REI Sahara Convertible Pants
May 29, 2010
A good pair of convertible pants is really invaluable. They suit a variety of temperature ranges, vegetation situations, and packing limitations, not to mention tanning opportunities. Doesn’t it suck when you find unexpected sunshine but are wearing long pants? Personally I like to get a little vitamin D on my lower extremities every now and again, so I am always looking for good convertible pants. However, I always end up with a pair of plain old REI Sahara pants. If that sounds strangely worded – believe me, I meant it that way. I always end up with these pants, but I don’t think they are the best that convertible pants can be.
First, the issue of fit is always a problem with these. This is really only an issue in the women’s version in my opinion. REI changes the women’s version almost every year, redesigning, resizing, recutting, adding things, deleting others…it’s maddening. Go to REI to get these pants and you really don’t know what you’re going to find. This year I tried on a few pairs to find that although REI had kindly tried to address the previous version’s issues with the Too-Tapered-Leg Syndrome (which resulted in the dreaded Mom Pants look), they have really gone too far in the other direction. This year’s women’s Sahara has massively elephantine lower legs. You can’t see it in the picture above, you really have to just put them on. They are seemingly half again the size of the width of the thighs. They look ridiculous. They are so ludicrous that I couldn’t stomach buying them even at the reasonable price of about $40. Not that I liked the previous version all that much, either – I’m not a tapered leg fan and I’ve NEVER thought that REI “got it” when it came to women’s fit because they always have a stupid high waist on the Sahara pants as well as the equally dumb looking tapered legs. Eighties, much? I usually wore them with the button undone and the waist folded down so that the top of the pants wasn’t practically around my rib cage. I had to live with the tapered leg. The legs were never long enough either, and even though I enjoy getting dirty and stinky doing fun outdoors stuff, I am a little vain about my look. High waist and tapered-leg waiting-for-a-flood pants were not what I was going for.
But the thing is that no one else is making good convertible pants for women either. And the others are making said not-good convertible pants at a much higher price point, so whenever I need them, I end up slouching back to REI because I could get a pair that I could tolerate without making my checking account cry. Some women even manage to look good in the Sahara pants – and now that I think about it, it’s usually shorter women. Maybe the shorter leg length isn’t tapered as much because it’s just cut off before it can get too skinny, if you follow me on that. Anyway, I stabbed my old pair of Saharas with an ice tool and punctured them, so it was time for another pair so off I went to the big box store of the outdoor industry to get another pair. This time I thought my luck had run out, because the cut of the lower legs was just intolerable. From the leg zipper on down they looked like an entirely different pair of pants, like someone had zipped XXL size legs onto a S size pair of shorts. Buying a smaller size made it look a little better, but then they were too constricting for climbing and what have you. There I was, without a pair of convertible shorts, out of luck. Just as I was about to leave, I remembered how much I used to like borrowing my boyfriend’s pair of Saharas for climbing – they were too baggy, but that’s fine for climbing. So for the sake of trying, I grabbed a few pairs of the men’s version and hey! They are just like the old design, with a few pocket tweaks. So I ended up buying the men’s version. They are baggy, true, but not ludicrously so, and I have full range of motion, long enough leg, less leg tapering, and no ballooning of the lower legs. They do have too many goofy pocket things but I can live with it.
Technically speaking, the Saharas are pretty all right. They have SPF fabric which I’ve always found weird, but then again I’ve always lived in Alaska where SPF clothing is not really a hot item. The best feature of these pants is the quick-drying fabric; it’s pretty great. You can get dunked in a river or sweat out a few liters and they are dry again in a jiffy. The zippers are kind of hit and miss; they might last, they might not. But if they don’t last, REI will let you exchange them in a usually hassle-free manner. I don’t like the goofy cargo pockets because they just serve to make hips look bigger, especially if you actually USE the pockets to put stuff in. They make everything look like a throwback to 1970’s boy scout camp. Really, who needs these giant cargo pockets? Just take them off and the pants would look a lot better. Maybe they think you’re going to stuff the legs in the pockets when you zip them off? Now that would not be a good look.
