KÜHL is a company that popped up onto my radar all of a sudden. I had not heard of them and soon after I was contacted to test and review some of their gear, I was seeing them everywhere — on the trail, in the office, and hanging out with family.

I’ve recently been looking at everyday carry (EDC) gear with a particular interest in gear that would be useful on the trail, but not look out of place in the office. When possible I want to find quality products that have dual-use — I don’t want to carry/buy cheap gear, but at the same time, it’s not realistic to purchase one quality set of gear for work/daily use and another quality set for the trail. Looking at KÜHL’s collection of clothing and gear, they seem to be a great fit for what I am looking for these days.

 

Why Buy?

TRAVRSE™ PANTS FOR MEN

Being in the market for a pair of soft-shell pants, I was thrilled when KÜHL contacted me for a review. While I had not used any KÜHL products prior to this review, I heard some great things about them – the reviews for their gear have been  very positive.

For those have not used softshell pants, nor know why one would choose them over normal hiking pants or ski pants, here’s a good summary I found online:

“Soft-shell pants are made of high-performance synthetic fabrics that are resistant to abrasions & tears. They hold up extremely well to mountain abuse. They are typically water-resistant (not water proof) which means they are breathable and shed light rain and snow and dry quickly when they get wet …The bottom line is you will spend every minute of your climb in these pants so comfort is key. Soft-shell pants are a must have for any serious climber!” (source: International Mountain Guides)

While the quote above is directed towards climbers, the reasons for using soft-shell pants also apply to snowshoers and hikers, especially those who get out in the shoulder seasons … or really any time where water and wind resistance is desired.

ESKAPE™ 25 BACKPACK

I’m on the search for that “Goldilock’s” backpack – something that does not look out of place in the office but that I can throw on my back and comfortably hike 8 to 10 miles. The ESKAPE 25 BACKPACK has many of the features I prefer, without looking too outdoorsy or tactical.

 

First Look

TRAVRSE™ PANTS FOR MEN

I’ve had the KÜHL Travrse™ Pants for about 4 weeks now wearing for them ~90% of days since I received them. The only days that I haven’t worn them is when they’re in the wash. They’ve been used on short hikes with my dog, while sledding with my boys, clearing the driveway of snow, while working on my car on and for work most workdays; I even (accidentally) wore them to bed one night. Here’s what I’ve found:

  • The Good
    • Super comfortable – quite possibly the most comfortable pants I’ve owned – so comfortable that some of my other pants that I thought were comfortable seem restrictive now!
    • The stretch fabric combined with the gusseted crotch and articulated knees allow a full range of motion 
    • Durable – the pants still look brand new. If only used for hiking or snowshoeing, I’d expect them to last a few years
    • The look – I’d have no problem wearing them to anything but the most formal events. Like most, I have been working from home, but if I were going to the office, I’d have no issue wearing them. I foresee them being particularly useful on stormy days due to their water resistance (more below). 
    • Water resistance and dry fast – being softshell pants, they are not waterproof. Not being waterproof allows them to retain a higher level of breathability. 
    • Wind protection – One day I layered them with mid-weight long underwear for a short hike. It was <20° F with 15-20 mph winds gusting to 25 mph, which pushed the wind chill down to single digits. With my normal hiking pants I would have been cold, but the KÜHL Travrse™ Pants did a great job of keeping the wind out. 
    • Zippered pockets – I prefer that my pockets have secure storage, especially during outdoor activities. 
  • The Bad
    • Price – these are the most expensive pants I’ve owned, but compared to other softshell pants, they are competitively priced. Some comparisons
      • Men’s Ridge Runner Soft-Shell Pants – $160 | Black Diamond Men’s Alpine Pant – $135 | Marmot Men’s Scree Pant – $120 | Outdoor Research Voodoo Pants – $80
    • Vent Zips – one of the challenges that comes with winter hiking and snowshoeing is temperature regulation – you don’t want to be cold, but you really don’t want to get sweaty. The one feature these pants are missing that I’d like to have is hip or inn thigh zips to help regulate temperature. 
  • The Bottom Line 
    • As mentioned above, these are the most comfortable pants I’ve owned. The only thing keeping me from buying multiple pairs is the price tag. 

 

ESKAPE™ 25 BACKPACK

Over the last 4 weeks, I’ve used the ESKAPE™ 25 BACKPACK whenever I’ve needed a backpack – short hikes with my dog, traveling and a couple of trips to the office. Here’s what I’ve found:

  • The Good
    • Quality — The zippers, zipper pulls, magnetic closures and the overall design of the pack just scream quality to me. 
    • Durability — I was a little suspicious about how the outside of the pack would hold up to use – it looks really nice – but so far so good! 
    • Design – 
      • for office + travel use, the clamshell main compartment for easy packing, as well as the splitzip pocket and super useful and awesome features.
      • Interior color – not something I would have thought of as useful, but the high visibility interior makes it easier to find things
      • Interior materials – 
  • The Bad
    • Price – as mentioned above, KÜHL makes quality gear and quality typically comes at a price. The price is on par with the most expensive backpacking backpacks I’ve used and more expensive than any ‘normal’ backpack I have.
    • Designed for the office vs. designed for the trail — as an office backpack, it checks all of the boxes, but as a trail pack, there are a couple of things that could use improvement
      • my biggest complaint about this pack would be hipbelt.
      • Bottle holders
  • The Bottom Line 
    • Great looking pack that does not seem out of place in the office and works well for shorter hikes or those where gear/weight requirements are limited. 

 

Future Testing

Before wrapping up my review, I need to test both items more. 

TRAVRSE™ PANTS FOR MEN
  • Snowshoeing – Since receiving them, we have not had enough snow for snowshoeing
  • Longer hikes – a foot injury has prevented me from hiking more than a couple of miles
  • Warm weather hike – I am curious about how well these pants breath and whether they could be used in warmer weather
ESKAPE™ 25 BACKPACK
  • Longer hikes with more weight – a foot injury has prevented me from hiking more than a couple of miles
  • Warm weather hike – I am curious about how well the pack ventilates compared to the backpacking packs I prefer

 

REVIEW UPDATE (2023)

After ~2.5 years of usage …

TRAVRSE™ PANTS FOR MEN

They still look great and I am still happy with the pants. I have had one issue — the main enclosure/snap for the pants tends to come undone easily. Since I always wear a belt, it has not caused any embarrassing situations, but it is worth noting! These are still my favorite pants.

ESKAPE™ 25 BACKPACK

My go to pack for work and traveling, it’s been on every overnight trip I’ve gone on since I received it. Works great for short hikes or those without a heavy load; hip belt is not ideal. A stowable/detachable padded hip belt, similar to the shoulder straps, would put this pack on another level. If I’m traveling and planning on a walking or hiking with the family, this is the only backpack I take with me.