Nope, lifelong shorts guy here - but I recently switched from "pure" shorts to zip-leg pants. As I've gotten old(er), I've found myself occasionally wishing I had long pants on a cool morning, a damp morning when I'm walking through meadows or underbrush, or in the evening when the bugs come out.

I've also never really been happy with gaiters - strictly personal; I know the advantages, but just never got comfortable wearing them. The zip legs seem a nice compromise.