The Best Travel Pants for Your Next Trip

Editor's Note (1/19): Unfortunately, the Backcountry Stepstone Workwear Pants are currently out of stock. As an alternative, we recommend Western Rise's AT Pants, which are slightly pricier but are just as stretchy, durable and good-looking.

Backcountry’s house brand has been stepping up its game of late, and these pants are the latest example. Though intended for weekend projects, they’re perfect for camping and travel as well. The cotton/synthetic blend fabric is tough like canvas but more breathable and stretchy, with articulated knees adding to the ease of movement. In addition to hand and back pockets, there’s plenty of storage for travel items: a discrete zippered pocket and sleeve on the right, plus a slim cargo pocket with an added zippered pocket on the left. All that plus understated style and a price tag under $100 make this pair a winner.

Our former Outdoors & Fitness staff writer was kind of obsessed with the original Brise pants, and their successors are even better. Stretchy, moisture-wicking Schoeller fabric and a DWR finish keep them dry, while a stretch waistband and cuff, knee articulation and a crotch gusset keep them comfortable, whether you're hanging on a rock face or standing in a security line. The zippered thigh pocket, which Foehn made to provide access to items while wearing a climbing harness, is ideal for stashing a passport. The looks pass muster as an everyday work pant, whether your office is indoors or out.

Some of the simplest and lightest pants on this list also happen to be some of the more quietly technical ones. REI made these Sahara Path pants with a stretchy but tough, nylon/spandex blend fabric that repels water, wicks moisture and dries quickly, so they’re ideal for any trips that include outdoor activities like hiking and climbing. Activity-friendly features include a crotch gusset, articulated knees, an adjustable drawcord waist and a zippered thigh pocket for travel or trail essentials. It all adds up to a heck of a lot of value for less than seventy bucks.

Tested in the mountains of O'ahu, the F1 Expedition Utility Pant is built to perform in extreme outdoor environments, while remaining comfortable enough for long travel days. Featuring 4-way stretch mini ripstop fabric, an adjustable grosgrain nylon webbing belt and zippered front pockets built to keep valuables in place, this rugged option is ideal for adventurous travelers who don't want to have to worry if their apparel can keep up with their intrepid spirit.

We’ve been fans of Colorado-based Western Rise’s versatile everyday pant for some time now. “I own — and constantly wear — two pairs of these suckers," one of our staffers once wrote. "The fit is excellent, like modern chinos or jeans. The colors are just unique enough to stand out. But what I like most is how tough they are.” Stretch nylon and air-texturized fibers make them feel like regular pants while repelling water, drying quickly... and leaning strongly into a style appropriate for modern workplaces, making them perfect for stepping off a plane and into, say, your company's Amsterdam office.

There's a reason these are some of the most popular pants on the internet: the 365 Pant combines the style of a jean with the comfort of a chino, with a little stretch added into the mix. Made with an 8-ounce blended cotton and spandex fabric, the 365 Pant comes in a massive variety of colorways and three cuts — slim, straight and tapered — so you don't have to compromise your personal style to attain all-day comfort.

These unassuming Patagonia pants are sneakily packed with features that boost both comfort and functionality. The organic cotton/polyester blend fabric is light and moisture-wicking, with a 3xdry finish that rides out the raindrops. A drawstring waistband and jogger-esque ankle cuffs add to a relaxed fit suitable for everything from a plane ride to a journey through the jungle — concrete or otherwise. Meanwhile, four traditional pockets plus a zippered thigh pocket keep the things you need, like wallet, keys and phone, within easy reach.

Roark’s entire brand is travel; each of the company’s seasonal collections emerges from trips to places like Jamaica, the Falkland Islands and Hong Kong. Inspired by Morocco, the Layover 2.0 Travel Pant is made of a blended nylon and cotton fabric that’s stretchy and fastens with a drawstring instead of a button for a slightly adjustable fit. Its front pockets have oversized, zip openings to accommodate larger essentials like travel documents or sunglasses, while the back pockets button shut, leaving you with plenty of reliable, secure storage options when you're on the go.

If your travel schedule is tight and you need a pant that can transition from one activity to the next with style and capability, consider this option from Arc'teryx. New for 2022, the Levon combines technical functionality with urban styling, making it the ideal pant to throw on for on-the-go fun. Five pockets provide plenty of storage, and the nylon dobby material isn't just hard-working and soft — it's also bluesign approved, and is covered with a PFC-free DWR.

The Global Pants, like much of what Topo Designs produces, are a blend of outdoor lifestyle and performance. It’s hard to say which of the two takes a larger share, though. They’re fully capable before, during and after mountain adventures with a durable, comfortable cotton/nylon/spandex blend fabric. There are plenty of smartly placed pockets, including two zippered ones, plus internal cords you can use to cinch the ankle cuffs for climbing, hiking or biking. They come in three colors and, like many of the others on this list, are stylish enough to wear in any cities you might visit.

“Cargo pant” might have you thinking about thigh-mounted square pockets with flapping lids, but for these pants, all it means is that they have room to carry a lot of stuff. There are the two front pockets, a card pocket, pen pocket, zippered leg pockets, phone pocket, belt loop stash pocket and, oh yeah, two back pockets. Even with all that storage though, the Anything Multi Cargo Pants don’t appear bulky. They’re made of a stretchy, water-resistant fabric that’s fine to hike in but doesn’t look overtly technical.