Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32" Inseam

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32'' Inseam:

Got these to replace some older hiking pants and shorts that I have used in the past. In the past I always went with various brands from REI to Northface because the others were cheaper and I had always seen Mountain Hardware as too expensive. I didnt buy into the hype and boy was I wrong.

These are hands down the most comfortable pants that I have ever hiked in. The waistband is lined with some super soft material and fits awesome. At first the weight of the fabric seems like it might be too light. Start off the morning with the full pants. They do well blocking the morning chill or wind. Unzip the legs and convert to shorts when the sun comes out and the shorts perform great. The zipper part ont he leg has a nice comfort flap that keeps the zipper from rubbing your leg and its hardly noticable that they are dual purpose. Best part is that they go back on very quickly, unlike some other brands I have tried where you alsmost have to take the pants off to put them back together. They could have made it easier by allowing a boot acess zipper but it owuld have made a heavier pant and I for one like how light these are. Dont mind a quick pitstop to kick the boots off for the conversion. Besides I can air out my feet a bit!

Fabric drys very fast so you can swim or make deep crossing without fear for needing backup clothing. Walk around or chill in the sun for 5 or 10 minutes and you are dry again. I hate huge cargo pockets or deep side pockets so these fit me great. If you put something small in your front pockets you can find it without reaching half way down your leg to a bottomless pocket full of lint. The cargo pockets are large enough to store the pant legs when you unzip them but the velcro closure probably wont keep anything valueable in place. celphone and keys need to ride in the pack.

The pants dont snag on brush and deflect water well. Even when I went scrambling around on rocks there were no scuffs, tears or blemishes on the seat. This is impressive considering how light the fabric was. I was sure that was going to be the torture test they failed, but nope. They keep on trucking. Walking through a few heavy brush piles and off trail didnt seem to phase them either. Dont get me wrong, you probably dont want to go forging new trails through thick thorny brush with them on, but for fast hiking, packing or quick off trail jaunts these things will make you very happy.

I would note as others that the length on the pants may be long for some. Try them on first.

After pairing the pants with the Mountain Hardwear Belay T-Shirt I am completley sold on MH products. They wear better, feel better and perform better than anything I have used yet. Bravo!

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32'' Inseam:

Good product. The feel of fabric and its durability are quite good. Some complaints I have are the inseam is a bit long. It is listed as a 32 inch inseam for the x-large size but the inseam is easily 34 inches and the zip off leg does not have zippers on the bottom for easy removal over boots or shoes. These are 2 downers for me. Having to stop and take off your boots or shoes just to convert the pants into shorts is a pain. If you are lucky enough to wiggle them over your boots then you run the risk of snags, tears, and excess dirt getting on them. Overall an ok product, just wish the fit were a bit more accurate on the inseam and the legs had the added zipper function.

Service and delivery comments:

My order cam thru very quickly (shipping to Japan took about 1 week) and everything was packed nicely and in a nice size box for ease of transport.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32'' Inseam:

Great design for backpacking. The seamless waistband and integrated belt stay comfortable under the hipbelt, good sized pockets (front hand pockets keep my GPS, knife, and camera at the ready, cargo pockets carry an emergency blanket and compass), and lightweight, comfortable, water-resistant fabric. I like the convertible feature since I can wear the shorts during the day and then zip the legs on when it gets cool. The legs weigh next to nothing packed. The drawcords at the cuffs are also a great detail. Snug 'em up to keep the cuffs out of the mud or to keep a little extra heat in. As a plus, the inseam length of the shorts is just right for me. Very well thought out design. If they had some zippered pockets (I prefer a little additional security over the velcro) I'd consider them the perfect pants. 'Close enough for five stars, though :)

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32'' Inseam:

Took these pants on a 5-day river trip with daily hikes in mountains/canyons.

As other reviews have said, all the pockets on these pants have velcro closures only. But they are teeny-tiny bits of velcro that you have to line up correctly, or they won't hold at all. And even when you do get them lined up correctly, there is still room for items to fall out because the velcro doesn't completely enclose the top or sides of the pocket. This is not a minor fault to me, it's a TOTAL deal breaker.

