Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants Review
There are a lot of awesome hiking pants on the market, and you could easily spend hours, days, or even weeks searching. If you have run across the Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants in your search. And I believe you probably have because these pants are usually at the top five on most lists. You might be wondering if the Feriossi pants will work for you. Well, keep reading on because in this article we are giving you our honest look at the Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants.
Quick Summary: Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants
MSRP: $99
Measured Weight: 10.1 oz (size 32/30)
Fabric: 86% Nylon, 14 % Elastane, 90D ripstop
Pros
- Lightweight
- Super breathable
- Great stretch for mobility
- Ripstop is a nice add on
Cons
- A little cool for late fall and winter
- Front pockets are a bit snug and shallow
Bottom Line
The Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants are actually my favorite pair of pants especially for 3 season adventures they excel in several areas. They have a nice regular fit with good stretch that does not restrict mobility. The pants are the most breathable pair of pants I have tested to this date and are very lightweight. Making it the best pair for hotter weather due to its ability to keep the legs cool while also providing sun protection.
They also come with many features that I like such as: zip closure pockets, drawstrings, and cinch cords at the ankles. I will say the updated pants have smaller and slightly more shallow pockets but usually only use those pockets for small objects anyway.
Performance: Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants
When trying to find the best pair of hiking pants there are a lot of factors to consider. Depending on the season you will want either a lighter more breathable pair or a heavier and warmer pair of pants. Other things to consider are the features like belt loops, pockets, and attachment options. In addition to breathability and weather resistance. But, most importantly you want a pair that offers good comfort and mobility so your pants will work with you out and not against you when out in the backcountry.
Comfort & Mobility
In the comfort and mobility area these pants are easily at the top of the list. These pants are so comfy, light, and airy. The elastane fabric in these pants allow you to move with ease and no restrictions for mobility.
The pants have a nice fit which is somewhat a fitted regular style, with articulated knees and a gusseted crotch. The fit of the pants provides a nice “goldilocks” type of feel in between slim fitted and classic but not tapered. Overall, I found the fabric to have a soft feel which is a bonus. Especially since the pants are woven with ripstop which is usually a more rough feeling fabric.
After wearing these pants for multiple hikes and backpacking trips I found that the added fabric on the inside of the waist belt was super nice to prevent my backpack from rubbing against the hip bones. I also really like the inside drawstring inside the pants, which allowed me to create a snugger fit around the hips. I usually really like it when pants offer a built in drawstring because I am sometimes in between waist sizes depending on the pants.
Another comfort feature I have to mention is the breathability. I gotta say the fabric blend makes these pants the most airy and functional pants I have tried so far. The pants are not restrictive and easily passed the typical squat test I do to check mobility.
Versatility & Style
These pants are super versatile and easily work for the majority of outdoor adventures. I have worn these pants from in town to on trail without any hesitation before and they work well. There are better pants options for trail and town wear with more modern minimalist designs like Kuhl Deceptr or even Columbia Royce Range. But these pants can work if you don’t mind the extra pockets on the side and zip pockets.
Due to how airy and breathable the fabric blend is. You will find that these pants work best for three season wear. I would really listen to your body during late fall because depending on the temperature sometimes it will feel too cold to wear these pants. I found that some days in late winter can be a little too drafty, but adding a long base layer helped to mitigate that issue.
Where these pants really excel is in hot weather. These pants provide excellent breathability and wicking against the legs. The additional cinch cords work great for rolling up the pants legs for even added ventilation. Overall, a very versatile pair of pants for most outdoor adventures.
Durability
These pants are made with a 90D woven ripstop material which is a nice bonus. It adds a little more durability to these pants which is good because they are already made fairly thin. The ripstop material does help resist tears and significant snagging when out on the trails. However due to how lightweight and thin the fabric is I would not recommend going through terrain where you might need to go through heavy brush or close vertical scrambling.
Breathability
For breathability features this is where the Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants are at the top. On warmer days these pants kept my legs dry and comfortable the entire time. Typical places that usually get warm around the waist under the front and back pockets stayed cool and dry as well. I personally found the cinch cords at the ankle to be super useful for extra ventilation and almost made these pants feel like hiking in shorts.
One thing to note is during cooler temperatures the breathability of these pants can feel very drafty and cold. If using these in cooler temperatures like those in late fall or winter, I would highly recommend layering with a long base layer or lightweight fleece. I tend to get warm fairly easily and usually find these pants to work in cooler temperatures with a long base layer.
Weight
The Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants come in at the lightest pair of hiking pants I have tried so far weighing 10.1 oz making it the lightest pair I own. The material does feel thin and flowy which makes it a pair pants I would not use on very rugged trails with a lot of brush or scrambling.
Weather Resistant
Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants are great at repelling water and the DWR coating appears to have held up for several months of wear. They appear to offer a moderate amount of beading shedding during our water spray test. With prolonged testing, about a minute of spraying water did start to soak in. But overall would provide enough time to throw on some rain gear if needed. However, the good thing is if these pants do get wet, they dry very quickly.
In most cases in a downpour I always recommend just throwing on your rain gear. Most hiking pants do a good job with the DWR coating but are not the best to protect against prolonged aggressive downpours.
When it comes to sun protection these pants like many others come with a 50+ UPF rating, which means they only let 1/50th of the ultraviolet rays through and are effective for sun protection. I found this pair of pants to easily offer enough protection against the sun while also staying cool.
Features
There are a good number of useful features on these pants. There are five pockets in total: two front pockets, two back, and one side pocket. All the pockets work well, especially the side zip pocket which was large enough to accommodate my six-inch phone. I did find that after the update the front two pockets are a little snugger and shallower. This is a minimal complaint as I do not usually put big items in those pockets anyway.
The Ferrosi pants do not include a belt, but do have a drawstring and belt loops for adjusting the waist and adding a belt if needed. I found the belt loops to work very well as I had no difficulty weaving my arcade belt through the loops. This is a big thing for me as I have had difficulty with getting my belt through other pairs of pants in the past such as the Columbia Royce Range pants.
Of the many features I really found the side angled zip pocket and the rear zip pocket the most useful. The front two pockets seem to be a little smaller and more snug with the update but no biggie there. The cinch cord at the leg cuffs were super helpful with providing an option to roll up for extra ventilation or for water crossings.
What Other Hiking Pants Should You Consider?
Outdoor Research Ferrosi is one of the best pairs of hiking pants on the market. If you wanted a more stylish trail to town pair, then you could easily go for the Kuhl Deceptr or the more budget friendly Royce Range. But for a pair that works well in warmer climates you definitely cannot go wrong with the Ferrosi. Just no you will probably have to layer up in late fall and for sure winter hiking. If you are looking for pants that work better in the colder temperatures. I would go with the REI activator 3.0.
Wanna read more about my favorite pants?
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Overall, the Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants are an excellent performing pair of pants that offer a lot of versatility and will work in many conditions. They are sure to stay comfortable and move well with your body without any restriction. The breathability and venting ability have been so far unmatched by any other pair of hiking pants I have tried. These remain one of my favorites especially for summer wear.
