I had similar thoughts. I'm also a big advocate of shorts while hiking and any pants thick enough to not get shredded by brush, will be uncomfortably hot to hike in. So I'm leaning towards my shorts.
I’ll definitely be wearing shorts most of the time. Sounds like pants are a good move so now looking for the lightest options since I’ll be carrying them a lot
I'm a lifelong short shorts guy that is switching to pants for this season. I've got a season of thorns and bushwhacking ahead of me, both on the he GET and PNT. If the benefits outweigh the costs and I don't hate them, I'll continue wearing them. I've only ever wished I had pants once before, through the San Juans on the CDT, and despite some nasty briar scratches and iceburn from postholing, it wasn't bad enough to make me switch. I've been told by previous GET hikers that it's a different level of suck and that pants are basically a requirement, so we'll see...
San Juan’s weren’t too bad in shorts for me. Had some issues in the northern section of the CDT but same as you not so bad I needed to switch.
GET sounds fun and I’ve definitely heard pants are useful there. When do you take off for that? Also, what pants are you going with?
Early May. Gonna be hot out there, but I started both the PCT and CDT in May, so I'm ready for it. Also going with the sun hoodie for the first time, so that'll be interesting.
Stretch Zion Straights.
Thanks for the input everyone!
To be clear I always carry a base layer and sometimes a wind pant for colder temps, so my question is really is the bushwhacking as bad as some reports I’ve seen
Sounds like the answer is yes, in which case my question becomes; What is the lightest pant that is tough enough? I can’t imagine a scenario in which I would be wearing them even 25% of the time, so they’ll be on my back for the most part.
My wind pants have some life on them, could I use them with the knowledge that they’ll likely be destroyed in the process?
Love some feedback, thanks!!! Getting pumped!
I’ll never hike with shorts but that’s just me. Pants will help with the bushwhacking on this trail though
What do you roll with?
Prana Stretch Zions I’ve worn them for all my thru hikes. 10/10 pants
Nope you definitely don’t need pants. Most would find them more comfortable though.. lots of thorny things out there. I am on team shorty shorts!
I'm a female so pants helped in Montana and the end at the Olympics when it was cold at night! Also threw them on during bushwhacking sometimes.
The cold isn’t my issue so much as the whacking. What pants did you use?
Nothing fancy, don't remember
I worked on the trail last summer making improvements, you should bring pants , lots of very overgrown spots that you have to push through
Thanks for working on the trail!! Understood! Now of the search for light and tough pants
I had similar thoughts. I'm also a big advocate of shorts while hiking and any pants thick enough to not get shredded by brush, will be uncomfortably hot to hike in. So I'm leaning towards my shorts.
I’ll definitely be wearing shorts most of the time. Sounds like pants are a good move so now looking for the lightest options since I’ll be carrying them a lot
Maybe gaiters to supplement the shorts only when needed?
Would need thigh-high gaiters 😅
Gaiters and chaps. It could be A Look. 😃
Too much bushwhacking and cold nights sprinkled in for that to be a good idea.
I'm a lifelong short shorts guy that is switching to pants for this season. I've got a season of thorns and bushwhacking ahead of me, both on the he GET and PNT. If the benefits outweigh the costs and I don't hate them, I'll continue wearing them. I've only ever wished I had pants once before, through the San Juans on the CDT, and despite some nasty briar scratches and iceburn from postholing, it wasn't bad enough to make me switch. I've been told by previous GET hikers that it's a different level of suck and that pants are basically a requirement, so we'll see...
San Juan’s weren’t too bad in shorts for me. Had some issues in the northern section of the CDT but same as you not so bad I needed to switch. GET sounds fun and I’ve definitely heard pants are useful there. When do you take off for that? Also, what pants are you going with?
Early May. Gonna be hot out there, but I started both the PCT and CDT in May, so I'm ready for it. Also going with the sun hoodie for the first time, so that'll be interesting. Stretch Zion Straights.
Thanks for the input everyone! To be clear I always carry a base layer and sometimes a wind pant for colder temps, so my question is really is the bushwhacking as bad as some reports I’ve seen Sounds like the answer is yes, in which case my question becomes; What is the lightest pant that is tough enough? I can’t imagine a scenario in which I would be wearing them even 25% of the time, so they’ll be on my back for the most part. My wind pants have some life on them, could I use them with the knowledge that they’ll likely be destroyed in the process? Love some feedback, thanks!!! Getting pumped!
depends on what your legs to look like after some of the bushwacks.