Lava Gear 24-Hour Race Pants: Gear Reviews on MountainZone.com

24-hour race pant There's nothing worse than finding yourself bushwhacking 12 hours into a 24-hour adventure race and the pants you've chosen to wear starts to tear like its going through a paper shredder. Unfortunately, there's not much out there that can handle the abuse adventure racers put their clothes through.

Luckily, there is Lava Gear's 24-hour Race Pants. I recently tried it out on our weekly night hike in the Columbia Gorge to 5,000-foot Mt. Defiance and discovered it to be one mean outfit. Designed for multi-sport expeditions and made with mid-weight Suplex and Codura nylon, the pants are tough and abrasion-resistant. I tried to rip them and couldn't. As we descended Mt. Defiance around 1am, we briefly lost the trail amid a logged tree field with piles of jagged tree trunks and branches. We had to bushwhack our way back to the trail and I was getting snagged with every step. I was sure I had tore up my new pants, but there was not a scratch.

These pants also proved to be remarkably warm and quick drying. We became drenched en route to the summit from the heavy dew on the bush. After spending 5 minutes on the summit, the pants completely dried out despite the chilly temperatures. I've seen quick-drying pants, but these are really quick.

Lava Gear added some thoughtful features with the adventure racer in mind. Black spandura racing strips extend down both sides of the legs to lend a little attitude and stretchability. The seat, knees, and inner ankles are reinforced, and zippered ankles make for easy on and off. There are two deep, zippered side-seam mesh pockets, as well as a zippered cargo pocket on one side, which I found to be a great place to stash an extra gel shot. The cargo pocket also has a small GPS mesh pocket inside. The 14oz. pants has an elastic waistband with a 3/4" belt.

Currently, the pants come in unisex sizing (S, M, L, XL), but Lava Gear plans to start manufacturing the pants in Men's and Women's sizes. The unisex size may make for an awkward fit for some women. Check their sizing charts carefully.

www.lavagearclothing.com
MSRP: $90

— Reviewed & Written by Natasha Nowakowski, MountainZone.com