I REALLY don’t like the velcro on the pockets because I try to minimize velcro in almost all situations. But I do like that they are reasonably dependable, sturdy, quick drying, and generally tolerable convertible pants. Plus, the price point is really hard to beat. Even though they aren’t perfect, when you catch them on sale they are about $40. Really, don’t buy them for more than that because they will go on sale again soon enough. I don’t recommend this year’s women’s version but you can find a pretty standard fit in the men’s section so if that can work for you, I’d try it. If you buy them baggy enough you don’t even have to cope with the high waist issue.
I’m having a little trouble wrapping this up because I’m not stoked about the fact that no one can get it together to make good convertible pants for women, but I’m OK with buying a men’s version if it works for me. These pants are so cheap it’s hard to go TOO wrong. So there you have it. This is an awfully long article about one pair of convertible pants but sometimes the amount of thoughts I have on a product exceeds the generally accepted guidelines for the amount of time spent on thinking and therefore writing about them. To sum up: REI Sahara Convertible Pants for Women Men: Good Enough.
Do Not Twitter From The Himalayas
May 21, 2010
I’ve said many times that this site is about gear, and it is. The site is mostly pretty impersonal aside from the odd bits of information that make it into our reviews; we’re not posting about our personal lives, relationships, deep thoughts about our next career moves too often. That said, people seem to like a little bit of personal flavor in the site, and at times I like to get my own ideas out there when the people I live with get sick of hearing me talk about them. Oh, who I am kidding, it all comes down to the fact that I’m the boss of this blog and if I feel like writing about something, I will.
So I’ve decided to revisit that ever so hypocritical topic: blogs. I’ve mentioned a few times how hard it is to find good blogs to follow because most of the ones out there tend to irritate me with their overemphasis on angst and conflict, self-involved tone, and attempts to turn the mundane into the epic. “Dude, we so gotta blog about this when we get home,” “yeah, and I’m gonna post it on my Facebook” is the running joke between me and my partner when we’re out having fun. We’re both tired of people’s spray and their intense need to share every scrap of minutia as well as their attempts to transform any mundane visit to the out of doors as a serious adventure. Those of you who think your every step is worthy of winning the Boardman-Tasker: look, we’ve all been there, we all think our adventures are fun and exciting. I’ve been guilty of this a time or two. But unless you are already a famous outdoorsperson, chances are your adventures are pretty darn normal. So tone it down a little bit, will you? Rule two: if you are blogging from your trip, you’re already doing it wrong. Writing about adventures is for doing AFTER the adventure is over, not while you’re still doing it. The fact that people can Twitter from Everest now is just heartbreaking to me. Why are you “out there” in such isolated natural beauty, if you’re just going to bring the entire Internet with you? Yeah, yeah, personal choice, I get it. But please. Just because you can bring your blogging software with you doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
If you are still determined to blog and you’re having trouble figuring out what is worth blogging about, you’re in luck! After exhaustive research and careful analysis, here are:
The Top Five Overdone Outdoor Blog Cliches According to the Head Geargal
- Self-centeredness: Endless string of “I’m so epic” self portraits. Blogger on a mountain. Blogger on another mountain. Blogger on a trail. Blogger’s dirty feet. Blogger’s wet jacket. Bad weather endured by blogger. Sweeping vista seen by blogger and the ten thousand other people that hike to the same place every year. Ugh. Stop. We get it, you were there. But do we really need to know every step you take and every single activity you do? Yes, your blog is likely about you, so you’re somewhat authorized to post All About You if you want. But step back and take a good look at your blog, or even your Twitter page. Does it seem to say “I’m the Center of the Universe”? Does it have the sentence “I am awesome” on it (honest to goodness, I really have seen this more than once)? Have you never once posted about anything but yourself? Do you think about blogging your trip while you are still DOING your trip? Do you take pictures JUST to post on your blog and show the world how extreme you are? If the answer is yes, you are officially self-centered. You should back away from the keyboard, go rejoin the real world, and interact with real people who will not let your every interaction with them be All About You.
