Whether you’re heading out on a quick day hike or preparing to go the entire way of the Appalachian Trail, these Columbia Men’s Silver Ridge Convertible Pants will see you through. You can wear them as pants or shorts. They come in a multitude of colors, are lightweight, and protect you from the elements.

Let’s take an in-depth look at how these pants will help you take a hike!

Features of the Silver Ridge Convertible Pants

  1. Plenty of Colors

You could wear a different pair of these convertible pants every day of the week, and still have more colors to choose from. The hues are available in a range spanning from the traditional khaki or gray to black, taupe, a dusty blue, a lighter powder blue, navy, cream, or brown. Once you’ve worn these pants on your first hike, you’ll definitely want a pair in each color.

  1. Close Fit

It’s great to have movement in your hiking pants, but not so much that they’re too saggy and baggy. These are a straight leg pant that don’t taper down to the ankle, so there’s no ‘skinny jean’ effect. The pant leg hem is designed to rest comfortably right on top of your hiking boots or shoes.

The side cargo pockets and rear flap pockets are also designed to be unobtrusive and fit close to the body without protruding or looking too bulky. Double seams reinforce the stitching. Overall, the pants silhouette is reasonably stylish and handsome enough to look good off the trail, too.

  1. Convertible

Your body is a heat-producing machine, which gets uncomfortable pretty quickly when you’re hiking. Before you know it, a mild day has become too hot. Probably the best feature of these pants is their convertible fit. Quickly zip off the lower pant legs to reveal a comfortable pair of cargo shorts with a protective 10″ inseam. These pants were designed to be convertible, so they don’t look weird or unnatural when they’re converted to shorts. A hem with extra stitching covers the zipper line. The cargo pockets are positioned nice and low, just like on regular cargo shorts.

  1. Omni-Wick Evaporation

These convertible pants are made from 100% nylon, which has been treated with a tight weave construction. It pulls moisture away from your hips and legs, so that sweat can evaporate quickly and cool you down faster. This advanced evaporation will help prevent faster dehydration and heat-stroke.

  1. Omni-Shade UPF 50 Sun Protection

That tight weave construction not only wicks moisture, it helps block harmful UVA and UVB rays. The fabric is made of both UV absorbers and UV reflectors, to keep the sunlight away from your skin. This helps prevent sunburn in the short term and skin damage in the long term.

It’s received the Skin Cancer Foundation seal of recommendation for this feature. It’s okay if you forgot to put sunscreen on your legs ‘ these pants offer natural protection.

  1. Great for Many Weather Conditions

Having nylon as the pant material makes these surprisingly versatile. It’s like wearing heavy duty parachute material. While these pants are lightweight, they’re good at blocking the wind, too. It’s recommended that you would wear long underwear beneath them, especially if hiking and camping at high altitudes.

At the other end of the weather spectrum, customers have praised them highly for their great performance in tropical conditions. Since they do wick away moisture, they are also easy to clean and dry quickly, too. That’s great when you have to do your own laundry on extended hiking trips.

Other Helpful Features

  • 32″ Inseam – This is the standard inseam length for men’s pants, and they will fit most people.
  • Machine washable and dryable – Once you come back from the trail, you can just toss these in the machine. The nylon fabric won’t break down, rip, or tear if washed by machine, and they don’t have to be hand washed.
  • Adjustable Waistband – There’s partial elastic at the waist, which provides more freedom of movement while hiking, backpacking, or camping. You can climb up steep hills and not feel tugging at the waist.
  • Security Pocket – Keep money and other valuables in the security pocket, which can be zip closed. That leaves your hands free and gives you peace of mind as you stroll about the woods.
  • Lots of Pockets – You get plenty of storage, which is a great bonus for hikers. For short day hikes, you might not even need to carry a separate bag. The pockets are designed well, too.

Possible Cons

It would be awesome if every pair of hiking pants you purchased suited every hike, every trail, and every condition, not to mention everybody. But that’s not the case, which is why these pants, as great as they are, do have some drawbacks. Probably the biggest one is that these aren’t waterproof. The material is permeable. It’s very light and tough, wicking moisture away, but they’re not completely waterproof.

They’re also made of 100% nylon, which is both a good feature and a negative one. They don’t contain any natural materials like wool or cotton, which would add the positive properties of those fabrics.

As for sizes, they only come in a standard inseam length. You can’t find them in tall sizes.

In Summary

Your hikes will be made more comfortable and a better overall experience by wearing the right pants. These Columbia Men’s Silver Ridge Convertible Pants fit well, are versatile, and contain plenty of modern fabric technology to protect and cool you down. They’re also made by Columbia, one of the leading outdoor brands, which is popular for one simple, powerful reason: they make great products.

These hiking pants have been tested tough, to cover any terrain that you’ll encounter out in nature.