Fjallraven High Coast Hike Trousers Review

Fjallraven High Coast Hike Trousers are lightweight hiking pants that are cool enough to wear in warm weather. They’re ripstop nylon pants with some stretch, which makes them quite comfortable, and they have five pockets, including three with zippers for secure storage. They also include a webbing belt, partially covered by a belt channel but still accessible if you accidentally pull it out. I prefer this style of pants belt because it’s flush with your waist and not pushed down by a backpack hip belt.

Specs at a Glance

• Gender: Men’s
• Material: 84% nylon, 16% elastane
• Belt: included
• Gussetted: Yes
• Pockets: 5
• Sizing: Short, regular, and long lengths available
• Leg: tapered, cuffless

These High Coast Hike Trousers are also pretty “normal” as Fjallraven pants go, and there’s no learning curve required to use or care for them. Many of Fjallraven’s pants are made with cotton and require the application of Greenland Wax to make them water-resistant. The High Coast Hike Trousers reviewed here don’t require any of that. They’re synthetic and wearable out of the box without any prep. They don’t require any special treatment in the wash and you can pop them in the drier afterward without worrying about shrinkage.

Pants Pockets

The High Coast Hike Trousers have five pockets:

• Two zippered thigh pockets that end above the knees.
• Two open and deep front pockets
• One zippered rear “wallet” pocket with a fabric flap to protect the zipper

The two zippered pockets on the front of the legs are good for storing soft items that you want to keep track of like a map or if you’re traveling, airplane tickets, and a passport. They’re not good for storing heavier or bulkier objects though, like a smartphone or your car keys, because the pant’s fabric is so thin and they feel kind of bulky there. I use them a lot when camping to keep track of smaller items that are easily misplaced like tent stakes when pitching or taking down a tent, the lighter for my stove, head net, or a small headlamp.

Buried Belt

The High Coast Hike Trousers come with an elastic waist and webbing belt that is partially covered by a belt “channel”, but still accessible and replaceable if you accidentally pull it out. You can also replace it completely if you prefer a different belt. I’m always misplacing my belts, so I like having one that I can keep with the pants. The buckle is quite flat, so it doesn’t interfere with a backpack hipbelt, and it stays closed once tensioned and doesn’t pop back open.

Sizing

Fjallraven doesn’t use US-sizing with their pants, nor do retailers who sell them. They do provide a sizing chart that works well, but you probably want to order these pants from a retailer with a good return policy just in case. I normally wear a 38/30 hiking pant, because I like my long pant legs a little short to accommodate gaiters. A Fjallraven size 54 fits me perfectly, but you may need to experiment to dial in the sizing you need.

More Excellent Hiking Pants

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Eddie Bauer Guide Pro	Convertible
Columbia Silver Ridge Hiking Pants	Convertible
REI Sahara Convertible Hiking Pants	Convertible
KUHL Renegade Convertible Pants	Convertible
Arc'teryx Gamma Pants	Full-length
Marmot Mountain Active	Full length
RailRiders Eco-Mesh Pants	Full Length
Duluth Dry On the Fly Cargo Pants	Full Length

Recommendation

Fjallraven’s High Coast Hike Trousers are best-used on-trail where you’re unlikely to encounter thorn bushes and for casual wear. Thorns catch on the ripstop fabric and pull on individual fibers resulting in piling, which looks not so good in more formal settings (which I left behind long ago).

Temperature-wise, I like these pants for 40 degrees and up when I’m actively hiking and generating some body heat. Being so thin, breathability is excellent and the fabric dries very fast. The fabric has also proven insect-proof in tick terrain. The tapered legs work very well with mids and hiking boots, while the gusseted crotch and stretch fabric make them great for scrambling over boulders and rock faces.

If you think you won’t like the thigh pockets on these pants, Fjallraven sells several models of these pants without them, including women’s models. 

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Disclosure: The author received these pants from Fjallraven for review.

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