The North Face  Basin Pro Pants - Men's

I purchased a pair of these pants as an upgrade over some basic REI hiking pants I purchased last year, particularly looking for a way to cinch the ankles. I really like the belt being built into the pants and that it still has loops for the Arcade belt that I use to holster my can of bear spray. There are some minor improvements to make to pockets, both increasing the pockets available and relocating the thigh pocket so it sits on the side of the pants. The main pockets on the side aren’t particularly deep if you have a larger phone, so your natural thought might be to put it in the thigh pocket; it just feels like it’s in the way as you walk. I’ll preface the rest by saying I have purchased so many products by The North Face over the years: shirts, shorts, sun hoodie, many, many pull over fleeces, rain jackets, and insulated jackets…hat, beanie, gloves, those Thermoball slippers / camp shoes, backpacking and car camping tents…I practically look like a TNF billboard when I’m out and about at this point, but it’s only because I am happy with the quality and price point. I preface with that history because these Basin Pro pants are unfortunately the worst product I’ve purchased from both TNF and REI. The area where the reinforced fabric meets the waist ripped at the stitches on my first hiking trip with them. Nothing strenuous, mind you. I sat on a few rocks. The premise is that the knees and seat are reinforced for strenuous use cases, but the fabric can’t do that if it fails at the interfaces. This is the kind of issue that TNF considers normal wear and tear and not covered by their warranty. I’ll be repairing them to keep them out of the landfill, but seriously…don’t get these.