OR Women's Element Pant : Lightweight Travel Pants

About midway through my trip to Belize, my traveling partner said she was envious of how nice and relatively wrinkle-free my OR Elements pants looked compared to her travel pants. Yes. Besides being a great-performing, quick-drying, moisture-wicking pant, the Element pants are trim, sleek, and flattering.

Lots of quick-drying, nylon sport pants are out there on the market, with big pockets up and down the legs, or with zippers circling all the way around the thigh where pants convert to shorts. I have to admit, I’ve never found those types of pants aesthetically pleasing, so the Element really stands out. The three slash zIp pockets lie flat and close to the hips (two on the side and one in back); in fact, the pockets are so flat that I didn’t realize there was a pocket in back until the third time I wore these pants. The waistband falls smoothly at hip-level, without any elastic bunching or belt loops.

In the steamy, warm, and humid climate of the subtropical Belize jungle, everything seems to get and stay damp. I wore long pants more than shorts to protect my legs from the sun and bugs, but my crisp Element pants always felt dry and comfortable, despite the heat and humidity. A few times I rolled up the bottom of the pants for a capri-style look.

After adventuring in Belize, I detoured through the Gulf Coast states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana for a few days before returning north to Seattle. Temperatures down in the 60s felt downright chilly, but I was comfortable in my Element pants walking all over the French Quarter in New Orleans. I was also glad to have a trimmer pant that didn’t cry out “backpacker” when we stopped for an elegant dinner at Clancy’s, a nice restaurant in one of the fancier neighborhoods. I’ve since worn these pants to work here in Seattle and it’s still only February.

Bottom Line: A well-designed, classy performance sport pant that will work hiking in the jungle as well as dressed up for work or play in the city. I know I’m going to get a lot of use out of these pants throughout the year.--J.I. (May '05)

Price: $75

Manufacturer's Site: www.orgear.com

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