Backside Line
The prAna Stretch Zion II shorts have an awesome stability of favor and sturdiness. The material is stretchy, straightforward to maneuver in, and thick but breathable. These shorts are a bit on the heavy and ponderous facet, however these going for utility will like that the Zions provide a ton of safe storage with out feeling or trying frumpy like another cargo shorts. These crowd favorites are an superior worth since they’re comfy, they’ve a built-in belt for dialing within the match on lengthy hikes, and they are often worn for just about any event.
Fast Specs
Males’s prAna Stretch Zion II
Finest Worth Climbing Shorts
CleverHiker Score:
79.8/100
Worth:
$75
Weight:
9.7 oz.
Inseam:
8 in. / 10 in. / 12 in.
Execs
- Very sturdy
- Nice worth
- Stretchy
- Fashionable
- Constructed-in belt
- Versatile
Consolation
The PrAna Stretch Zion II Shorts are a few of our favourite mountain climbing shorts in the case of consolation and really feel. From the built-in belt to the numerous inseam choices, these basic shorts work nice mountain climbing all day on the path after which heading into city for a chunk to eat. They’re extra relaxed and moved with us simply after we examined them on a visit to Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park.
They arrive in a 12”, 10”, and eight” inseam relying in your choice. The fabric consists of 95% recycled nylon and 5% elastane, which suggests they’re stretchy sufficient that we by no means felt inhibited. The elastane offers 4-way stretch, and a webbing-adjustable waistband means you may tighten and loosen these as wanted. They have been nice to put on mountain climbing and heading out for a cheerful hour on the town.
Sturdiness
We examined the recycled nylon cloth off-trail in overgrown wooded areas and it held up properly. The fabric additionally offers moisture wicking and solar safety as it’s rated UPF 50+.
Some evaluations in our analysis reported pilling, however we’ve not seen that in our testing. This pair has a strengthened mobility gusset for added power together with a mitered pocket nook, which helps hold out grime.
Options
A number of options are distinctive to the PrAna Stretch Zions, one of many principal ones is the webbing-adjustable waistband. It’s not a full built-in belt, but it surely appears like one. The band might be pulled as tight as you have to make sure the shorts keep in place. There are nonetheless belt loops, however the waistband stays tight so that you don’t must put on one. There are two facet pockets and two again patch pockets with a flap on the best facet. There’s additionally one zipper cargo pocket with a high and facet entry for double entry on the left thigh.
In testing, we carried my paper maps on this pocket and we beloved how straightforward it was to entry and pull them out whereas on the path. The shorts have a hid zipper coin pocket within the again as properly that features an elastic loop for keys. PrAna additionally improved on the Zion design with a brand new low-profile plastic closure on the pants that’s flat so waist belts on backpacks don’t rub in opposition to it.
Dry Time
These shorts don’t dry as shortly as another mountain climbing brief choices however they nonetheless dry shortly. After we examined them we soaked them with a hose and so they absorbed the water however dried in round an hour within the solar. This materials is heavier when moist than the typical cloth, nevertheless, for gentle rain it’s not an issue.
If you’re mountain climbing in a rainforest or leaping in waterfalls, these gained’t be the perfect quick-drying choice. We’ve got worn these shorts on the Colorado Path and mountain climbing in summer season monsoons was no downside. they all the time dry out shortly within the solar.
Weight & Packability
The PrAna Stretch Zion II is 9.7 ounces, making it a mid-weight mountain climbing brief. It’s in no way heavy, but it surely’s not ultralight both. In testing these it was good to have a cloth that was a bit heftier to guard in opposition to branches and burrs.
We hiked off-trail in Colorado and located that they have been by no means too heavy. The mesh-lined pockets and a ventilated inseam lower out weight as properly whereas including some breathability. General these mountain climbing shorts hit a candy spot with weight and safety/sturdiness.
Ought to You Purchase the prAna Stretch Zion II?
These mountain climbing shorts are close to the highest of our record for a motive: they examine virtually all of the packing containers. From sturdiness to sturdy pockets and a helpful built-in belt, these mountain climbing shorts work nice on day hikes in addition to longer backpacking journeys.
They don’t seem to be the lightest shorts and so they don’t dry as shortly as some extra swimsuit-style choices. Nevertheless, for all-around mountain climbing shorts, they’re arduous to beat.
What Different Climbing Shorts Ought to You Think about?
Should you’re contemplating the PrAna Stretch Zion II, you may additionally wish to have a look at a few of our different favourite mountain climbing shorts for males:
Kuhl Renegade Rock Shorts Evaluate: Just like the PrAna Stretch Zion II shorts, the Renegade Rock Shorts are sturdy, comparatively light-weight, and have ample pockets and options. Additionally they are nice for informal put on round city and sturdy sufficient to final for years.
Patagonia Quandary Evaluate: The Patagonia Quandary mountain climbing shorts are similar to the PrAna Stretch Zion IIs in most respects. It has comparable pockets and affords a stretchier mountain climbing shorts choice. It additionally appears to be like good on and off path, and is comfy and light-weight. The Patagonia Quandary will dry faster than the Zions and is a bit lighter.
