My first impression of Mountain Khakis Camber was that these are pants strictly for the outdoorsman or a construction worker. They are advertised as heavy duty pants that can be used in all kinds of environments and all kinds of weather. After trying out Cambers in different milieus, I absolutely don’t doubt that these would make fine work pants for the aforementioned professions. However, much to my surprise, I found that they were also outstanding pants for the office worker or lollygagger.
When I initially put the pants on, I had already been wearing khakis for the first half of the day. I felt wearing Cambers for the latter half of my day would not only give me a taste of what Mountain Khakis had to offer, but the opportunity to contrast them with other khakis as well. This review will cover three different scenarios in which I wore the Camber khakis and how they performed.
The Office Environment
I was already wearing a pair of khakis when the pair of Mountain Khakis came in the mail. I was on my lunch break and thought how better to contrast two different khaki experiences than to wear the Camber khakis for the rest of my workday. I found the Cambers to be very comfortable and fit well, and I also found the cut to be nontraditional from all the other khakis I currently own. Should I be concerned that the Cambers aren’t fit for the office? When I went back to work, nobody seemed to notice a difference. That is to say, the style didn’t stand out as inappropriate for an office environment. One item I noticed about the Cambers was its pockets. Compared to my other khakis, the Camber pockets were very roomy and there was enough space for my hands (even though my pockets were already full with my wallet, ID badge lanyard, and cellphone).
On an Extensive Hike
The town in which I live has a citywide scavenger hunt every Chinese New Year. I love this hunt because it gives me the opportunity to check out my town’s vast assortment of parks and outdoor resources. I wore my new Camber khakis on a hike through Point Defiance Park. This park has a 5-mile loop cutting through a heavily forested area. There were plenty of side paths that allowed me to off-road and bushwhack. The Cambers held up very well despite getting hit by weeds and loose branches. They kept my legs warm and scratch-free. Another handy feature was a small cargo pocket on the right side that could easily accommodate a cellphone or sunglasses.
On a Rainy Walk
When my search in Point Defiance Park proved fruitless, I continued the scavenger hunt the following day on Tacoma’s waterfront. The only difference was Day 2 of the hunt was a rainy day. The waterfront spans more 2 miles and contains many restaurants and parks. As the rain fell down, I noticed that the Cambers didn’t completely repel the water, but they performed well enough to keep my legs dry enough to not feel cold. Cambers have reinforced fabric in high-use areas like the cuffs of the legs and the backs of the thighs (I presume if you are riding a horse or a motorcycle). That being said, I felt the Cambers performed fair to good as far as repelling rain is concerned.
The good:
- Comfortable, well-fitting pants
- Roomy pockets for all your pocket personal effects
- Cargo pocket for cellphone or sunglasses
- Comes in 3 different colors
- Reinforced cloth on heavy-use areas (e.g. leg cuffs)
- Office appropriate
The bad:
- Rain-resistant, but not rain-proof
Mountain Khakis Cambers are available at Amazon.
Note: Mountain Khakis provided me with this product for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced by the company.
All photos by Anthony Frohlich.