The Best Pants & Shorts for Hiking in the Rockies

The most common question we field from our readers, followers, and visitors is around what to wear when visiting the Canadian Rockies. It’s always a tough question to answer, as the weather can fluctuate between multiple seasons in a single day.

Over the years, as we’ve explored the Rockies in every season and weather condition, we’ve tried many hiking clothes. KÜHL has become one of our go-to brands for clothing that combines durability and comfort. It also helps the clothing look great, making it perfect for traveling as well.

Winter weather tends to be a bit more reliable as it’s consistently cold, but summer has a huge variety. To cope with the changing weather conditions, we recommend everyone wear technical apparel. The right clothing can be the difference between enjoying the trail and wishing you were back at the trailhead.

Over the summer, we’ve been testing KÜHL shorts and pants around Banff, Jasper, and Kananaskis—here are some of our favorites. We’ve done everything with them from hiking to paddling and climbing, and even going into town for a post-hike drink.

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Adventures We Enjoyed

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Paddleboarding

Paddleboarding is our favorite way to enjoy the amazing lakes in the Canadian Rockies. We’ve hit a ton of bodies of water around town, including everything from Old Goat Pond to the Bow River. When it comes to paddleboarding, a pair of quick-drying, water-resistant shorts is essential.

For paddleboarding, I tested out the KÜHL Silencr™ Kargo Shorts. The material was perfect for dealing with water, and the secure hidden cargo pockets were perfect for keys or a phone while on the water. While Natasha went with the Vantage Trainer Short (pictured above) for paddleboarding.

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Scrambling In The Canadian Rockies

We love a mountain summit on a good summer day. However, we’d be remiss to say it’s not a feat in the Canadian Rockies. The chossy and very steep mountains are tough on just about everything, from hiking boots and poles to backpacks and especially, clothing.

Unless it’s hot, we opt for long pants as they provide reliable protection from sharp rocks and branches. However, the pants we wear on scrambles can’t be too hot or restrictive.

The KÜHL Silencr™ Pants were a perfect choice as they feature ripstop fabric that has stretch and rebound so they move with your body. However, on a hot day Tasha went with the lightweight and agile Vantage Trainer Shorts.

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Climbing At The Local Crag

Climbers don’t mess around when it comes to their pants. You need something that doesn’t restrict movement in any shape but can withstand rock abrasion. Grassi Lakes is a classic crag with amazing views, located just outside town.

We also spent some time testing out the KÜHL Trekr Straight and Silencr™ Pants at Tunnel Mountain’s Black Band and Sunshine Rock in Banff. The pants were super comfortable, held up well to the rock, and didn’t impede our movements.

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Relaxing Along The Bow River

Sometimes you just want to relax along the River and enjoy a relaxing walk around town. Now we can do that in just about any pair of shorts, but when our adventure shorts and pants also look good, it makes for a seamless transition from the mountains to town.

The Silencr™ Short slimline pockets are super functional, but the streamlined designs makes for a nice looking pair of shorts. They’re perfect for exploring town and/or going on a hike. Tasha loves the KÜHL Freeflex short for warm summer days around town and on the trail.

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Hiking In Kananaskis

While Banff receives plenty of praise, we spend a significant portion of our summer hiking in Kananaskis Country. The collection of provincial parks that border Banff has no shortage of hiking trails and summits to conquer.

It sees a fraction of hikers during much of the summer, and is every bit as stunning as the world-famous Banff National Park. Some of our favorite larch hikes are in the provincial park and when the temperatures get a little cooler the KÜHL Radikl Outsider® Pant are perfect for exploring the outdoors.

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Women’s

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Trekr Straight Pants

These pants are a real standout and have become a favourite for long hikes and cool weather when versatility is key. They’re lightweight, stretchy, and work well with big moves, whether that’s big step-ups on a hike or going for an evening climb.

The pull-on waistband ensures a good fit and the snap closure pockets are great for securing your personal items. We also love the cuffed ankles as they keep the pants secure, which is important when you’re climbing.

What really stands out about the pants is that they don’t feel or look like technical pants. With a casual style, the pants are great for running errands around town before or after your mountain adventures.