- Way-too-personal introspection: You don’t know everyone on the internet and they don’t know you. They cannot solve your problems. Chances are you’ll find a core group of readers who will applaud you constantly and slaver over your every achievement, giving a rah-rah go-you comment at the slightest provocation, telling you how great you are and how awesome your blog is and stay the course and thanks so much, don’t listen to the “haters” etc., etc. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that these people have any clue what they are talking about. They don’t know you, and have no idea whether you are awesome or not. If you are using your blog as therapy, please – get real therapy. Stop telling the world about your latest breakup or your imminent personal crisis, the world does not care. If it did, it would be looking at relationship blogs, not outdoor blogs.
- Constant calling attention to injuries and/or tiredness to make things sound more epic: Yeah, we get it, you went hard yesterday and you felt it when you got up this morning, but you went hard again today anyway because you are Just Too Awesome not to. Oh, and you are at your best when conditions are at their worst, you are a walking tire commercial, we know, we know. You and everyone else who has ever gone biking in the rain or skiing in a windstorm. Look, there has never been a single time at which a person got wet and didn’t get dry again later, so just get over it. Leave the epic weather stories/injury cataloguing to Joe Simpson. He deserves it and you do not. The bar is set and you are well under it. Stop filling the internet with lame attempts to make yourself sound like a badass just because your quads are a little sore.
- Getting too big for your britches: If you’ve developed a core readership, they are probably looking at your blog because they like your blog. Turning it into a hot zone for commercialism is such a turnoff. Look, we all want to make money from our blogs and web sites. Some people actually do it. But when a site turns into a nonstop “become a fan on Facebook” and “check out our new giveaway on Twitter!” hot mess, we lose interest, and so do a lot of other people. Stay true to the mission of your site and don’t get pulled into some weird constant media blitz.
- Self promotion: This is a tough one. We all have to promote our blogs or else they would die. However, the best promotion is the promotion done by other people. So if you find yourself reposting about a trip you went on, over and over and over, to try to call attention to it and whatever cause you were doing it for, this is a clue that no one really cares about that particular trip. If they did, they would have picked up the story and spread it on their own. I’m sorry that no one thinks your trip is all that neat, but that’s life. Try again with a different trip. Your self-promotion is looking desperate. To this category I add that heinous crime of pointing out repeatedly that your blog made some “best blog” list somewhere on the Internet. Everyone who is surprised about making a “best blog” list really should be; not to mention they should be skeptical of the legitimacy of the “best blog” list itself. If you really do have the “best blog” you don’t need to tell your readers, they already know. So ease up on the self-promotion. If you have a successful blog, it’s a fine line to walk, I’ll give you that. A place to start: Do Twitter OR Facebook if you must do that kind of stuff. Not both. That is WAY too much. This also applies to those who violate Cliche #1 above. Heck, this applies to just about everyone in the outdoor industry, too. Think of all the time you could be spending developing more cool gear rather than maintaining your Facebook page!
Blogs That Do It Right
I guess if I am going to complain, I should follow up with some examples of What To Do. And here they are:
Confessions of Captain Swallowtail – Eric’s blog hits the perfect note – a blend of the mundane day-to-day happenings at Eric’s needs-a-new-name bike bags shop and the mind-blowingly awesomely truly epic trips that Eric takes from time to time. If Ed Viesturs sets the professional epic trip bar, Eric sets the amateur bar. And he sets it high, with incredible photography and one-of-a-kind travels. Eric finds it normal to carry a bike for miles through thick alders or along boulder-strewn, wave-thrashed beaches in the middle of nowhere. Eric doesn’t make a blog post about the time he broke a bike component on an afternoon ride and had to walk a mile back to the trailhead in the rain; Eric notes with characteristic understatement that his bike broke 2000 miles into the wilderness and he needed to arrange an air drop of spare parts. Eric has been known to mention occasional soreness or tiredness but since such statements all occur after evening runs that cover more ground than a typical person would cover in a backpacking trip over a three-day-weekend, I can’t help but think his “I’m a little sore” translates into “a normal human would be dead.” All brought to us on with minimalist narration, a refreshing absence of ego, and some understated humor as well. See, Eric doesn’t have to TELL us how awesome he is, we can just tell. Of course, I also know because I’ve met Eric and think he’s very cool and very nice as well, so this one I can verify personally.
