What kind of pants have no cotton?

Read all this about staying away from cotton. That makes sense. The shirts are easy to find. But, what kind of pants have no cotton? What pants do you like to hike/camp in?

Lots of choices out there. just read the labels. lots of "sport" pants are nylon, or polyester or nylon/spandex.

Browsing through wal-mart you can find a good selection of nylon or polyester pants..

In my local thrift store there are lots of "track pants" - often just nylon shells. those work good. there is also often a good selection of polyester or wool dress pants - don't discount these! they work good too (although while wool is warm it doesn't dry as fast).

Alternatively REI or your favorite hiking store will have lots of nylon hiking pants, and convertible pants/shorts.

At the higher end there's the schoeller dyneema and fancy mountaineering fabrics - these are generally tougher thicker synthetics. they're pricy though.

In a nutshell, look at labels, you can get away with anything from cheap wal-mart pants, 5 or 10 dollar thrift store pants, or 120 dollar schoellers...

Think a little bit about where you'll be, and how fast what you're holding is likely to dry...

I keep an eye out for nylon or polyester. Most major retailers have numerous models. It seems to me that the artificial fabrics are, among other advantages, more durable than cotton items. I have quite a few that are more than ten years old, while cotton garments, which i do like for many work situations, don't last nearly as long.

I dunno. I can ususally resoundingly thrash a pair of hiking pants in a season

Carhartt's take a better beating than that. I just wouldn't wanna hike in 'em

The warning about cotton only applies in certain situations. Like many things, it has been over-generalised. Cotton is fine in hot or warm weather. Look at what people in the Middle East wear-cotton.

In cooler or wet weather, that is when cotton should be avoided-when it gets wet, it stays wet and is a poor insulator. Fleece and wool work well, along with synthetic shells of one kind of another. I have Marmot Precip rain pants I wear in winter. I use Capilene for my base layer and have both fleece and a pair of synthetic insulated pants for warmth.

Some people wear wool for both base layer and insulation, things like Merino wool and surplus military wool pants.

In extremely cold weather (below freezing), cotton works fine as your outer windproof layer over wool or synthetic insulators.

The best wearing,( ie most rugged) that I have found are the cotton blends. Dicki's and Carhart both make dress pants that are 50/50. They wear like iron and outlast any 100% cotton canvas. They also dry fast, and are lighter. The military also uses 50/50 for their uniforms. It is a good compromise.

I go cheap on lots of my hiking clothes (Columbia shirts for example), but I tend to watch for sales and buy the more expensive pants. I like schoeller dryskin - very tough material- designed for climbing so it is heavier than most backpack pants but they last forever. I found some Arcteryx light nylon pants on sale at REI and then use fleece longjohns to add warmth when needed. With the schoeller pants I do not take long johns. So with the extra weight of long johns I have not really saved weight, but have added to the versitality of the clothing system. You can get by with part cotten in some areas, but I strictly stay away from ANY cotton when in wet-cold conditions. I have done lots of hiking in wool pants too. This is pretty "old school" nowadays. Men's light dress wool pants are great and I can pick them up at Goodwill for a few dollars. Some people do not like the feel of wool. Also in the "old days" standard hiking system was to wear nylon shorts over wool long johns. I actually like that system although it looks really funny. I am also a big fan of gaiters. I often wear long gaiters with hiking shorts, leaving my knees free yet protecting me from getting wet with dew. Different slothing may be appropriate for different climates and conditions. Where and what temperatures and moisture do you anticipate?

I still own a pair of Air Force surplus tropical weight pants, 50% polyester and 50% wool, bought in the 1980's. They are wonderful hiking pants. The bottoms of the cuffs are pretty raggedy, but the rest of the fabric is in mint condition.

Even 50% cotton gains a lot of weight when it gets wet and is slow to dry, although a lot faster than 100% cotton. I have a pair of name brand nylon exercise pants bought (on sale) at Big 5 Sporting goods for (as I recall) $11. Check for track and exercise pants at the athletic (not outdoor) departments at the big box stores (KMart, Target, WallyWorld, etc.) and the big discount sporting goods chains. Great synthetic (usually some form of polyester) wicking tops and underwear can be found there, too.

As Tom mentions, cotton does have its place--in hot, dry (i.e. desert) conditions you can soak a cotton T-shirt and have your built-in cooler for several hours. In high humidity, though, the cotton just gets soggy with sweat and stays unpleasant.

In cold damp conditions, though, cotton can be a death trap. My daughter got into the early stages of hypothermia wearing jeans with the temp about 60*. We were hiking in waist-high grass and brush which was soaking wet from prior rain. By the time I realized what was going on, she probably would not have been able to save herself. I stopped, set up camp, got her undressed and into two layers of sleeping bag and started forcing hot tea and cocoa into her. At least she learned a lesson about trying to be fashionable on the trail!

"Also in the "old days" standard hiking system was to wear nylon shorts over wool long johns. I actually like that system although it looks really funny. I am also a big fan of gaiters."

This is almost exactly what I wore in New Zealand while hiking much of the time, except I had on Capilene instead of wool. Over that I had a pair of surf shorts and wore tall gaiters. It is what BearPaw, an old member here called the "Peter Pan" look. Funny looking or not, in cool, wet weather, it works great. Once I stopped, I would pull on my fleece pants. I also had a lightweight Gore-Tex 2 piece rainsuit, but it didn't work all that well.

Jeans are the worst of all worlds-heavy, won't keep you warm at all, too hot in hot weather and when wet, as OM says, even in relatively warm weather, will cause hypothermia. Save them for around town.

Nylon ones will be the most durable, IMO. I'm a fan of Railriders "Weatherpants".