Jack's Adventure Pants: Wrangler Flex Waist Outdoor Cargo Pants

Alright, admittedly, my dad turned me on to these as work pants. They're about $20 from Wal-Mart, and he bought me a pair to try as travel pants. And they are fantastic. They look good, feel good and work in a variety of climates.I've worn these pants from cities in Europe to beaches in the Caribben to hikes in the Rocky Mountains. I prefer wearing pants, so these are a greaty option for me.

First off: the material. They are made of 96% Nylon and 4% Spandex, which is lightweight, stretchy, and (somewhat) breathable. Since Jo and I are going around the world, it's hard to pick just the right set of pants to work in the majority of our destinations. Jeans are way to heavy and aren't great at all in Spanish summers. Linen is fantastic in the Caribbean and Southeast Asia, but are no match for the UK in October. These work great by being just hot enough in the summer and just cold enough in the winter (which sounds opposite of what you would think, but it is what it is). The comfort stretch is also great when I'm doing camera changes between the Go-Pro and phone, because I can just stuff one or the other into a pocket with not problem (the same goes for groceries!).

Second: the look. Cargo pants get a bad rap. I get it, but these are more casual pants that just happen to have cargo pockets. The cargo pockets are also sewn into the pants on the inside rather than the outside, so they maintain a sleek look when zipped up. In pictures, they really just look like a good set of chinos (and let's be honest, pictures is what it's all about these days). These pants also pair well with my brown fedora, which admittedly earned me the "Indiana Jack" nickname in Bilbao last year.

Third: the versatility. As I said, my dad turned me on to these as his work pants, where he goes from office administrator to field employee at a moment's notice. I've used them for that same purpose, but on The Great Gallivanting I more use them for going between hiking, formal pants, and travel days. They can take a beating on the trail, wash that beating out, and then look just as good going to a club that night. When you only have three pairs of pants in your backpack, this versatility is a God-send.

Bonus: they pack up small. Unlike jeans, actual chinos, or slacks, these pants pack up small while remaining generally wrinkle free. A major plus when you've been on trains for 14 hours and then want to go to a nice restaurant that night.

Where to buy: lots of places. You can get them at Wal-Mart, but the stock (both in sizes and colours) fluctuates a lot, so finding the right size might be a bit challenging. I bought my lighter pair from Wal-Mart and ordered the more brown pair straight from Wrangler. Either way, the cost was about the same.

You can find them on Wrangler's website here. If you want them a bit cheaper, you can find them at Wal-Mart (although they sometimes only have certain sizes and colours, with stock refills being occassional at best).