Life According to Kellie – Kellie does it right, pure and simple. No angst, no dramatics, no bitching about tiredness – even though she does some of the flat out most awesome trips ever conceived, she’s never one to cry about her aching quads. She’s too busy going on more unbelievable trips. I don’t know Kellie personally but we’ve got some friends on common, all of whom have a crazy story about some intense trip with Kellie. For most people, a Kellie-style adventure is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, when for Kellie it’s pretty much her lifestyle. She lets us into her world in a matter-of-fact, straightforward way with absolutely zero of that self-deprecating tone that I have come to loathe in typical blogs from women (which pains me to say, but seems to be a common thread in a lot of women’s blogs. Blah blah blah I’m not that good, yadda yadda I was scared but so and so helped me through it, I’ll never been an expert but I can have fun, hurk. Stop it, ladies. Fly your flags proudly and stop being so precious. You don’t see this happening on dude blogs so just knock it off).
I can forgive almost any misstep on Kellie’s blog (there are, after all, a few obligatory self-portraits) because Kellie’s got the goods. I don’t even mind the self portraits because they usually feature her massive Bro skis as prominently as herself, and are always paired with Kellie’s smiling mug, the enthusiasm evident. I also like that I know some of the cast of characters in Kellie’s blog, but that’s not the only reason why I like it – mostly I am just jealous that they are friends with Kellie while I don’t even know her. I bet that being friends with Kellie is pretty darn cool.
This guy. I don’t know this guy, but if he solo skied Pioneer Peak from top to bottom with no rappelling and no downclimbing and only wrote a paragraph and a half and posted two pictures about it, I like him. I’ve seen this same trip blogged in a 2000 word, 15 picture post so I really appreciate the brevity of this version.
Steph Davis’s blog. Face it, Steph is one of the world’s biggest badasses and she does it all with a perky smile, a happy demeanor, and a friendly attitude. I’ve conversed with Steph on Twitter and I don’t know many – or, well, any – other pro climbers who are so accessible. Steph sometimes makes me rethink blogging in general, because if you’re not jumping off cliffs and gliding to a safe landing, or zipping up the Salathe Wall or some other intense climb, you’re nowhere near Steph’s level. And I’m not. Hardly any of us mere mortals are, so Steph – we’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!
Julbo Motion Sunglasses
May 14, 2010
Fair warning, this is a sad story. No, really, it’s tragic. As you all know I am a big fan of Julbo and I love their lenses. I was super stoked to get these awesome frameless pair of sunglasses from Julbo to try out. As I suspected, they are super cool looking and they flatter my face well. They wrap around nicely and have good full coverage for my peripheral vision; important for a delicate, sensitive-eyed flower like me. However, tragically, they didn’t fit my wee little head well. The ear loops were just too big. I know they can be adjusted utilizing a tiny screwdriver and good hand-eye coordination, and I might try that to see if it improves the situation. But in the name of getting them reviewed I just lent them to my Gearguy, who was skeptical of them to say the least. He was full of all sorts of criticism until he returned to the house after a long run, having experienced a change of heart and referring to the Motion as “the perfect running glasses.” So here I am, heartbroken that “the perfect running sunglasses” don’t fit my head. Bah! See? Tragic!
Gearguy reports that he had thought the nose bridge would be uncomfortable, because it’s pretty much pressing in on your face rather than down on the sides of your nose, but he found that he barely knew it was there once he started running. He said they didn’t move at all and he was completely comfortable the whole time. He’s a much faster runner than me so he probably ran about 8-10 miles in the short time he was gone (I can tell because Geardog, who went with him, is a tad bit tired) – a decent long run during which the sunglasses didn’t shift, bounce, or cause any pressure points. Well, hey! Now I’m even more motivated to figure out how to adjust the ear loops. It would be nicer if adjusting them wasn’t such a process.
The ear loops really are the problem here. For running, they are probably fine because runners usually have easy access to their ears. For my first love, mountain biking, they might not work well because it would be hard to get these on and off while wearing a helmet and bandanna, as I typically do. For winter sports they might be a good design because of the non-bulky ear loops that would fit well under a toque (remember, I am in Canada now!), but the lens isn’t dark enough to wear in snowy conditions. I see a lot of potential with this design and I wish it were mine so that I could tinker with it and re-release it.
