My brain seems to swell when I find myself among the racks of outdoor wear in action-sports shops. I’m enamored with the clothing that is fitted for the outdoors, but I’m also skeptical. Can this shoe really help me climb better? Can this coat really keep me warm?

My biggest skepticism comes when I compare performance and durability. Sure, a pair of pants is designed to perform, but will it last? When the newness wears off and I forgot how much I paid, when I am focused on my adventure and not on my clothes, will these pants stand up to the test?

We posed that question to the Mountain Khakis Granite Creek Convertible Pants ($79.95 www.mountainkhakis.com) as Everest Summiteer Ron Sanga and I tested their performance and durability.

The Test: Jim Dandy

On Friday, Ron wore the MK Granite Creek Pants against more than 600 feet of composite stone on Jim Dandy, a famous route on Table Rock Mountain, NC. With constant movement against the rock face and the nature of leading a traditional route, this was the perfect test for performance and durability.

Performance

Ron chose to wear the convertible pants because he didn’t know what the days weather would hold. Zip-off legs allow for a quick change if the day starts to heat up. As an added feature, the base of the legs unzip vertically for a few inches so that a climber can pull them off without having to take off their shoes.

Here are some other performance notes:

1. •The fabric breaths exceptionally well and dries very quickly.
   

2. •The relaxed fit made stretching easy.
   

3. •The zipper pocket is perfect for keys and is oriented to close as it is zipped down (the best way of course!).
   

Ron summarized the performance, “The best part about these pants is that I didn’t have to think about them. I didn’t eve notice they were there. The clothes got out of the way.” All that let’s Ron focus on the climb and not what he is wearing.

Durability

Here is the real crux of the deal. If I’m going to pay $79 for a pair of pants, I’m afraid that I might ruin them by wearing them in the very environment for which they were made! The question is, If I wear my Mountain Khakis in the mountains will they be ruined?

No.

These pants held up like a fabric warrior. Often, nylon tends to pill as it is worn against hard rock. I have had some other nylon pants that simply gave in as the rock face had it’s way with them. Yet, with the MKs, the rock face was in constant contact with the knees, but left no signs of wear.

“After two days of climbing,” says Ron, “I could see where I had rubbed against the rock, because of all the dirt, but I couldn’t find any wear. These pants are really strong.”

Verdict

Jim Dandy has a new pair of pants: the Mountain Khakis Granite Creek Convertible.