This is how you find the right hiking pants

Comfortable hiking pants are a must in every wardrobe. They are not only useful for hiking, but also for any outdoor activity. And they outlive all fashionable trends. However, there are so many different kinds to choose from nowadays that you shouldn’t simply just buy any hiking pants. Because if you choose the wrong model, a lot of the time you’ll notice that the pants are anything but functional when in use.

What makes good hiking pants ?

The following buyer’s guide will help you find your perfect hiking pants. This overview lets you jump to the topics that interest you:

1.) Types: Find the right outdoor pants

2.) Fit: Hiking pants that fit perfectly

3.) Cut: This makes hiking pants stand out

4.) This makes hiking pants functional

5.) What is the right waist for me?

6.) Do I need insulation?

7.) How waterproof should my pants be?

8.) Workmanship: What to look for

9.) Clever details make all the difference

Do I need hiking pants, outdoor pants, functional pants or trekking pants?

These four terms are often used as synonyms. Strictly speaking, they’re not the same. The fact is that hiking pants have been developed specifically for hiking, therefore they are abrasion-proof, breathable, stretch and have many practical details. All these features together make hiking pants very functional.

Trekking pants differ to hiking pants in that the material and finish are more robust. This is because you need to be comfortable for several days at a time when trekking. They also have to be able to dry quickly e.g. with dryprotec.

However, outdoor pants or functional pants are umbrella terms, which include all types of outdoor activities, therefore less clearly defined. Some manufacturers equip outdoor pants/functional pants with lots of functions. However, others make them barely distinguishable from standard cotton pants by adding just a few details that are suitable for the outdoors. Moreover, many functional pants nowadays are also suitable for everyday use.

Maier Sports has something for all needs, ranging from everyday functional pants to technically advanced hiking pants. In fact, all of our pants are functional and suitable for active outdoor use.

There is only one important difference: our functional pants are even more versatile whereas our hiking pants have been developed especially for long walks in the outdoors. Moreover, you will also find proper all-purpose outdoor pants such as our best-rated pants for hiking and travelling – multi-award-winning hiking pants with a plethora of functions and practical features.

Fit: Hiking pants have to fit perfectly!

Hiking pants, or functional pants, have to be able to do everything: fit properly but also allow great freedom of movement; be close-fitting but not cut into anywhere; be worn over hiking boots but not flap around or drag in the dirt. And all that regardless of the figure Mother Nature gave us!

When it comes to the perfect fit, Maier Sports is your specialist. Maier Sports has perfect fitting hiking pants for every figure thanks to 25 sizes for women and 36 for men.

As the waist circumference, thigh width, hip width, leg muscles and leg length can vary greatly from person to person, and the right fit is essential for a comfortable fit, we won’t force you into the five classic clothes sizes of S to XXL.

Women under 1.68 m and men under 1.74 m can choose between 10 and 14 different short sizes respectively. The normal sizes – for women from 1.68 m and men from 1.74 m – are also available in 10 and 14 sizes respectively. The long sizes, for people who are too tall for the normal sizes, come in five cuts for women and eight for men.

Insulation: What insulation should my hiking pants have?

The question regarding the insulation or thermal output of hiking pants is pretty easy to answer. There are generally three types of hiking pants: padded, lined and ones which are nether padded nor lined.

You usually need padded or lined hiking pants when the temperature is below 10 °C. Padded pants are always slightly warmer than lined ones. Whatever you choose depends on how sensitive you are to cold as well as the temperature of the surroundings where you are going to be hiking.

Hiking pants with high-quality padding, such as mTHERM, feel nice and soft on the skin and allow you to go hiking even when the temperature is below zero. You will also find the same hiking pants but lined for just cool days in the Maier Sports range.

Also important to know: hiking pants aren’t supposed to be thickly padded. This is because you give off very little heat over the legs. Instead, hiking or any other physical activity is good for your circulation and will “warm” you in a natural way.

But if you choose pants that are too warm, then heat will build up and make it very unpleasant. Therefore, robust and padded winter functional pants or hiking pants should really only be considered for winter activities.

Sophisticated details: What practical details should hiking pants have?

Additional functions and features such as pockets, roll-ups, detachable legs, reflective elements, adjustable leg widths, mesh inner linings or zip covers make hiking pants versatile and practical. To go into all the details here would digress too much.

But it's useful for you to know: Maier Sports has four different zip technologies that turn long pants into 3/4 pants (also called Capri pants) and/or into shorts:

- Zip-off: The classic zip-off version lets you shorten the pants above the knees with one zip.

- Double zip-off: The double zip-off is more versatile. It lets you zip off the pants above the knees and below the knees. So you can have long pants, 3/4 pants and shorts for the price of one.

- T zip-off: Hiking pants with a T zip-off give you the advantage of being able to detach the legs without having to take off your chunky hiking boots.

- 3/4 zip-off pants: If you don’t want to show too much leg, then you will also find hiking pants with a 3/4 zip-off at Maier Sports. These pants let you detach the legs below the knees.

You will only find fashionable elements with reflectors on hiking and functional pants where it actually makes sense. This applies to pants that would normally be worn in poor visibility conditions. This is why our women’s and men’s rain pants have reflective elements, but our light summer hiking pants don’t.