REI Co-op  Sahara Convertible Pants - Men's

I bought only 1 pair of these back in 06/07. I should've bought 5 pairs. They were the durable ones that had fabulous design, material, and pockets; the cargo pockets had double pockets on each side of the leg, right and left, that would fit a cell phone/camera completely with speedy access (for pics of amazing animal sitings!!) due to velcro rather than zippers. There was also a hidden zippered pocket in the front right hip pocket for a key or something special you didn't want to lose. I had these pants for 5 or 6 years through thick and thin of mountain rescue work and mountain expeditions and they held up. Since then I have had to modify them with patches and sewings to keep them running. The material on the lower legs is about to rot out I've worn them sooo much. I recently bought 2 pairs of the new style and am unimpressed. Getting rid of the belt was a mistake. The thing on there is a cheap substitute. The side pockets (only one on each side) are smaller and zippered so no more fast access, and much cheaper, less durable material, so wear much more quickly. The waist button is cheap and pops under strenuous work. Cheap buckles and buttons don't belong in the outdoors! Only worn them a couple times and they have snags in the material- soon to be holes. My old pair had velcro on the bottom to adjust the width at the ankles which came in handy at times. Old ones were well-thought out by an expert. New ones are for city folk. True story.

I miss the old style Sahara convertible pants (of 10 years ago), mine lasted for years and to me were the perfect backpacking pants. Instead of improving the design it seems they are making it worse by the year. They have changed everything I liked about these pants. Now made of cheaper thinner material, they took away the handy "hidden" zippered pocket within the front pocket, no more elastic waist band that made fit more comfortable, button popped off these after the third use (never had a problem with the snap closure on the old style), etc. The price should reflect the cheaper material and poor design but it does not. I will be returning these and would not recommending to others.

Previous iterations of these pants were by far the best on the market. With recent "improvements", that is no longer the case. What once were trail pants are now sidewalk pants. My biggest issue with the new version is that the side zips no longer go all the way up, making it extremely difficult to take the pants legs on or off while wearing them. That's true even with sneakers. Boots now have to be taken off to remove the legs. And then, there's that stupid webbing sort of belt thing that they've thrown in which is more of an annoyance than a deal killer. What possessed REI to fiddle with an already great product eludes me. Please REI, get these pants back to what they were.

I initially worried that they were not sturdy enough, but I've gone bushwhacking through manzanita scrub & brush alder, and they held up OK through that. BUT I was appalled to find out, a day's hike from the road, that the mosquitoes could bite right through them, unlike the previous generation of these pants. The issue raised by other reviewers about the waist button popping was also true in my experience. I found the pockets to be OK & personally liked having the zippers on both sides. But pants that skeeters can bite through... ? I actually liked these up until the mosquito debacle. What were you thinking, REI?

Last year (2017) I read the reviews and most people were bemoaning the changes from the previous year, however I went ahead and purchased one pair, I love thyem! Now again this year I read the reviews and people were still displeased with the changes. I again ignored them. But, I agree these pants would be nice to wear to the cinema, but useing them on the trail is terrible! I will definitely not buy anymore until REI is ready to sell recreational equipment instead of casual dress pants. Please design the next years convertibles as if the were a utilitarian tool. Not casual wear! Bummer!

I highly recommend this product, and I further recommend the Kuhl, Columbia, and REI convertible pants equally. I cycled between all three styles every day for 45 days while supporting relief efforts following hurricanes Irma and Maria. Out of the three, the Kuhl is the highest priced, looks the best, and is the thickest (but I like all three, was not hot). The Columbia and REI pants are equal in terms of thickness, and the Columbia runs a very close second to the Kuhl in looks. I’ve had the REI convertible pants for 2 years, is the cheapest priced out of the three, and has held up really well…. not a single snag nor a torn zipper throughout that time. Chose any of the three and you’ll be happy.

I used to LOVE these pants. I have bought at least 6 pairs of them over more than 10 years and used the heck out of them. They used to be fantastic for activities requiring full range of motion and flexibility. I am downright baffled as to what REI was thinking with this new iteration of the Sahara pants. They removed the elastic waistband and made the fit much tighter. Sure, they look modern and trendy when you're walking around the mall, but they are too restrictive for outdoor activities. Also, the material seems much softer. Because they don't fit well anymore, I have not been able to verify the durability of the new material. However, comparing them to the material from my old Sahara pants, it's hard to imagine them holding up under heavy use. At least REI still sells them with 36" inseam, which I've never been able to find in other nylon trail pants. If not for that, I would have given them a 1 star review. Why mess with a good thing, REI??

The sahara pants have been once again re-designed. And when couple of years ago I didn't think it would get worse, it got worse. The fit became slimmer, now way too tight to be comfortable for all day hiking! there are less pockets and they are now in even less comfortable position. I'm afraid that it only going to get worse... It's sad to see my favorite type of pants dip so low in quality.

REI has degraded these pants every year since I bought my first pairs 10 plus years ago. They get worse every year. I still wear mine from 10 years ago and they were a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. The ones I bought 5 years ago were a 6. The new ones are a 1. Quality has slipped greatly - poorer material, poorer design, pockets suck, sewing is worse and not double stitched. It looks like the bean counters were at work. Many many outdoor people were very loyal to the REI brand and many wore these pants. Not anymore! These pants are a small example of how REI has changed for the worse.

Bought a pair of these in 40 inch waist and tried them on when I got home. What a joke. I don’t know where these are being made but 40 inch was was actually more like 38 or even .36 inch. The construction seemed very flimsy. There going right back to the store. I have Khul pants in 40 inch waist and they all not only fit but are even a bit loose. REI needs to do better quality control with their own products