Best overallOne pair of trousers for the whole trek
prAna Stretch Zion Pant
Tough, stretchy and dry fast enough to wash in a bucket — they are not warm, so above 4,000 m you are wearing a base layer underneath.
Best value
Zip-off legs for treks that start hot and end cold
Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Pant
Nylon, UPF 50, zip-off legs
The zip-off is genuinely useful when you leave a 25 °C valley and arrive somewhere freezing; the zips sit right where a pack hip-belt or a knee bends, and some people never stop noticing.
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What you get
- Cheap, and everywhere
- One garment covers a 30 °C swing
- UPF 50 on exposed legs
What it costs you
- Zips chafe under a hip belt
- No stretch — restrictive on a high step
- Looks like what it is
Do not buy this if: Cold treks that never get hot. Buy a single warm pair instead of a compromise.
Treks we recommend this for
Not every route needs it. These are the ones where our guides would put it on your list.
The alternatives
Everything else we recommend in trousers & shorts, including the ones we think suit a different trekker.
Best overall