Review: Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid Pants

Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid Pants

When it comes to hiking pants, there is always a give and take between being lightweight and durable. Some can master one or the other but it is hard to have both. The Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid is one of those pants that tries to do both, with good results! I had the chance to put these pants through their paces and was really happy with what I found. Here is my review of the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid Pants.

As a disclaimer I would like to mention that I was given this product so that I could write this review. This site uses affiliate marketing links. If you make a purchase from this page using a link, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions on this page are my own and based on my own experiences with this product. I am not compensated for the opinions on this review. Your experience with the product may be different.

From Mountain Khakis about the Ridgeline Hybrid Pants

Before I get into my review, I always like to see what the brand is saying about their product. Here is a bit of what Mountain Khakis is saying about the Ridgeline Hybrid Pant, straight from their website, “Crafted with our innovative 4-way performance stretch fabric, it offers exceptional comfort and durability for all your outdoor adventures. Loaded with signature Mountain Khakis details, including the diamond action gusset, reinforced heel cuffs, knee articulation, and eight pockets, this pant fits and feels incredible.”

Here are some more of the stats and details about the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid Pants directly from their website.

Specs

Price*

$120.00

Sizes*

Width 28-44

Length 30-36

*Based on availability

Colors

Forest Moss, Gunmetal, Tobacco

Features

• 5.oz 92% Nylon, 8% Spandex
• 8 pockets total
• Angled, deep drill hand pockets
• Hidden side seam deep drill hand pocket with zipper closure for added security
• Security pocket on wearer’s left thigh
• Drop in pocket on wearer’s right thigh

• Knee articulation
• Action gusset for comfort & mobility
• Triple-Stitched seams & bar-tac reinforcements
• MK Icon embroidery above wearer’s back right pocket
• Premium branded metal shank & YKK zipper closure
• Performance Fit

All information from MountainKhakis.com. Check the website for full details and options.

What I liked about the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid Pants

There is a lot to like about the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid Pants. I really enjoyed the fit and flexibility and just how well the pants were made. Plus, it seems that Mountain Khakis took the time to really design pants with a hiker in mind. Here is a bit more about what I liked about these pants.

Fit

As someone who has a bit of an odd-shaped body, the fit of a pair of pants is make or break. Oftentimes, they are too tight around the waist, hips, or knees and make moving a challenge. I found the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid pants to be the complete opposite. The pants fit well and also had a ton of flexibility in the fabric that helped the fit even more.

There isn’t a stretch waist per se but there is enough flex in it to fit comfortably without sliding down too much. Around the hips, the pants do have a little bit of flex allowing for easy movement, even squatting or sitting, where the pants don’t bunch. The gusset allows for plenty of room so none of the important parts get too crowded. I like that the pants feel like they are giving support but are loose at the same time somehow. Not so baggy that you don’t know they are there but loose enough where I never have to worry about my movements.

The only spot that there was a little bit of tightness was around my calves but more on that later. Overall, the fit of the Ridgeline Hybrid was really nice. It allowed me a ton of movement and was really comfortable in normal movements, sitting in the car pre-hike, and hiking up at elevations with rocks and big steps. I really enjoyed the comfort of hiking in these pants.

Flexibility

I love the flexibility in the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid. They are made with 8% spandex which I think allows for a ton of movement. For so many men’s pants, they get tight around the hips, especially when taking big steps up on rocks to gain some elevation. This is not the case at all with the Ridgeline Hybrid. Even as a bigger fella, the pants allowed me to range from a deep squat all the way to stepping up on rocks. Honestly, they are way more flexible than my hamstrings and hips!

Two main features of the flexibility, along with the material, are the gusset and the articulated knees. Mountain Khakis calls their gusset the “diamond action gusset” and it keeps the pants loose in the groin section to make sure that you aren’t restricted there. The articulated knee panels allow for a more free bend in the knee so the pants don’t bunch up and make bending the knee a challenge. The tech is subtle but makes a huge difference in allowing freedom of movement with every step that I take.

