Mountain Hardwear Women's Shasta Pants : They're Not Purple, But I Still Like Them

Call me a fancy girl, but I picked Mountain Hardwear's Shasta Pants because the image on their web site looked purple. I wanted purple hiking pants.

Turns out, they're not purple at all but Fire Brick, which is more like a dark salmon with a purple hue. Anyway, once I wore this lightweight hiking pant, I found plenty of other reasons to like it.

First, it's mostly cotton. I love the feel of cotton and usually shun technical fabrics for outdoor pants because I can't stand anything but natural fibers against my skin. The Shasta is made out of a 72 percent cotton, 25 percent nylon, and 3 percent Elastane blend. No wonder this pant feels so soft. The other 28 percent gives the pant some give (along with a gusseted inseam) and help it dry faster when wet. That's nice.

Fit wise, I seem to often be in between sizes with Mountain Hardwear pants. I don't know if that's because my weight changes more than I notice, different styles fit differently, or I'm just in between. Having said that, I love that a size 10 is baggy on me. I can't stand wearing tight-fitting clothes, especially when I'm hiking.

This straight-legged pant is described as low-rise on the MH site, but since I wear low rise jeans all the time, they didn't seem very low to me (which makes me think that a lot of women will find this happy medium between fashion low and outdoor low comfortable). The Shasta pant doesn't have belt loops because who needs the hassle of a belt when you're chugging down the trail? Still, I can adjust the waistband by pulling an internal cord that cinches when I'm needing a tighter fit and relaxes when I want to roll down the waistband so I can wear the pant low on my hips.

I love the generous front pockets, the hidden zippered pocket, and the two snap-enclosure cargo pockets. No back pockets mean when I stop to rest on a boulder or fallen log, I don't have to empty my pockets. The pant also has contrast stitching. If I want to wade in a stream, I can roll up each pant leg and keep it that way with a strap and button loop hidden inside each leg. Nice.

Available in size 2-14, four different colors. These pants run long, which is perfect for me because I'm 5'11". Shorter ladies can easily hem them without impacting design or function.

Bottom Line :  Perfect for three-season outings, the Shasta pant is ideal for women who want the feel of cotton with enough "tech" thrown in to make them trailworthy.--E.D. (July 09)

Price : $70.00; on sale at for $55.96, and also marked down at: .

Manufacturer's Site: www.mountainhardwear.com

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