REI Co-op  Sahara Convertible Pants - Women's Plus Sizes

THANK YOU REI!!! This was the ONLY place I could find plus sized hiking pants. Just because we're bigger doesn't mean we don't like to get out for a hike! Super pleased, very comfy.

I bought a pair of Sahara convertible pants from REI about 10 years ago. You can tell I loved, loved, loved them because I am still wearing them. They fully stand up to the task of all-day hiking. I wanted to buy another pair about 5 years ago, but whoever was in charge of design at the time decided the Sahara's needed to be fashionable and have a very short crotch. Seriously??? They're hiking pants, for heaven's sake. So I waited another 5 years for REI to come to their senses. This new design sits *close* to the waist, but the crotch depth is still a full 1.5 inches shorter. Maybe with time, that will quit bugging me. I like that REI kept the crotch gusset since these pants are supposed to allow me to scramble over rocks, etc.. However, they narrowed the width of the gusset and that's where missing crotch length went. What I find difficult to live with is the lack of cargo pockets. The old style had true cargo pockets that I could actually put a birding field guide in, not the vestigial pockets the latest design has.These are super tiny. I can barely fit my fold-over wallet in there, let alone a pair of sunglasses in a soft case. The sunglasses would stick out. Also, the side pockets are a full 2" shorter than they used to be. And there is no inset zipper pocket inside. Not so functional. One thing that's missing is the little corded loop that used to be sewn into the waist band. I used that for hooking my keys or a small flashlight, etc. Even with these annoying deficiencies, I'm keeping the pants because they're still better than anything else I've come across. But come on, REI. These are supposed to be functional pants. Just because I'm a woman, doesn't mean I don't need proper hiking clothing that works for the job.