8 Pockets

If you are like me, you end up using every pocket in both the pants and pack to make sure that you have everything you need on a hike. Space is of the essence in the outdoors and I want to have everything that I need and still be comfortable. The 8-pocket system on the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid pants is great for this.

There are the two main back pockets. The left hip pocket is normal, the right hip pocket has a regular drop in pocket and then a zippered pocket within the pocket. There is a double drop-in pocket on the right hand side above the knee. Finally, there is a zippered side pocket on the left side around the knee.

I really like the way they broke down the pocket system. Having the extra zippered pocket within the hip pocket is great for quick access and security. I use the drop in pockets on the right side for my utility knife that has a belt clip that slides in the drop section. The left side zippered pocket is great for cell phones. Plus, there is plenty of room for snacks, a compass, ID or anything else you want to have quicker access to than in the pack. I really like this design and the mix between zippered and open.

Well Constructed

I was a bit concerned when I saw that these pants were 92% nylon. I have nightmares of getting lightweight nylon caught on a tree branch or rubbing against a boulder and tearing. The Ridgeline are anything but fragile. The lightweight pants are put together really well. The material is light but feels really sturdy. The pants have a nice stretch and flex to them but always snap back and hold their shape. Plus, I walked through a bunch of small limbs and the pants showed no marks, scrapes or any defect of any kind.

One other thing that I really liked was that the pants are built with triple-stitch seams. This just feels super strong and durable. My first pair of hiking pants was really cheap off-brand and I could literally pull the seams apart with one hand. No chance of doing that with the triple-stitching from Mountain Khakis. The seams are rock solid while allowing the material itself to flex and allow for really nice flexibility in the pants.

Materials

I have already mentioned a couple of times about the breakdown of 92% nylon and 8% spandex on these pants. They combine to make for a really comfortable fit and the pants feel really good on the body. Mountain Khakis also uses premium YKK zippers on the Ridgeline Hybrid. Everything feels like it is the highest quality on the pants that are reasonably priced for the materials being used.

What I didn’t Like

There is so much to like about the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid Pants but they will take away my blogger card if I don’t find something I don’t like. For me, it was the fit around my calves and the breathability that I think could have been a bit better.

I have really big calf muscles from being a bigger person and hiking so many hills out here in Colorado. They are about 19 inches around. Because of that, the Ridgeline Hybrid was a little tight around that section of the pants. They fit great everywhere else and this tightness didn’t affect my motion or maneuverability, just felt a little tight around my lower legs.

The other thing that I would have liked was a little more breathability. These pants are great to hike up in the mountains, where it is cooler, and has a bit more wind. They are great for keeping the wind off and have the flexibility to move up and down the high elevations. A little lower, where the temps jump into the 90’s, they get a little stuffy. Now, not everyone is like me and hikes in long pants when it is 90 degrees out but I did find them a little warm in those conditions.

Video Review of the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid Pants

I have put together a quick video review of the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid Pants for those of you who like to videos. If you enjoy the video make sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel. It is free and you will get updated for all of my outdoor content.

Wrap Up of the Mountain Khakis Ridgeline Hybrid Pant

This is my first experience with Mountain Khakis pants and I have to say that I really like them. More than anything, I really appreciate how comfortable these pants are. They are kind of like wearing a shelled sweat pants. There is no restriction of movement and they are just as comfortable on the trail as they are sitting on a sofa sipping a tasty beverage.

Despite the lightweight feel to the Ridgeline Hybrid, they certainly feel like a durable pair of pants. The craftsmanship is really solid, with triple-stitching on all of the seams and they just feel like a pair of pants I could use to hike a mountain or build a fence. They just feel tough and solid despite being lightweight.

Overall, I would say this is a really nice pair of hiking pants. I would probably use this more in the shoulder seasons of spring and fall or up at higher elevations that are a little cooler. However, they are great for a hike any day.

More from the Fatman

For a list of other products that I have reviewed you can check my Product Review page here. If you have any products you would like me to review or any comments you can email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!