Kühl Resistor Rock Pant
I’ll be honest—I picked up these pants on a whim; an unsolicited offer from a gear outreach company. I’d heard of Kühl’s good reputation so I accepted the opportunity.
Overall, I have LOVED these pants. I have had my favorites over the years, but let me explain a few features that have made these my go-to travel, business! and hiking pants over the past few months I’ve been testing them.
Product Description
The Resistor Rock pant is a full-length, tapered fit that has multiple pockets and a cinch cord at the cuff. You can read the full description on Kühl’s website, but here are my favorite features:
- Twill weave
- Water repellent
- Angled front hand pockets
- Stealth, side entry cargo pockets
- Double welt cell phone pocket on both sides
Overall Impressions
The twill weave of the fabric (a blend of 65% cotton, 26% nylon, and 9% spandex) offers a tough yet comfortable feel. The spandex adds a measure of flexibility when bending and moving that I really liked. Most of the outdoor style pants I have look like outdoor pants, and I am limited in how I can use them. I selected the Pirate Blue color (nice and dark) and the look is so sharp, I was able to use them on my business trips, paired with some nice Oxford shoes and a button-up shirt.
Compared to the other outdoor pants I own, the Resistor pants have TONS of pockets. At first I was dismissive and felt it was overkill because the extra side pockets are mirrored on both sides. In practice, however, I came to love the fact that I had a cell phone pocket on either side, and I found I used them both depending on the circumstance. The hidden side zipper pocket is where I kept my wallet. I usually keep my wallet in a front pocket, but the side pocket was so much more useful.
On a camping trip to the Grand Tetons, I used the pants for all our outdoor adventures, including kayaking. The variable temperatures and conditions we were in really gave the pants a run. The water repellant fabric worked great in the water, but I really liked the cinched cuffs while hiking because I could shorten the pants a little for more ventilation.
Flying economy with these pants proved to be a good decision. Squeezed between other travelers, the side pockets proved the most useful to keep small items handy without bothering anyone or resorting to contorted movements. I love these pants for travel!
The only downside I had was the fit. This was my own fault, and one of the challenges of online shopping. I picked the pants based on my waist and inseam measurements. The inseam was spot on, but the waist ran a little large. Kühl has a great return policy, but I didn’t read it first. One of the first things I love to do with new gear is take off all the tags, and that was my mistake. Returns are possible within 30 days if the pants are unworn, unwashed, and tags still on. The size wasn’t too bad that a belt couldn’t fix, so I didn’t bother with customer service.
Disclosure of material connection: The author (Derek Hansen) was provided with a free sample from the manufacturer for testing and evaluation purposes. The comments in this post (written & spoken) are of my own opinion, which I formed after personally handling the gear. I was under no obligation to publish a review of this item.
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