Online: www.REI.com
URL for this product:

From the U.S. and Canada — Call 1-800-426-4840
Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT.
International — Call 1-253-891-2500
Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT. English language only.

$Columbia Challenger Convertible Pants - Women\'s$

Columbia Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's

This item is currently sold out or unavailable online.

Or, may we suggest shopping for similar items:

Shop more Women's Hiking/Travel Pants Shop more Columbia

This page is provided for reference to historical product information.

Show me:
Product Description,
Product Specs,
Reviews

When versatility is key and weight is a concern, pack the Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible pants which convert into shorts—ideal for traveling and backpacking.

Omni-Dry® Tactel® nylon is soft, breathable, abrasion-resistant and quick-drying for superb comfort and performance
Columbia Omni-Shade™ items rated UPF 30 and higher proudly carry the Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation
Leg zippers convert pants into shorts with a 7.5 in. inseam
Features 2 front slash pockets and 2 large cargo pockets with mesh lining for water drainage
Rear zip-closed security pocket is great for storing lightweight valuables
Radial leg gussets increase range of movement

Imported.

Item 747201

REI Membership

REI Membership $20.00

Columbia Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's

3.5

(based on 11 reviews)

71%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Lightweight (11)
Breathable (9)
Comfortable (9)
Allows free movement (4)
Packs small / compresses (4)

Cons

Best Uses

Hiking (7)
Backpacking (4)
Camping (4)
Travel (4)
Casual wear (3)

- Waist:
- Feels too small
  
  Feels true to size
  
  57%
  (4 reviews)
  Feels too big
- Length:
- Feels too short
  
  Feels true to length
  
  86%
  (6 reviews)
  Feels too long
- Fit:
- Feels too small
  
  Feels true to size
  
  100%
  (4 reviews)
  Feels too big

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (4), Casual/ recreational (3)

REVIEWS

Reviewed by 11 customers

Sort by

Displaying reviews 1-10

Previous | Next »

Oct

2008

(37 of 37 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Awesome Pants - and they're not ugly!

By Weightlifting RN

from Southern New England

About Me Conditioning Exerciser

See all my reviews

Pros

Allows Free Movement
Comfortable
Fit Well
Lightweight
Low waist

Cons

none for me

Best Uses

Hiking

Comments about Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's:

These pants are great! Very comfortable and flattering. They've got a nice, low waist - I have a boyish figure, i.e., not much of a waist - and these fit comfortably and allow for good range-of-motion. (No, don't worry, they're not "low-riders" that will be flashing your undies to all of the other hikers on the trail when you bend down to re-lace your boot...).

The legs are straight and not overly-full. The waist is elasticized in back, but has a flat, low-profile front which looks good. The material dries so fast you barely know you've gotten wet. I bought these in "Bark" which is a chocolate brown.

FYI, I am 5'6" and a muscular 130#; size Small fits me very nicely. Prior to buying these I tried on 3 styles of North Face and none of them even remotely fit my body type. I was VERY surprised when I pulled these, since they don't look like they're anything special....but they are great!

Feb

2008

(28 of 29 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Comfortable but pockets are too small

By SoCal Sue

from Southern California

About Me Weekend Warrior

See all my reviews

Pros

Allows Free Movement
Breathable
Comfortable
Lightweight

Cons

Pockets too small

Best Uses

Hiking
Sports

Comments about Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's:

These pants are light weight, fit great, and provide comfortable movement. I do day hikes in them (as far as 16 miles) and never had a problem.

The pockets are too small. If you're looking for cargo pants with lots of roomy pockets, this isn't the pant for you. There's a zipper pocket that I use for my ID, REI card, and money. But it doesn't hold anything bigger than that.

Oct

2008

(14 of 15 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Love these pants

By Love the ADK

from Indiana

About Me Occasional Exerciser

See all my reviews

Pros

Allows Free Movement
Breathable
Comfortable
Durable
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Warm Weather

Comments about Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's:

I wore these pants on numerous hikes in the mountains for 2 weeks. The weather was cool but they kept me warm. And when it rained, they dried quickly. I loved the fact I could zip the legs off each night, wash off the dirt, zip them back on the pants, hang them up and they were dry for the next days hike! My husband has a pair from another merchant, and he liked mine better. He liked the size of the pockets as he said his were too deep.

Aug

2008

(8 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Great Fit

By CtShopper

from Ct

About Me Weekend Warrior

See all my reviews

Pros

Allows Free Movement
Breathable
Comfortable
Durable
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Casual Wear
Gym
Running
Sports
Warm Weather

Comments about Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's:

They fit great. I've had other converible pants but I'll have to say that these are great. Although the color in the picture is much darker than the real thing. I purchased them in the store.