Sadly, though, I don’t think you can buy these glasses anymore. I have yet to see them on the Julbo site or on any retail sites or in any stores. I don’t know what the deal is but I hope they become available soon, because they are pretty cool and I think they might really take off, given a few tiny design tweaks. I suppose it is my job to go call up Julbo and ask them what the story is, so if I get around to doing that, I’ll update this post for you.
Columbia Silver Ridge T Shirt
May 14, 2010
OK, so how good can a T shirt be? This good! Before my faithful “I don’t like your positive reviews, post more rants” reader can get too upset, I want to point out that this is just one of several shirts that Columbia sent for the spring season and it’s the standout by far, so it’s not like I’m just spewing good stuff about any random old T shirt I end up with. This one is really good. It’s just going to be hard to explain because yes, it’s just a T shirt, but it’s pretty incredible how many variations of cut, design, style, and fabric a plain old T shirt can have. Every few years I have to go stock up on technical T shirts, and when I find one that I find tolerable I just buy a bunch in each color. Using this bulk-purchase method, I rarely have to go shopping; however my look is not too varied, so new T shirts are a novelty. Dare I say, even a luxury sometimes?
All that reading just to find out I don’t shop for T shirts much, I know, I know. My point is that although I have a full compliment of T shirts, the Silver Ridge is a standout. I will cop to saving it for social occasions because it’s too nice to wear in anything rough-and-tumble (seeing as how I have so many others to stain up as I please, you understand). To sum up: it’s flattering, soft, comfortable, and very quick to dry should you be so gauche as to actually sweat in this lovely thing. At least I know where to go when I need to do my next T shirt supply run…so look, it’s a $30 T shirt, sure. But I would actually buy another, so that might speak for itself.
Pearl Izumi Symphony Short
May 7, 2010
It seems fairly obvious to me that women’s bike shorts should have chamois that are smooth. Maybe not the entire chamois, but certainly in particularly sensitive areas. This is not obvious to bike shorts designers though, and what could be a very nice pair of bike shorts is fatally flawed by the textured chamois used in the Symphony short. Pearl Izumi claims their “Elite” chamois as used in this short “reduces friction points” but I am here to tell you that no, no it does not. I’m kind of tired today so not inclined to mince words, if you haven’t noticed.
Aside from that, it’s a pretty well padded chamois which I appreciate. If it had a nice smooth chamois cover for those key friction areas, I would be much happier with these. If you can live with a textured chamois, these shorts are decent. I like the waistband for the most part since it’s low in front, wide, and smooth, without some pointless tie cord. It’s clearly designed for roadie use though, since the back of the waistband is super high and I don’t need that. Really – who DOES need that? I know that roadies lean forward but really do they lean THAT much forward? How high up do their butt cracks go? Inquiring minds, and all that. I can also tell these are intended for roadie use because they are REALLY tight. They are so tight that they dig into my non-flabby waist and give the illusion of flab which is really not my favorite thing. I don’t see why they need to be that tight, but again, maybe it’s a roadie thing. I just needed a pair of padded shorts for MTB so maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree with these, but they seem heavy on pointless features, like the leg pocket. What is it for? Some roadie thing? What could go in that pocket that is valuable enough to need to keep on your leg but not so valuable that you would risk losing it by sticking it in a kind of loose pocket? To me, the pocket just makes the shorts look goofy without giving me any function in return.
The other pointless feature I do not like is the HUGE logo. Oh, wait, the huge logos, plural (which you can’t really see in the photo above, so don’t be fooled). And the other little patch that says “ultrasensor” as if anyone would care. Not only are huge logos obnoxious to look at, but they render the breathable fabric underneath them completely airtight. When the logo is more than an inch across and in more than one location on a small item of clothing, that’s a significant downside. Little areas of reduced airflow are a big issue when you’re putting out a lot of effort riding your bike and generating a lot of sweat. I guess they just really want everyone to know these are PEARL IZUMI shorts. Perhaps they are reflective or something – but if you’re riding at night you shouldn’t be wearing black and chances are you’re not relying on reflective logos to keep yourself visible in traffic. Me, I am a little embarrassed by two giant white obnoxious logos on plain black shorts – one on the ass and one on the leg and that “ultrasensor” thing below the back waistband. I wonder if an application of high heat would get those off.
