Outdoor Research Men's Exos Pants

all around cool weather pants
My go-to workout pant for just about everything outdoors. Great for cool weather runs, a quick stretch session, and essential equipment for a trip up the diamond in the summer. Get a pair before they're gone!

OR Exos Pants
After conducting quite a bit of research on soft shell pants, I selected the men's Exos pant. As an avid outdoorsman in Southwestern PA, we have small hills compared to out west, but lake-effect snow and the "Canadian Clipper" still have a tremendous impact. My outdoor activities involve sporting clays, sledding with my kids (standing around whilst waiting to push the next rider), and frequent overnight camping treks in Forbes Forest where the cover can be very thick. With these fairly low aerobic activities in mind, my focus was with wind protection, warmth/breathability, and durability of the fabric in the woods. These pants score perfect marks on all three counts. At 6' and 190 lbs (34" waist) I choose a large. The fit is slightly slimmer compared to khakis, but not clingy or tight. The stretch fabric and gusseted crotch makes striding and climbing very comfortable without the pants riding up or binding. The surface of the exterior is Cordura, and while not of the same denier as that found on upland brush pants, its easy to see that these will take more abuse that other soft shells. Workmanship of the Exos is simply outstanding. Upon close inspection, I could not find any flaws in the stitching, seam irregularity, or loose threads commonly found in garments. If shear strength is a concern, its important to note that most of the seams are double-stitched to aid in longevity. Where these pants really shine is in wind protection and warmth. The temperatures here in PA are currently in the mid twenties with winds around 20 mph (according to the Weather Channel!) The Exos blocked the wind without any of the seepage common to other more basic soft shell pants. They keep their warmth without any retained sweat accumulation. (The durability has yet to be field tested, but I'm confident in the Cordura's performance.) In all, the Exos are well worth the investment, and are backed by Outdoor Research's Infinite Guarantee in case they have an issue. I would highly recommend pants, particularly to someone who also participates in low aerobic winter activities where alot of standing around is to be expected.

OR EXOS-AWESOME
I've been wearing an O.R. Mithril softshell jacket for several years and always wanted to try a pair of softshell pants. The Exos by O.R. is a wonderful hiking pant for the shoulder seasons of early spring,fall, and into winter. I christened them on a three day backpacking trip in Linville Gorge last weekend and was suriprised by them. They are lightly insulated and the pair i was wearing was black in color....the surprise came on the third day when it was 60F and we had Shortoff Mountain to climb. Shortoff had burned sometime in the last 5 years and the sun was full on. I expected to roast and wet out with sweat but I didn't! Surprisingly under these conditions of full sun, 60F, and humping a loaded backpack uphill the pants managed the perspiration well. In camp each night the light insulation provided enough until well after dark and only when it got below 30F did I put on the Thermawrap pants (part of the sleep system). When you are stepping over downed trees you will love the stretch and the pockets are enough for what I need while on the move. The hidden cargo pockets are limited but they won't catch on bramble like a full out cargo pocket will when loaded down. I liked these pants so much I'm waiting on a pair in the kaki color! Truth in review, we had no rain on this trip to experiment with but I have put them under the facet and can tell it will take a while for them to wet out....so the wise hiker will have a lower shell like the Golite Reed in the pack. So an overall woohoo to the OR Exos :)