By: Chris Byrnes
The Ferrosi Pants from Outdoor Research are the most versatile garment I’ve ever encountered. Climbing ladders, crawling through ducts, shaking hands with my university’s president, all within twenty minutes and all within my Ferrosis.
One of my favorite things about Outdoor Research, which sets them apart from other outdoor brands, is their understated style and branding. I can get all of the advantages of a high-tech climbing garment, while rubbing shoulders with haugty-taughty schmoozers. No, they’re not dress pants, and you’re not likely to pair them with a blazer, but you won’t be sticking out like a dirt bag with a sore thumb either.
These pants are so breathable that you can forget you’re wearing pants at all. I run hotter than most, and I had simply accepted the reality that I couldn’t look professional in the summer. Gym shorts or sweat stains were my choices, but no more! And if you do end up wanting some sun on your legs, rather than rolling them up, you can simply hike them up with the hidden elastic cuff. There’s even a garage to keep the excess shock cord from dangling and catching on all that brush that you’re liable to end up whacking through.
Are these things made of magic? As long as you define magic as a perfectly engineered blend of nylon and Spandex, then yes. Nylon so they won’t hold water (with DWR so they don’t even get the chance) and just the right amount of spandex to make you wonder if there’s actually any nylon in there at all. Seriously, these things are stretchier than I am.
The topic of stretch brings me to the only downside of these pants. It is a fatal flaw. This magical fabric is so incredibly flexible that the threads can’t always keep up. I’ve had seams give out multiple times (usually the back pocket) because those threads end up taking the full brunt of your crazy bouldering antics. However, Outdoor Research has the Infinite Guarantee (arguably the best warranty in the business) and will stand behind their products if you end up like me with your wallet dangling a little bit lower.
The Ferrosi Pants are only one part of a larger collection of shirts, hoodies, jackets, etc. Don’t forget to check out all of those as well!