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I took Cotopaxi’s Baja pants for a test run

I took Cotopaxi’s Baja pants for a test run

by | May 27, 2022 | Blog

Cotopaxi's Baja pants

Pam LeBlanc tested a pair of Cotopaxi’s Baja pants. Chris LeBlanc photo

A decade ago, I owned two pairs of cheap, loose-fitting pants that I purchased from Academy to wear over my swimsuit when I headed to the pool.

They had an elastic waist and were made of quick dry material. I bought one pair in black and another in red, and they set me back no more than $20 each.

I ended up wearing those pants far beyond the pool. I called them my “pull-on pants” and they made me happy every time I yanked them over my hips. They were lightweight, easy, pocketed, and perfect for just about every situation.

I burned tiny holes in one pair when sparks from a campfire landed on my legs one night. The other pair flat out disappeared. I’ve been back to Academy to try to get a new pair, but no luck. They no longer sell them.

Cotopaxi's Baja pants

The pants are stretchy and have a contrasting waistband. Chris LeBlanc photo

Then, recently, I scored a pair of Baja Pants by Cotopaxi, thinking they might make the perfect replacement. They didn’t exactly replace those pants, and they cost a lot more than the originals, but they have their place in my world.

Cotopaxi touts its Baja pants as perfect for “those whose lives are equal parts adventure, travel, and everyday hustle.” That sounds like me, so I was optimistic.

The company advertises the pants as “go anywhere” and minimalist. They’re weather-resistant and made with four-way stretch fabric. A hidden side seam zip pocket holds a key or a small wad of bills. They sell on the Cotopaxi website for $100.

My pair is grey, with an oddly bright orange waist band.

My thoughts? They’re much heavier fabric than my old pants. I can’t see myself wearing them during summer months. The fit is odd, too, with a slightly long inseam that makes the pants droop below the crotch. And while the pants themselves are loose and comfortable, they narrow significantly at the ankles, so I struggle to get them over my feet when I put them on or take them off.

Still, they’re comfortable and I like them. They’re just not perfect replacements for my old pull-ons.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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Howler Brothers celebrates first decade with a book

Howler Brothers celebrates first decade with a book

by | Nov 16, 2021 | Blog

Howler Bros

What’s “howler?” Vintage western, surfboards and cool. Pam LeBlanc photo

I know a classic Howler Brothers shirt when I see it – a pair of funky crawfish, a couple of cacti, or a flapping seagull embroidered above each front pocket, plus a track of pearl snap buttons.

But that’s just the tip of the Howler iceberg, it turns out.

This week the Austin-based company, founded by Chase Heard and Andy Stepanian, celebrated the 10th anniversary of their company by releasing a book packed with photos, designs and patterns.

It’s kind of cool – a 300-page homage to everything from vintage western wear to fly fishing to surfboards and vinyl records, with a good helping of monkeys and at least one shot of the Broken Spoke honkytonk thrown in for good measure. It’s a nod – and, yes, a pitch for – the company’s product line, too, with images of ball caps, pearl snap button shirts, board shorts and Ts.

Howler Brothers book

Howler Brothers has released a book to celebrate its first 10 years. Pam LeBlanc photo

The company calls the book as a visual statement of what “Howlery” means, and you too can have a copy, for $75.

The 12-by-12 hardcover features a foreword by Austin fly fishing guru JT Van Zandt, plus an introduction by Howler Brothers founders Heard and Stepanian, who explain how they started the company out of a garage in Hyde Park.

Read more: I love my new puffy pants from Mountain Hardwear

They had zero experience in the apparel business back then but have built a company with a devoted following. (A quick on eBay turned up half a dozen pre-owned Howler Brothers embroidered “gaucho” shirts selling for close to $300 each.)

Howler Brothers book

Howler Brothers celebrates its 10th anniversary with this coffee table book of photography and design. Pam LeBlanc photo

Can’t get enough Howler? This is your book.

Heed the Call, as the founders would say, and buy one at www.howlerbros.com.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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My Mountain Hardwear down pants are the bomb – thanks to a Greylag goose in China

My Mountain Hardwear down pants are the bomb – thanks to a Greylag goose in China

by | Nov 10, 2021 | Blog

Mountain Hardwear down pants

I love these new Stretchdown pants by Mountain Hardwear. Self-timer photo by Pam LeBlanc

First let me say I love the new slate blue insulated pants that Mountain Hardwear sent me to test drive.

They’re light. They’re fluffy. They’re slightly stretchy, yet oh so strong.

I tugged on the pants, which you might mistake for a down jacket, when I woke up to 48-degree temperatures last weekend while staying in Vincent VanGo, my campervan, at Seminole Canyon State Park. I slipped them on in the morning, when I got up to heat water for hot tea.

