Now I know North Face™ Paramount Peak Convertible hiking pants are intended for hiking, but I don’t just put them on when I’m on the trail. I really like them—the look, the fit, etc.—and I even wear them for casual meetings, as I did this morning.
But their looks aren’t what made me glad I was wearing them today—it was their quick-drying capabilities. Made of 100% Nylon micro-ripstop fabric, these convertible pants are durable, but when I turned a corner and had my water bottle spill in my lap while driving, I learned exactly how effective they are at drying quickly.
I had about a 15-minute drive ahead of me, and I quickly wiped off the water (a lot of it beaded up) and turned the vents toward my…saddle area.
Whatever the air hit, dried. Whatever it didn’t reach…well, in 15 minutes, it had dried too. Yes, that’s right, my damp bum dried out by the time I got to my meeting 15 minutes after spilling a number of ounces of water all over my lap.
On the downside for these pants, the zip-off pant legs convert these pants into pretty short shorts, and my chicken legs don’t like that. Also, the front extra pockets share space with the traditional front pockets, creating an unsightly bulge if you’ve got a thick wallet. I feel like people think I’ve got a gland problem if I have both, say, a pack of gum and my wallet up front.
Other than that, these pants have delivered as promised—not just on the trail, for which I bought them and use them, but on the way to a meeting as casual-wear. I’d say odd pocket location is a small price to pay for that kind of performance.
Here’s some info on them:
- DWR (durable water repellent) finish—great for repelling spills
- Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) 30
- Quick-drying—in case you spill things in your lap
- Pant legs zip off to 10″ shorts—wish they were longer.
- Color-coded convertible leg zips—to make them idiot-proof
- Side-leg zips for easy on-off—for taking them off but keeping your boots on…if you’re into that.