May

2010

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Not Durable Pants

By fayeosman

from Malaysia

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Comfortable
Lightweight
Packable

Cons

Poor Fit
Poor Material or Construction

Best Uses

Casual Wear
Travel

Comments about Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's:

I am reviewing the short version of the women's challenger pants. The waist is true to size but the legs are roomy and baggy, bordering on being frumpy. I wore these for the first time during my climb up Mount Kinabalu. Within hours of my ascent, the fabric had pilled very badly on the upper part of my left thigh! During the descent, I got my foot stuck in between some rocks, and when I yanked my pants, the bottom hem was ripped! The fabric is lightweight all right, but it is NOT durable at all! I will not use these pants again for my future hikes. I doubt it will survive the abuse it is meant to endure. These pants defeat their own purpose. Only good for casual walks, not for rigorous hikes/treks. VERY disappointed!

May

2010

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Comfortable and lightweight

By BlueberryPatch

from Houston, TX

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Comfortable
High-Quality Material and Stitching
Lightweight
Packable

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Camping
Casual Wear
Hiking

Comments about Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's:

I love these pants! I've worn them to go camping, sailing and to play softball. The leg zippers strike me at just the right location -- not too low where they'll irritate the knees when you walk or climb.

The pants are lightweight and dry quickly. Last weekend when I went sailing, the water was choppy and the skipper purposely "heeled" the boat at a pretty steep angle to make things interesting. Water continually washed over the side of the boat, drenching us over and over. These shorts dried each time in a matter of minutes (it was a sunny day).

In playing softball, these shorts allow a great deal of movement, so you can run and bend over to catch grounders without discomfort. All in all, these are great pants. I have two pairs.

Apr

2010

(2 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

oh dear

By char

from cypress

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Comfortable
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Hiking
Travel

Comments about Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's:

sadly, I took my pants back. They were perfect except for the side pant opening...not large enough to get over my hiking boots. This is the whole purpose of using them when backpacking. Hope this feature is fixed soon!!

Jul

2010

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Good but could be better

By Marebear

from Sacramento Ca

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Lightweight

Cons

Pockets not deep enough

Best Uses

Backpacking
Camping
Hiking

Comments about Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's:

I bought these pants for hiking and backpacking. Their light weight has been great in the heat and when trekking thru streams up to my thighs they have dried extremely fast. Love the open bottom to easily unzip and remove lower portion. They have held up when bushwhacking. What I don't like is the waist is a bit small if you don't have a defined waist. (I'm a bit straight in that area) I wear a 10 to 12 in pants so I bought the 12 to make sure they would be comfortable. (should have tried them on) The waist is tight. Also this pant wrinkles a lot. Not a big deal when wearing the whole pant but when unzipped to shorts they look sloppy. The wrinkles don't come out in the dryer either. So much for wash and wear which to me is extremely important for this kind of pant. The pockets are way to small. I can put my small camera in one of the leg pockets but the other leg pockets are almost useless. I don't like stuffing the upper pockets, to uncomfortable. So, if you have a small waist, don't mind the wrinkles, and pockets aren't a big deal, then they're great.

Oct

2010

2.0

i really wanted to like these pants...

By bonnesante

from San Francisco, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

High-Quality Material and Stitching
Lightweight
Packable

Cons

Poor Fit

Best Uses

Backpacking
Camping
Hiking
Travel

Comments about Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's:

they were just too tight in the hips! I ordered the medium, which is supposed to fit sizes 8-10. I'm a size 10 with a 30 inch waist and these were WAY too tight. I wore them a couple of times, hoping they would just break in, but it wasn't meant to be. I had to bring them up to my waist for them to be somewhat comfortable but it looked weird. I'm not sure where they are supposed to fit but I'd rather it be below the navel. Anyway, I stopped trying to convince myself that I could still wear them and returned them.

Sep

2010

3.0

Wonderful except for super sunny days

By Jovel ^_^

from Fountain Valley, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Comfortable
Lightweight

Cons

Not SPF protected

Best Uses

Comments about Columbia Sportswear Challenger Convertible Pants - Women's:

I love these pants. They are very lightweight and cool. I took them to a few hikes and they performed wonderfully. Sometimes brushing against plants I can feel prickles but that's to be expected since the material is so light.

But in a recent hike to Lower & Upper Holy Jim trail, they failed me. The day was pretty hot, but not scorching. Also we were under shade for the most part. But when I got home, I saw that my lower leg was red. At first, I thought it was due to poison oak since it was at the right height. Though, usually poison oak results in bumps and lots of itching. Not an even flat redness that circled my leg and was sensitive to touch. I was so disappointed since these pants were suppose to be SPF 30 rated.

I still plan to keep them since they performed pretty well in other hikes. I guess I still need to sunscreen with them.