I’d seen Coalatree Trailhead Pants on various social media channels and decided I needed to see if they live up to the hype. As much as I adventure and travel, I need clothes that are durable, usable for mult-seasons, stink-proof, and can go from trail to town. Since these pants seemingly check off all those boxes I decided to test them out. Plus Coalatree is a highly sustainable brand.

I first tested them on a boat ride and short hike in Rainbow Bridge National Monument in mid-February then wore them during a boat outing while visit Amelia Island in late February.

UPDATE: Tested them on a long road trip and hiking in warmer temperatures in late April and early May.

Specs on Coalatree Trailhead Pants I Ordered:

Color: Rust

There are 7 color options to choose from.

Size: Small

Pants are unisex and I ordered based on the size chart on website.

Fit: Regular

They offer Slim and Regular fit.

Cost: $99

Initial Reaction:

I love the rust color of these pants. It works as a great neutral and is different from other outdoorsy pants I own. I tend to gravitate toward black, so these are a great alternative. I picked the Rust over Sand (yellow) and Olive (green). Think I would like those colors in these pants too. Like the durable fabric, stretchy fabric, deep pocket, and drawstring ankle ties for the option to turn them into capris. I don’t like the drawstring at the waist. I would much prefer to have a drawstring on the inside of pants, or not at all, especially with elastic waist like these pants have.

First Fit:

I have what I refercoala to as athletic thighs, which can be a challenge with hiking pants and the reason I went for regular fit, instead of slim in these pants. The regular fit is loose fitting on me, which makes these great as a layer pant. Since they’re unisex, slim would have probably been okay for me. Still eyeing the Sand color of the Trailhead pants, I’ll probably order that pair is slim to see the difference.

Review:

I took these pants along on a road trip to check off some National Park Service sites in northern Arizona ahead of speaking at the Phoenix Travel and Adventure Show in February. I first wore them for a boat ride and hike adventure to Rainbow Bridge National Monument in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Arizona and Utah. It’s one of the hardest National Park Service sites to get to accessible only by boat or a 14-18 mile in extremely vast and rugged terrain in Navajo Nation. It was cold we we set out for the nearly 3 hour boat ride. I went up on the top deck multiple times and was honestly glad I had selected these pants because they blocked the wind and kept me warm. The real test for me was how do they perform on the hiking trail. It had warmed up some on a sunny day in the desert, but still cool in the shade. I found the pants to be very comfortable, not constricting at all, temperature regulating, and breathable. I really like the ankle drawstring for hiking if you wanted or needed to turn them into capris, especially if crossing a stream. Plus, the color looks great in the sandstone scenery.

The second time I wore these pants actually wasn’t on a trail, but on a late February boat ride while visiting Amelia Island, Florida. I had started out in shorts, but by late afternoon. I got chilled and put these pants on over my shorts. It was a great opportunity to test out the breathability, water resistant, and wind resistant features of the durable ripstop nylon fabric. Honestly, I was shocked how well they worked on the boat to keep me dry and warm in the wind on the water as the sun was setting.

My Trailhead Takeaways

These are great adventure pants for under $100. The durable fabric will hold up to whatever outdoor activity you’re wearing them for including sailing to rock climbing. They have a ton of stretch. The regular fit makes these a great layering piece over shorts or leggings. The rust color is an unexpected neutral color.

I’m still not a fan of the drawstring waist, but that’s just a style preference. The pants do stuff into a pocket, but I’ve found they take up less roam in bag if I roll them up. I can’t wait to test them out more on a road trip and hiking and will update post to include hiking review soon.

Road Trip and Hiking Testing Update (5-4-24)

Finally got a little more time to test these pants on a long road trip and a hike in warmer temperatures. I wore these on a drive day from Denver to Capitol Reef National Park. They’re fabulous road trip or travel pants! I also wore them while hiking and exploring in Ute Mountain Tribal Park in Southwest Colorado. It was a warmer and windy day. We hiked on some rugged terrain and had to climb up and down some ladders to see dwellings so I was really thankful for the ankle drawstrings so pants didn’t snag on anything. With temperatures in the 70s in the desert these pants were very comfortable and I didn’t feel hot at any time. I was also thankful I had on pants in the cooler shady spots. The red dirt also easily wiped off the pants. Can’t wait to take these to Africa next!

Author Jennifer Broome test out gear throughout the year for her summer gear guide and holiday gift guide. Check out the Go Gear section for more reviews.