The sticky stuff on the insides of the leg openings is pretty good. The shorts don’t ride up and they don’t leave marks on my legs, so a plus for that. I also appreciate the length which is just past my hamstring tie-in. I don’t like shorts that cut off right in the middle of the hammie muscle; it seems really uncomfortable to me. So, yay on the length and the good leg grippy things, and the padding. Boo on the textured chamois and the dumb logos. The fit is individual to the person so even though these were a bit snug for my taste someone else might like that type of fit, so that is neutral.
In general these seem like a pretty decent pair of spandex shorts whose appeal is reduced by a few unnecessary flaws and a ludicrously high price point. Yes, I know bike shorts are expensive and yes, I know that I am cheap about it. For $100 though I don’t want any flaws on my shorts, since I can get a very decent pair of shorts for $60. I wonder if there is something to those logos and if the $100 price on these shorts reflects $20 per logo, or something like that. I don’t get why these are $100 and other equally good (and even better, in some areas) shorts are $60. If anyone knows – the comment button awaits.
EDIT: Since these were shorts I actually spent my own precious money on, I ended up returning them. Every single ride resulted in some seriously chafed girl parts. No one wants that. Back to the store they went.
SheBeest Shindigger Cycling Knicker
May 3, 2010
I really like these pants, let’s get that out of the way. They are super comfortable, very soft and stretchy, nicely cut and flattering, and very cute. I really appreciate a bike short/knicker that isn’t made of shiny spandex and cut so tight that the marks on your skin last for days. I don’t see how that is necessary, but of course I’m a recreational MTB’er no matter how badass I think I am, so maybe there are some super secret reasons that pros and wanna-look-like pros need to have their pants that tight. I know that if you’re a road biker you are supposed to wear a matching set of brightly colored shorts and jersey and if you’re a mountain biker you’re supposed to wear a combination of super trendy baggy shorts and a MTB-specific riding shirt or a wool jersey with a beer logo on it, or something. The MTB look is a little hard to pin down, but there is a look, and you recognize it when you see it. Me, I like to look a little more low key. Matte earth tone colors, minimal logos, kind of an under-the-radar look. I try not to create expectations based on just what I’m wearing. So I really appreciated these tights, which are matte black and look just a wee bit too cutesy cute to be “serious” bike pants, but believe me when I say they suit a serious biker just fine, or at least one without the need to look “pro”. I like that they don’t have a grippy inner liner below the knee or at the waist like many bike shorts. They evidently don’t need it because they don’t ride up anyway. They feel soft and comfortable and not binding. No sausage-casing look here!
However, they do have a downside about which I am going to have to be brutally, completely up front. As in, TMI up front. The chamois on the Shindigger is a bit grabby. If you indulge in Brazilian type grooming, you won’t notice a thing. If you are a little more heavy on the natural foliage, you may find that the chamois just might end up GIVING you a Brazilian. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but the construction of the chamois just seems to grab those short hairs somehow. It seemed to be more of a problem when walking around then when actually riding a bike and it wasn’t bad enough to deter me from wearing the knickers again, but it’s something to be aware of if only for the sake of solidarity (you’re not alone)!
The chamois padding is on the light side; not quite enough for MTB-oriented me to be happy enduring the three hour road ride I used as a testing session, but my usual MTB haunts keep me up and off the saddle enough that I don’t think I’d have an issue out on the dirt trails. If you have tougher seat bones than me, you won’t have a problem. I can only endure about 2 hours of steady saddle time before I’m just plain done no matter what shorts I’m wearing, so I acknowledge that my booty is on the delicate side. I’ll save the Shindiggers for the trail though; for riding around town the padding is just not robust enough.
Minor chamois issues notwithstanding, the Shindigger is a great knicker option; comfortable, relaxed, and just different enough to stand out without wearing shiny neon spandex, all for a great price. Bike shorts tend to be overpriced in my opinion, so anything under the $80 mark will get special attention from me. These are priced well under that mark and they’re good knickers to boot. I’d like to see this matte look catch on with other manufacturers because I’m really over the “shiny” thing and I think a lot of other women are as well.