In a word, yum. Pulling on these pants felt like curling up in a bird’s nest lined with clouds, whipped cream, and silk.

Truthfully, I didn’t expect to love them. Who wants puffy pants? The Stay Pufft marshmallow man?

I was wrong.

Read more: What’s biltong? A less sweet, higher protein type of beef jerky

I’ll wear these pants on cold mornings when I’m camping. I might even wear them around the house on really cold days. They’d have come in handy during Snowpocalypse in Austin last February.

But I’m still chuckling, because the $250 pants came with an RDS – that’s Responsible Down Standard – tag to reassure me about the contents of the fill. Curious, I logged into the www.trackmydown.com website and typed in the lot number on the tag. Within seconds, I knew everything about the exact batch of down that was used to craft my puffers.

What are my Mountain Hardwear down pants filled with?

Mountain Hardwear down pants

These slightly stretchy down pants are perfect for camping. Pam LeBlanc photo

My pants, it turns out, were made with down from grey goose in China. The down was a byproduct of the food industry. The geese in question were Greylag geese, which are larger than ducks, and therefore grow larger down clusters.

It all reminded me of the episode of “Portlandia” in which a couple visits a restaurant and asks about the organic chicken on the menu. The waitress shows them paperwork with the chicken’s name (Colin) and the farm where it lived.

“They do a lot to make sure their chickens are happy,” the waitress clucks.

My down-filled pants have two hand pockets, one hidden zippered coin pocket, and elastic bands at the cuff. I’m not sure the name of the grey goose that contributed the fluff that fills them, but I certainly appreciate the animal, and I’m glad it was raised under strict animal welfare standards.

You can buy your own pair at REI or online at www.mountainhardwear.com.

 

 

 

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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This company makes women’s cycling gear designed to fit all body types

This company makes women’s cycling gear designed to fit all body types

by | Sep 10, 2020 | Blog

Tonik sent me this jersey to test drive. I like the back pockets – and the way it’s not gathered at the bottom. Chris LeBlanc photo

I’ve got a problem with most of those stretchy, made-for-bike-racing jerseys.
They’re mostly too tight, for one. Also, I hate the way they gather at the bottom, then ride up my belly as I pedal.
That’s why half the time when I head out on my bike I end up wearing just a regular, loose-fitting tech-fabric shirt. It’s not ideal. No pockets, for one. And I look a little rodeo clownish, with big padded shorts on the bottom and a flappy shirt over that. Ug.
Last week, a California-based company called Tonik, which makes performance cycling clothes for women, sent me some goods to try. I slid a black jersey with horizontal, candy-colored stripes out of the package, along with a pair of bright-colored wrap-around skirts.
The material felt slightly thicker than most of my jerseys – making it a little hot for summer riding in Texas. But I loved the three roomy pouch pockets and single zip pocket on the shirt’s back. I also liked the cut – no gathered bottom, and a little longer than most.
Tonik was founded in 2014 by two women who were looking for cute but well-made short-sleeved jerseys to wear for a 100-mile bike ride. They couldn’t find one they deemed both comfortable and flattering, so they set out to make their own, with the mission of fitting all body types. The result is a jersey actually designed for a woman’s shape, with a broader chest, a longer back and fabric that drapes in a flattering way.
“There are lots of jerseys out there made for skinny Italian men,” says Kristina Vetter, who bought the California-based company two years ago.

The jersey has three pouch pockets and one zip pocket in the back. Chris LeBlanc photo


The line has expanded to include tanks, long-sleeved jerseys, cycling dresses, jackets, and wrap-around skirts, which can be worn over cycling shorts or worn as a swimsuit coverup.
“Our customers are a lot of recreational riders and they like to get off their bike and put something on around their bike shorts to grab a coffee,” Vetter says. “It has the wrap design so it doesn’t interfere with pedaling, and it’s also small enough that you can stick it in your jersey pocket.”
I’ve been using my skirts over my swimsuit when I head to team practice, and when I get on the boat for a morning of waterskiing. I wish it had a little more Velcro, so I could adjust the waistband a little more, but it’s useful and cute paired with my bikini.
“We’re really all about fit,” Vetter says, noting that the clothing fits up to size 20. “And we make you look great at every size. A number of our customers were women wearing their husband’s biking jerseys. It looked awful and it felt ugly. We’re all about giving people things they can wear to make them feel fantastic.”
Now, if someone could just do something about those padded bike shorts…
The jerseys sell for $99; the wrap skirts are $65. For more information go to www.tonikcycling.com.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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