Ripton Trail Daemon Jorts<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\nI don\u2019t have much tolerance for uncomfortable clothing, especially pants. I want to be able to move freely whenever I want, in whatever I\u2019m wearing, whether that means taking a work break to pull hundreds of weeds from my garden or going on a quick hike with my dog at lunch. And since I sometimes go out among the public for social functions and athletic events, I\u2019m always looking for comfortable, functional gear disguised as regular clothing that makes me look like I\u2019m adulting.<\/p>\n
Some would suggest denim jeans as a possibility for that role. Jeans have a reputation for being both comfortable and functional\u2014an undeserved reputation, in my opinion. True, made from 100% heavyweight cotton yarns woven into a tight-knit twill, traditional denim can be<\/i> soft, durable, and functional for things like riding horses and shoveling what comes out of that horse. Denim jeans also resist snags when scrambling on rocks or pushing through abrasive brush on a trail. And they provide resistance from wind and cold for bike commuting or shoulder-season hiking.<\/p>\n
But they aren\u2019t truly functional compared to modern outdoor gear: they\u2019re too stiff to allow for flexible rock-climbing moves, restrict knee bend for comfortably pushing bike pedals or stepping uphill on a hike, and could cause hypothermia if you get wet\u2026because they stay wet.<\/p>\n
And comfortable? C\u2019mon. Do you want to wear jeans with their unforgiving waistband and button closure at the Thanksgiving dinner table? Or on a plane for seven hours? Or during any outdoor activity that requires full movement and makes you sweat? Jeans do become stretchier as the fibers relax, flex, and adapt to the wearer, but not enough to be truly active.<\/p>\n
That said, there are jeans that successfully blend casual fashion and athletic function. A couple of decades ago, I practically lived in a pair of thin, lightweight, super-stretchy Prana jeans because they were breathable and flexible. I could wear them out on the town at night, but they were also my top pick for rock climbing and camping. They had a funny print that I overlooked because they were so dang comfortable and functional. They were my do-it-all pants. It\u2019s been years since I found another pair of denim pants that I don\u2019t dread pulling on\u2014pants that have that classic denim look but can be worn hiking, rock climbing, camping, traveling, and around town.<\/p>\n
In recent years, however, several brands have brought back what they are now calling performance denim\u2014cotton fibers woven with synthetic threads like stretchy elastane and cooling, sweat-wicking recycled polyester. Duer and Ripton are two performance denim brands that have impressed me. Duer launched in Canada 11 years ago when its founder saw a need for stretchy jeans for cycling. Ripton introduced performance denim jorts for mountain biking in late 2019. Both brands have expanded their performance denim lines and are creeping into the outdoor space. Here are some of their jeans and shorts I\u2019ve worn and recommend.<\/p>\n\n(Photo: Lisa Jhung)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRipton Superlight Jean<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n I\u2019ve been wearing the Ripton Superlight Jean for over a year and love them for their light weight, mobility, and breathability\u2014they\u2019re the only jeans I\u2019ll consider wearing in temps above 60 degrees. A blend of cotton, polyester, and spandex makes them stretchy and quicker-drying than straight-up cotton denim. I\u2019ve worn them comfortably on a long plane ride, on a scramble mid-hike, and even to the rock-climbing gym for a session with the hubs.<\/p>\n\n(Photo: Lisa Jhung)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRipton Trail Daemon Jorts<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n I\u2019ve also run\u2014yes, run\u2014in Ripton\u2019s Trail Daemon Jorts. While I prefer a lighter-weight short for most runs, these performance denim jorts with a whopping 12 percent Lycra spandex and four-inch inseam allow full mobility and are more than adequate for impromptu explorations. I keep them in the rotation for hiking, camping, lounging, and trail runs when I want to look and feel cool (cooler than I actually am).<\/p>\n\n(Photo: Lisa Jhung)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nDuer\u2019s Performance Denim Harbour Shorts<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n Duer\u2019s Performance Denim Harbour Shorts\u2019 baggy fit, stretchy waistband, and fiber blend (70% cotton, 28% Coolmax polyester, and 2% Lycra spandex) make them the most comfortable, functional, casual-looking shorts I own. They have stretched with me on hikes and made me feel like I\u2019m wearing sweatshorts around town, all while looking like a responsible mom on her way to the grocery store (when in fact, I\u2019m heading to a trail).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This versatile fabric brings joy to bike commuters, hipster hikers, impromptu rock climbers, and me. Yes, you can even scramble up a boulder wearing performance denim jeans. (Photo: Courtesy Lisa Jhung) Published October 6, 2026 11:29AM What to know: After testing performance denim everywhere from the rock-climbing gym to hot summer trail runs, our outdoor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wild-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17915\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}