While Prana may be best known for their yoga and activewear, they also have a great selection of clothing that would best be classified as ‘active casual,’ tops and bottoms that transition from the trail to the street. The Moab Pants for women fall into this category, and I’ve had the chance to test them in a wide range of activities and environments to see how they perform in the real world.
At first glance, the Moab pants don’t even look like hiking pants. With a semi-fitted cut and street-clothes features like flat waistbands and trouser pockets, they look like a pair of chinos from a distance. But on closer inspection, they have quite a few useful features that helps them perform in a multitude of outdoor activities. They are mainly constructed with nylon for breathability and durability, but a bit of spandex gives the pants stretch and give, something I am sure climbers would love (I’m not one myself). The flat waistband doesn’t have belt loops, but if needed there is a built in adjustment feature that allows you to cinch down the waist a bit. Pockets are lined with mesh and the back pockets are kept closed with zippers to prevent anything from falling out. In addition, there are reinforced knees to add extra durability and the semi-fitted cut is roomy but not baggy.
With all these factors in mind, the Moab pants were an obvious choice to pack when I traveled around the world last month. The lightweight material saved space in my pack, a major plus when traveling for long periods of time. The nylon/spandex fabric held up well after multiple days, something that can’t be said of cotton pants. However, the most impressive feature of these pants was how well they performed in multiple climates. With temperatures in the different places ranging anywhere from 40 degrees F to 85 degrees F and humid, they were never not warm enough or too hot (a pleasant surprise as I thought they would be a bit heavy for the humid climate). Upon my return home, these have become my go-to pants for early spring hikes here in the Pacific Northwest, where you can start out hiking in the sun and warm air, but conditions change quickly to high winds, rain, and dropping temperatures.
The Moab pants retail for $75 and are available in a few colors (and a wide range of sizes). With my experience, this is a great price for the quality and versatility of the pants.
Product sample provided by the manufacturer for review purposes.
