Clothing
Eddie Bauer Men's Guide Pro Pants
Lightweight and breathable enough for Texas heat, but tough enough to push through cedar and mesquite brush without getting torn up.
Why It Makes The Cut
Where to Buy →The Eddie Bauer Men's Guide Pro Pants are my go-to hiking pants for hot-weather brush-busting across central Texas hill country. I needed something tough enough to push through walls of cedar and mesquite without shredding, yet breathable enough that I would not overheat when the temperature climbs past a hundred degrees — and these thread that needle better than anything else I have tried. The nylon-spandex blend has a slight stretch that makes scrambling over limestone ledges and crouching for macro photography comfortable, while the DWR finish sheds morning dew and light rain during early starts. I tuck the cuffs into my boot tops to seal out ticks and wear them with a belt so they sit snug against my waist under my pack. The articulated knees have held up through countless sessions of kneeling in dirt to photograph ground-dwelling arthropods, and after two years of hard use, I have yet to tear a pair on thorns.