REI Co-op  Sahara Convertible Pants - Women's

I was elated when I tried on a pair of cargo pants for women that did not cling to my back side like plastic wrap and show the design and color of my underwear. REI should rename these pants and sell them to the thirty something crowd. Other cargo pants cannot be worn by anyone who wants to teach at a children's camp (as I do) or command a modicum of respect when seen running errands or attending a work-related event at which casual wear is required. Please REI make the old Sahara for the hikers and rename & remarket these current pants. These pants have a bit of "kick" without making me look like a comfort conscious middle aged woman.

I have a pair of REI Sahara Convertible Pant from two years ago, which I like. However, this latest re-design is terrible. The legs are too tight, and the waist is too big. There is no belt provided - the older models had a belt. Also, they bag in the crotch. So, something in the way they have been cut has significantly deteriorated. I will not be buying these again until REI fixes this design problem. I hope someone is listening and will correct this since the material is fantastic - lightweight, durable, warm in the winter, cool in the summer. It's too bad they have completely destroyed the design. REI, please fix these pants. Thanks!!

Jul 31 2009 (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful) 2.0 Shorts too long for petite size By rhymetime from Sausalito, CA About Me Frequent Exerciser Site Member Pros Cons * Poor Fit Best Uses Comments about REI Sahara Convertible Pants - Women's Petite: I've worn a version of these REI pants for years and loved them. Unfortunately, the current version includes shorts that are several inches too long for a petite size. The length of the pants works for my 5'2" height, but when I remove the pant legs the 10-inch shorts come to my knees. Please bring back your previous design where the shorts for petite sizes were a better fit.

Good job REI! Love the new design! I've never liked the old Saharas because they fit like a bag with bagged-out pockets. Love all the zippered pockets! I am trim (and work at it), so I don't like baggy clothing. These fit nicely enough I could actually use for casual wear as well. I also prefer a below the waist fit, but since this new style is inbetween the below the waist and a the waist fit, I'm comfortable and they look/feel fine with shirt tucked in too. The long zippers in the lower leg pants will be a bonus to take off over boots! Not sure yet about the snap vs the velcro there, will have to try them longer.

Like the many other women who are disappointed in this product, I prefer the old style. Why did you change these near perfect pants (only complaint, a tad short for me)? I have two pair of the old style that are my summer "uniform." This great material does not wear out, just gets dirty when used for gardening and other activities they weren't designed for. I like the belt, the pockets, the roomy and comfortable legs, and the Velcro on pockets and leg bottoms. I bought one pair of the new style and do not like anything about them. I have tried other brands and none are as perfect as the old REI convertibles.

I love the new REI Sahara pants because they actually fit me. I have a short waist, and extremely thin hips. These fit my figure. I understand that everybody likes the old style, but I could never wear those.I love the elastic waist because I don't have to wear a belt. Belts dig in when you have a heavy back pack cinched up. I like actually zipping off the legs. Thank you REI.

I use these pants for hiking and for travel. I own an older version of these pants and have many of the same complaints as other reviewers. One complaint I don't see mentioned, though, is about the quality of the fabric. I have owned my older version for 8 years and have extensively hiked and traveled in rough, rocky terrain. I don't have a single tear or snag in the old pair. I have owned this new version for a year and already it has a hole and 2 snags. I compared the fabric with the old version and the new version has less rugged fabric. Please bring back more rugged and sturdier fabric.

I agree completely with all the other reviews, but I'd like to add that these aren't nearly as breathable as I'd hoped. I bought them for a three-month trip through Mexico and Central America (March-June; the end of the dry season through the beginning of the rainy). Because they claimed to be breathable, I left the short cotton shorts I usually use for hiking on a hot day at home, and boy did I regret it. I sweat so much in these that I could rarely wear them, and instead wore skirts almost exclusively until I finally bought a new pair of cotton shorts. That said, I think the weight will be perfect for most of the year in my native Northern California and I'll keep them for hiking around here.

I bought these for a Grand Canyon trip. I've owned other REI convertables before. These turned out to be very warm and too snug in the leg for large boulder steps, even when legs were removed. Fabric seemed great, and resisted dirt/stains, but did not breath as well as I thought it would. I like the waist and hips fit, but I have muscular thighs and found them fine for straight walking, but restrictive for large steps. Zip pockets end up un-useable with backpack hipbelt fastened. I like the lower zipper pockets. I would recommend them for flat hikes, but no climbing.

I tried these out on an 8 mile hike in good weather. I bought them one size up because they are very snug on the legs and hips but large at the waist. I wanted to have room to be able to utilize the pockets. The pants were slipping down before I started hiking so I had to use a belt. The pants shifted around even under the hip belt of my Venus backpack. When I came home I had deep impressions on the my left and right hips from the very stiff elastic on sides of the pants. I'm very disappointed in this product and am going to return them. Most disappointing is that an REI employee recommended these to me when I went in to purchase them at the store. Next time I'll read the reviews online before shopping in-store.