Freeflex™ Shorts

A classic short that’s lightweight, soft, and still has a classic style. It’s a versatile short that is flexible enough to do any mountain sport. However, the classic short style doesn’t come off as casual as the Vantage Trainer Shorts that we’ve also tested out this summer.

It’s a classic offering from KÜHL, and it’s easy to see why it has remained in their line for years. We took them on simpler objectives, such as a hike to Grassi Lakes, down to Hector Lake, or an evening paddle along Two Jack Lake.

Vantage™ Trainer Shorts

While the Rockies are well known for their cool climate and cold winter, we do see some hot days. When the weather warms up, we’d love to get out on the trail and enjoy the gorgeous summer weather. Of all the pants and shorts we’ve tried out, the Freeflex shorts have been some of my faves.

They’re super comfortable, quick drying, and move well with your body. I love them for a day out paddleboarding, hiking, or just relaxing by the river in Canmore. It helps that they have some pretty great colors too, and the loose cut is both comfy and flattering.

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Haven™ Joggr

I always love a good pair of joggers, as they’re incredibly comfortable and perfectly match an active lifestyle. The pants are cozy and feel perfect for recovery after a big hike or even tackling the big hikes.

As the fabric is tough, they’re more than up for a tough adventure around the Canadian Rockies. They offer UPF sun protection and abrasion resistance with a tough ripstop material.

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Men’s

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Silencr™ Pant

The Silencr™ Pants are a great all-around hiking and outdoor pant. I love the lightweight, weather-resistant material that’s durable and moves with the body. As the material stretches, the pants maintain a clean design while still allowing for unrestricted movement.

I’ve worn them on everything from easy errands around town to summits along the Icefields Parkway. The full fit pants utilize KÜHL’s REFLEX™ fabric which offers a generous amount of stretch so they move well with the body.

They also got sweet features like a lined waistband, seven pockets (including a drop in phone pocket), and a gusseted crotch. They’re a great pair of pants, and I love that most KÜHL products allow you to tailor your fit.

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Radikl Outsider® Pant

The Radikl Outsider® Pants are ready for an adventure or rough work around the house. With their rugged looks and reinforced durability, they’re excellent adventure pants.

They feature a Dynawax Ripstop fabric that offers the perfect balance between durability and weight. While they appear to be rugged canvas pants, they’re surprisingly comfortable and lightweight. This is what allows them to strike the perfect balance of style and functionality.

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Silencr™ Kargo Short

These are the short version of the Silencr™ Pants, and everything about the pants carries over to the shorts. They’re super lightweight, thanks to the excellent REFLEX™ material and slim cut, which looks very nice.

I also love the plethora of pockets, which total seven. While they’re “kargo” shorts, you’d never be able to tell with the hidden seams and even securable zipper pocket. Best of all, they remain comfortable enough for a long hike.

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Renegade Rock Short

The Renegade Rock Shorts have a more casual cut and style than the Silencr™ Kargo Shorts and feature a more durable material. I found the Silencr™ Kargo Shorts to be technical hiking shorts and the Renegade for my do-it-all shorts.

They look great for visiting our local farmer’s market and then switched over well for a paddleboard along the lake. However, the more durable material makes them well-suited for more rugged adventures like mountain summits and long hikes.

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Why KÜHL Works Well in the Rockies

The Canadian Rockies are tough on just about every piece of gear and clothing. We see inclement weather, and the mountains are quite literally falling apart. Steep, chossy terrain is the standard, and it can tear apart subpar clothing and shoes.

What we love about KÜHL is that their clothing performs well on the trail, and it looks good enough to wear in town. Additionally, the styles are well-suited for travel when we’re on the road.

Whether it’s breathable shorts for summer hikes in Kananaskis Country or durable pants for climbing at the local crag, KÜHL makes pieces that keep up with the conditions here.

If you’re planning a hiking trip to Banff, Jasper, or beyond, investing in comfortable and versatile clothing is a worthwhile investment. We’ve been impressed with how these pieces fit into our Rockies adventures—and we’ll keep reaching for them as the season goes on.

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This post is sponsored by KÜHL—a brand we’ve worn on trails, scrambles, and paddleboards across the Rockies. All thoughts, opinions, and muddy pant legs are our own.