This problem is made worse by the totally enclosed captive belt that leaves no place to slide a closed-loop case or sheath. The only way to carry a knife is to carry one with a clip and clip it to the top of the pant, next to your skin!

Upon examining the MH website, I noted (after I got back from my trip) that these pants are listed under the "Mountain Lifestyle" section of the website rather than the "Mountain Performance" section. If MH wants to market "lifestyle" apparel, they should sub-brand it something other than "Mountain Hardwear". Maybe they could call it "Mountain Poser".

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32'' Inseam:

These pants are great! They have a great fit and if you unzip the legs you're not wearing short shorts from the 80's (unlike the north face pants)

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32'' Inseam:

These are incredible pants! They fit well, are stylish, dry very very fast, are light, rugged ( I have the same pair for over five years), and best of all they have a chamois-lined, seamless waist panel which means your waist is padded when backpacking and will stay dry. I love these pants so much that I use them as casual pants around town.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32'' Inseam:

I prefer a loose fit as opposed to skin tight. Mostly, I use these for hiking. They provide a comfort range that allows me to stretch over, under, and around those frequent timber downfalls crossing the trail. As well, they stand up well to contact with everyday trail material such as brush, stumps, and rock.

Moreover, I was surprised, and very pleased finding they repel water and wind sufficiently so, I rarely need to pull out the goretex pants. Great 3-season pants and easy to care for.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32'' Inseam:

I bought four pairs of pants (three brands) for a two week trip to Hawaii last month. I returned two pairs the same day that I received them. I kept this pair and a pair of REI pants that were not convertible. Both were wonderful, and well-suited to their respective purposes.
The only thing that keeps this pair of Mountain Hardware pants from being the most perfect pair of convertible pants I have ever owned is the velcro pockets. I use the pockets. If I weren't going to use them, I'd buy pants without them. I found the velcro closure system for the pockets to be inadequate and troublesome. It seemed that every time I sat down, something would fall out of the side pockets. Often the "something" would be a camera or cellphone, two items I quickly learned to keep in my day pack (after a couple of dents and dings - results of the pocket issue). The addition of a good zipper underneath the Velcro pocket flaps would transform these pants into the most perfect pair I have ever owned. I will probably be attempting the addition of a zipper myself, and the day I see these same pants offered by Mountain Hardware with zippers added, I will buy three pairs.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32'' Inseam:

I just finished stitching up one of the rear seems on this pant and felt inclined to write a review. I bought these pants at REI a little over a year ago for a four day backpacking trip in California's Ventana wilderness. I was initially very impressed with these pants. I really like how they fit. The waist is very comfortable, they provide plenty of room and freedom of movement, and I really like the 11" inseam length when the pant legs are zipped off. They dry quickly, and I would say that compared to the three or so other convertable pants I have owned these fit best, and are most comfortable.

The Problem:
These pants held up well for the first couple days of hiking, however on the third day the stitching on the crotch tore out. I refuse to give up on these pants so I took the time to restitch the seam. They got me through the backpacking trip and I wore them on about a dozen day hikes before a six inch section seam on on the back of the pants tore out. I just finished restitching the pants, and as I inspect the rest of the seams I see several other areas where the stitching is fraying and beginning to tear. Now I understand that fabric and seams are subject to normal wear and tear and can eventually fail, but I think that on a $$$ pair of pants you should be able to expect little more out of them before things start to go awry. These pants show sub-par construction and that is a real pity considering they are beautifully designed.

With that said, the fabric on these pants is very tough and abrasion resistant. A+ fit and style. I refuse to give up on them and hope for at least another year of use before they reach the point of no return.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mesa Convertible Pants - Men's 32'' Inseam:

These pants would be a 5 star product if only zippers had been added to the cargo pockets. Small items such as lighters or thumbdrives have found their way out of the velco.