These Durable, Stretchy, and Breathable Trail Tights Do it All

The best gear is the kind that lasts. In 1,000-Mile Test, our reviewers return to favorite pieces of gear to see how they perform on the trail after multiple years and hundreds or thousands of miles.

I didn’t think there was such a thing as a perfect pair of hiking pants until I wore the Abisko Trail Tights. They’re a lighter version of Fjällräven’s Trekking Tights, which we gave an Editors’ Choice Award in 2018, and have somewhat less-burly nylon reinforcements, an extra pocket, and a gear loop. But I’ve taken these tights on every backpacking since 2018, and they look as good as the day I got them. 

Other tights either slide down my hips as I move, lack substantial pockets, or pill and rip after only a few washes and hikes. I found myself sacrificing breathability and mobility for durability, or vice versa. But this pair’s wide, 4-inch-high waistband stays in place no matter how bendy I get. A drop pocket in the back is big enough for my phone, while another drop pocket on the right thigh and a zip pocket on the left thigh hold my iPhone SE, a handful of tissues, granola bars, and a multitool.

As someone who is rough on my gear and uses tights for both hiking and rock climbing, I appreciate the Abisko Trail Tights’ reinforced fabric. This pair has tough but flexible nylon-elastane with ceramic reinforcement on the knees and rear, which come in handy when I kneel to fill up water or scoot over on a rock perch during a snack break. When I squeezed between boulders during a scramble on 14,073-foot Mt. Columbia in Colorado and accidentally slid on some loose gravel during a hike of the 30-mile Four Pass Loop near Aspen, the fabric didn’t show so much as a scuff. I’m not kidding when I say that they look like I just grabbed them off the table in a gear shop. 

Everywhere else, the Abiskos are made of butter-soft, stretchy, and breathable nylon-elastane fabric, and it’s buttery soft, stretchy, and breathable. I never regret packing these tights even if it ends up being too hot for pants, such as on a day hike on the Arizona Trail when temps reached 80°F. They weigh only 7 ounces, and are super compact: I can roll them up into the size of a 16-ounce water bottle. $150; Buy Now