We had the chance to test out the THE “RADIKL” OUTSIDER® pants made by KÜHL. To be quite transparent, I personally wear shorts nearly the entire year except for winter, and even then, shorts and leggings are quite common. We say this because it is very difficult to impress us with pants, but it happened here. Read on to find out why!
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About KÜHL | About The Pants | Testing The Pants | Our Review | Summary
About KÜHL
Kuhl is an outdoor clothing and lifestyle brand known for its rugged, high-performance apparel. With a passion for the outdoors and a focus on crafting durable and stylish products, Kuhl offers a wide range of clothing designed for activities such as hiking, camping, and adventuring in the great outdoors. The company’s commitment to quality and innovation is evident in their use of technical fabrics and thoughtful design, making their products suitable for both outdoor enthusiasts and those who appreciate versatile, comfortable, and durable clothing. Kuhl’s unique blend of style and functionality has earned them a dedicated following among outdoor enthusiasts and fashion-conscious consumers alike.
Learn more about Black Diamond’s mission, awards, and values here.
Where To Buy The THE “RADIKL” OUTSIDER® Pants
KÜHL: View Here
Other online retailers have the RADIKL pants, but not the outsider version discussed in this article.
REI: View Here
Backcountry: View Here
Amazon: View Men’s | View Women’s
Our Testing Scenarios
Hiking In Utah – We have hit the trails on cool days, freezing days, windy days, rainy days, sunny days, cloudy days, and even hail in these pants. Basically, we’ve tested them in just about all of the hiking conditions (aside from the heat).
Camping – We also brought these camping, for around the campsite, and waking up in the morning.
Walking Around Town – We’ve walked to the store, out to eat, and around the Salt Lake City area.
About The Pants
These pants are designed to give adventurers wind and water resistance, great breathability and comfort, and tons of pockets
Features:
- Zippered thigh vents
- Adjustable bottom cuffs
- Stretch panels for better maneuverability
- Hidden cell phone pocket
- 8 pockets, 3 with zippers
- UPF 50+
Material: Cotton, polyester, and nylon create lots of comfort and breathability,
Fit: These pants come in tons of sizes to fit most people, and fit true to size.
A closer look at the quality of the zippers and the vent system.
In Depth Review
Here’s how the pants performed during our testing:
Temperature Regulation
These pants are awesome for many temperature ranges. They are breathable enough, especially with the vents for weather upwards of 60 degrees fahrenheit, and for a very warm blooded person like me, warm enough for temperatures in the teens (with some leggings underneath). This makes these pants extremely versatile, and great in particular for the shoulder seasons where the temperature swings can be drastic from morning to night.
Pockets
For outdoor adventures, pockets are crucial. To hold a phone, snacks, a knife, a light, a tool, or whatever else you may need. Pockets are even more important for camping and moving around your campsite. These pants have ample storage, and better designed pockets than any other pants we own.
Wind & Waterproofing
These pants are not fully waterproof, but they are water resistant, and the rain and hail we have experienced held up and kept our legs dry through a couple hours of solid rain.
These are not pants if you need complete waterproofing, but are perfect for the situations where you may get some rain and need something that can be water resistant for a solid duration of time.
They also do a fantastic protecting your skin from the wind.
Comfort
Simply put, these pants are super comfortable. Not only are they great for walking around camp, but they are comfortable for full day hikes with 10+ miles and several thousand feet of vertical gain.
Durability
So far, we haven’t had enough time in these pants to determine how long they will last. Our initial impressions are that these are going to last us quite a long time. The materials are durable, the construction is solid, stitching looks great, and zippers and buttons also appear to be robust. We will update this as we continue to use these pants, but in our first few months of ownership, these pants still show no signs of wear and tear.
Layering
When it comes to versatility, it is important to be able to place layers below or on top of other clothing. In this case, it was easy to where these pants over leggins which provides another layer of warmth for cold weather.
Value
The only downside to this pant is the cost. Simply put, these are very expensive pants. While they of the highest quality, they are also at a price point that puts them at the top of the market for similar pants. We don’t love this. That being said, the quality is there, and from a reputable brand that will take care of any issues. Therefore, we still think these hold true in terms of value, but these pants may be out of the budget range of some adventurers.
Overall Rating – 5 Stars
We would give these pants 5/5 stars. They are super comfortable, durable, versatile, have incredibly well designed pockets and stretch panels. We expect these to be a valuable piece of clothing / gear in our tool kit for many years to come.
If you are a hiker, hunter, camper, or mountaineer who needs active and durable pants, these are for you.
Where To Buy
KÜHL: View Here
Other online retailers have the RADIKL pants, but not the outsider version discussed in this article.
REI: View Here
Backcountry: View Here
Amazon: View Men’s | View Women’s
Additional Pictures
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Max DesMarais is the founder of hikingandfishing.com. He has a passion for the outdoors and making outdoor education and adventure more accessible. Max is a published author for various outdoor adventure, travel, and marketing websites. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, fly fisherman, backcountry skier, trail runner, and spends his free time in the outdoors. These adventures allow him to test gear, learn new skills, and experience new places so that he can educate others. Max grew up hiking all around New Hampshire and New England. He became obsessed with the New Hampshire mountains, and the NH 48, where he guided hikes and trail runs in the White Mountains. Since moving out west, Max has continued climbed all of the Colorado 14ers, is always testing gear, learning skills, gaining experience, and building his endurance for outdoor sports. You can read more about his experience here: hikingandfishing/about