When designing clothing for the outdoors, whether that be hiking, climbing, backpacking, it’s got to be rugged and durable while still being breathable and taking into consideration how the body moves. 

I personally have struggled to find the perfect hiking pants that are a good balance of everything. 

My summer hiking pants are light and breathable, but wear out pretty quickly.

For the winter, I have used thicker fleece lined pants, but they tend to overheat after a good climb.

But I think I have finally found my go-to, do everything pair of pants with KÜHL’s new “Radikl Outsider.” 

I have been a KÜHL fan for a while now and I already own a lot of their stuff.

They make great gear that is both functional and looks pretty damn good.

In fact, an older version of these pants have been my workhorse for fall and spring adventures for years now. Those with a sharp eye will have noticed me wearing them in half my hiking videos.

So I was over the moon when KÜHL reached out and asked me to review these new and updated “Radikl” Outsider pants. And I gotta say I’m pretty impressed.

Things I like:

Durable yet Flexible 

These hiking pants are tough and durable in the right places, but also have flexible soft-shell panels in strategic spots for ease of movement. While testing them,  I could rock-hop and climb over boulders, squat down, all without having to worry about hiking my pants up first. 

And of course their trademarked Dynawax Ripstop is lightweight, and water resistant.

The pockets

Absolutely great for backpacking. If there’s one thing you know as a backpacker, it’s that having to take your pack off and on to get at stuff is a pain in the ass. 

These pants have easily accessible pockets in all the normal places, but also water resistant pockets on the front thighs to store your maps, electronics, etcetera. They even have a dedicated cell phone pocket on the thigh’s rear quarter.

Adjustable Ankles

This is a new feature I haven’t seen on KÜHL pants before, and I’m digging it. You can keep it loose and flowy, to help regulate temperature, or you can tighten them down for a tapered look and help keep debris out. 

The Vents

Temperature is one of the hardest things to regulate when it comes to pants. And KÜHL makes it a breeze with these side vents. 

I personally don’t like hiking in shorts in the backcountry, so temperature regulation can be tricky for me in warm weather.

Not to mention when winter hiking, sweating becomes dangerous as wet clothes can bring about hypothermia quickly. In winter weather, it’s best to never be warm but instead to stay ‘comfortably cool’. This can be tricky with thicker fleece lined hiking pants.

This is where these side vents come in. The weather on my test hike was chilly but I felt myself warming up after the first uphill mile. I simply opened up my side vents and let the hot air dissipate. 

The zippers were incredibly smooth, allowing for one handed operation which is always a plus.

The Style

This part is neither good nor bad, but one thing I like about KÜHL gear is that a lot of their stuff looks as good on the trail as it does in town. These pants however are more on the technical side of things, which I love functionality wise. 

But they look more at home on a multiday hike or with a climbing harness around them than they do at your local coffee shop. 

I honestly can’t think of many things I don’t like about these pants. 

The Dynawax Ripstop is 51% cotton. So I supposed once the waterproofing wears off, if you were to get these soaked they would not retain their warmth like a full synthetic would. But that’s a deep hypothetical.

And I guess you could say you’re not maxing out your stats on either being light weight or on toughness.

But that’s not what these pants are about.

These pants are about versatility and flexibility in the field. And at that, they excel. 

I look forward to utilizing these pants on my next backpacking adventure.

Maps With No Roads seal of approval 👍. 

You can find them for yourself over on KÜHL’s website:

https://www.kuhl.com/kuhl/mens/pants/ms-the-outsider-pant/