Kuhl Radikl Hiking Pants

Kuhl Radikl Hiking Pants

I'll admit it, when I put my mind to getting something, it's typically all I can think about. Lately, it's finding the perfect hiking/camping pants. My prerequisites? They had to dry quickly, be tough, look good and hold a lot of stuff.

There are a ton of outdoor clothing manufacturers making these outdoor pants now, and I've tried on what seems like a zillion of them. Each had something that initially drew my interest, but none had put it all together until I tried on Kuhl's Radikl pants.


When I put them on, they fit so well that I feel like the folks at Kuhl might have snuck into my bedroom and measured me while I was asleep. They wouldn't have done that, would they? Seriously, every part of these pants--from the waist to the crotch to the knees--fits perfectly. When I crawl into my tent after a long day of hiking, normally all I can think of is getting my heavy (sometimes wet) jeans off. But with these, I often sleep right in them. They are THAT comfortable. I suppose that's because they are 88% Nylon and 12% Spandex, so they stretch wonderfully. They also have a gusseted knit crotch, which adds to the flexibility.

I also like the fact that they have not one, but two cell phone pockets. I only have one cell phone, but I have a front pocket wallet that fits perfectly into one of these, so I don't feel weighted down by having too much stuff in the traditional front pockets.

The other thing I like is that Kuhl understands colors: what works and what doesn't. All their options would be colors I'm comfortable wearing around the campsite or out to dinner.

It's been nice to see the Kuhl brand get more of a foothold in the extraordinarily tough outdoor clothing industry. I hope they keep innovating.