For a long time I have been on the hunt for hard-wearing clothes that have more than one function. Something that I can wear in the city, on a trail and also feel comfortable wearing while travelling. On discovering Kuhl, I realised that I might be on the right track.
I received both a pair of Kuhl women’s Splash Metro hiking trousers and a Kiley long-sleeved shirt. I am going to talk about the pants in this post and the shirt in another. This is because I think they need their own spaces.
Minimising kit
Since we reduced our wardrobes to a single unit each, we have been on the lookout for clothing items that carry more for their money. Multi-purpose, hard-wearing and good-looking. It might sound like we’re asking for the world and to be honest, I really thought that I was fighting a losing battle until I found the Kuhl brand of clothing. With the ethos of clothing being for “every adventure” I was excited to give them a go. I was kindly provided with a pair of trousers and a shirt, which I picked because of the style and function, in return for trying them out and sharing my honest opinion.
Women’s Hiking Trousers
Being a lover of both exploring the city and taking an adventure in the countryside, I have always dreamed of clothes that would work in both situations. Something I could wear to work and then head straight for a ramble up a cliff or a hilly hike. So far outdoor clothes have looked, well, like outdoor clothes. You know the sort with panels here, extra zips there and of course the special tabs for rolling up the legs. This look is not the kind I think of wearing when doing some urban wandering. Then again, jeans just don’t make the cut either as they start to chaff after 18 miles or so in the city – especially in the heat. And from my experience, I never quite know when a city wander will evolve into a cliff-side hike like I did in Krakow…in skinny corduroy jeans!! *cringes at the memory*
Comfortable and Fitted
From the moment I opened the packet and put them on, I knew that the Kuhl Splash Metro hiking trousers were going to become a favourite. The waistband was comfortable on my skin (not too loose and not too tight) with a button and fly fastening. There is also an elasticated tie inside to make it even more secure if needed.
When we travel we tend to cover all transport bases from train, plane, bus and always plenty of walking, so having a comfortable pair of pants is really important. My first real trip with the Kuhl Splash Metro was to Lodz and Amsterdam, which gave them a really good try.
Features
As I mentioned earlier in my post, I am really keen on multi-purpose clothing these days and one thing that helps is added features. These Kuhl trousers have the option to be crop trousers or full length. They have a high waistband at the back so when you’re digging around in your rucksack while on the move, you don’t show a bit of crack. I love this, especially when travelling a lot because you don’t get that belt feeling on your back when sitting for long periods of time.
Being able to adjust the leg length means that I can roll them up to keep cool on hotter days or to keep them dry on very rainy days. Very important I have found from living in Manchester. Usually with trousers with this feature, they look quite “hiking trouser-esque” but these manage to keep a normal look to them. Which is an added bonus!
Talking of rain, these are splash proof and dry off really quickly after a thorough drenching! I say this from experience and before you ask, no, it isn’t something I offer as standard in reviews!
At first I wasn’t too sure about the light coloured stitching (think me sliding down muddy verges etc) but they have kept surprisingly clean. And I now like that it brightens up the dark colour pants fabric.
Final thoughts
I can hand on heart say that I love these trousers a lot! However, and I am gutted that there is a bad point in these excellent trousers, the front pockets are too small for my iPhone 7! Why is it that women’s trousers don’t have deep enough pockets for a mobile phone. Surely it is something which should be considered important these days?
That being said, they are still the pair of hiking trousers that I wear time and time again. In fact they are the first thing on my packing list every time I go away. And, I can replace the pockets myself with some simple sewing to meet my needs.
Overall, these are brilliant trousers, they are lightweight, multi functional, comfortable, splash proof and quick drying. I have been wearing my Kuhl Metro Splash around town for my reverse commute and taken them on every trip I have been on since owning these pants.
And you know what? I love them so much that we have since ordered Jit a pair of Kuhl Renegade Pant so that he can enjoy the same features that I do with my Splash Metro! When you find a brand that works for all areas of your life – stick with them!
Do you have favourite travel clothes or hiking trousers which go everywhere with you? Will you be checking out some of the Kuhl clothes?
Let me know in the comments.