It’s mid-July and I’m bushwhacking through thick, wet brush in search of a fabled pool full of cutthroat trout high in the Rocky Mountains. Thrashing and stumbling in the undergrowth, I’m happy to be wearing my favorite mountain pants, christened my “camping pants” by my wife — the Mountain Guide Light Pant by Eddie Bauer.
After two years of abuse and at least 50 days of outdoor wear, these pants have proven to be durable and remarkably versatile. I’ve used them in four seasons, from the high mountains in the winter to brushy plains in the summer, and have been universally pleased.
These aren’t your grandpa’s Eddie Bauer pants, unless he happened to be climbing big mountains back in the 60s and have his hands on some future-tech fabrics.
One caveat: These babies are expensive — $179 — but I contend worth every penny.
Over the course of two years, I’ve worn the First Ascent Mountain Guide Light Pant for tough, abusive adventures. Of course I’ve worn them hiking and camping, but also put them through the wringer rock climbing, hunting and even in ski mountaineering races. They’ve been worn under waders and over long underwear, through briar patches and tumbleweeds.
They were even the bottom half of my soak-the-jacket-in-the-river test last winter. They caught the deluge of the dripping jacket I’d dunked in a freezing river during a snowstorm and did just fine.
These are super techy for a simple pant. Intended for mountaineering, backcountry touring and even ice climbing, they are made from fast drying, water resistant, stretchy (and very expensive) Schoeller soft shell fabric with a “3XDry” durable water resistant finish. I’ve found these pants remarkably dry even in soggy weather.
