bit heavy for climbing in the dead of summer, but perfect for the east coast for 9/12 months per year.

Adam Bunger · · Someplace in the Northeast · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 1,025

a full snowsuit.

John Ryan · · Poncha Springs, CO · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 170

+1 for Prana Stretch Zion. I have been buying these for 8 years and love them. I own four pair now. Very durable and comfortable. The sizing seems to vary widely from year to year so I have many different fits. You can usually find them on sale during end of season clearance sales.

Nate Ball · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 11,209

Brian, I was going to say the same. Then I realized you're the dude who left Taiwan shortly before I arrived. Climbing with Kaivin tomorrow. Small world...

Martial arts pants.

Dave Bn · · Boise, ID · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 10

Whatever is " cool" at the time. Because that's what climbing is all about.

drtyner · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 45

Year round I wear MEC Super Burl Pants.

mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/MensClot…

Zeke6 · · Akron, Ohio · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 80

Eddie bauer FA jeans - Amazing

Metolius Dyno pants - Very durable

H BL · · Colorado · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 95

warmer weather, stretchy shorts. Cooler weather stretchy softshells.

BrianWS · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 790

Yes, basketball shorts + climbing harness are an awful, awful combo. Worse yet are folks who boulder wearing such shorts with boxers underneath.

I have heard legends of a mid-Atlantic hardman whose getup consisted of a lime-green speedo. According to one of his long-time climbing partners, belaying for him on corner pitches was reportedly "like staring up into a nest of spiders".

Nate Ball wrote:Brian, I was going to say the same. Then I realized you're the dude who left Taiwan shortly before I arrived. Climbing with Kaivin tomorrow. Small world... Martial arts pants.
Ha, no kidding -- small world indeed. Give my best to Mr. Chen! FYI, I'm still on the same pair of climbing pants since 2008. Tough material for sure, but they'd get prohibitively smelly after only one session between late spring and the end of typhoon season.
GhaMby Eagan · · Heaven · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 385

I like straight leg stretch-skater jeans, partly cause I can consistently find them on sale in my size (34x34), and partly because I'm a skinny-mo-fo and baggy climbing pants (stretch zion, stonemaster, organic, metolius, marmot, north face, etc.) make me look even scrawnier (imho).

I have these: sierratradingpost.com/dc-sh… which I paid around $20 with one of their many coupons. I wish I would have ordered 1 size down from my waist size (32 instead of 34). They have a bunch of other "skater jeans" on the website, but these are the only ones that they have with the 34" inseam.

Peter Stokes · · Them Thar Hills · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 150

I wear everything from double knee Carhartts to stretchy Verves... the thing I've found is if it's my day to send the Carhartts won't be a problem, and if it isn't my day the Verves won't help.

Bill Sacks · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 395

$3 Columbia pants from a REI garage sale. Patched up knees with khaki and all good.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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