Fjällräven Bergtagen Stretch Trousers
Protective pants
Tough hikes call for tough pants, but wearing heavy trousers can get annoying fast. Enter the Bergtagen Stretch Trousers, which mix a slimmed-down, jogger-like cut with a double-woven nylon fabric that puts Cordura on the outside for toughness and a softer nylon weave on the inside for comfort. “I’ve worn them for five months, including days spent rock climbing in Boulder Canyon, bushwhacking, and ice climbing. They look as good as the day I got them,” one tester says. (And they had better, given the price.) A touch of elastane (9 percent) gives the pants enough stretch for high steps and kept them comfy on breaks, while two mesh-backed pockets on the legs let us dump a small amount of heat. The Bergtagen dried in 45 minutes in 70°F temps. $200; 13.4 oz.; m’s 29-40, w’s 25.5-35