L.L Bean Overland Guide Pants: Sly Buy

Posted by: Darryl // February 02 2010

This is the second article in a series reviewing the gear I used on a 10-day backpacking trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. In the first installment I reviewed REI Backpacker hiking boots. This review focuses on L.L. Bean Overland Guide Pants.

Well-crafted, comfortable outerwear that’s climate appropriate can make all the difference when it comes to enjoying any outdoor activity. If a garment doesn’t fit well, wick sweat or dry properly, you’re in for trouble. At best, your outing won’t be much fun; at worst, it could put you at risk of exposure to the elements. When it comes to hiking and backpacking, a comfy, durable and quick drying pair of pants is essential.

While preparing to head to the Whites, I realized that the right pair of pants was a critical gap in my trip gear. After much research and talking to the other trip participants, I narrowed my choices down to two: L.L. Bean Overland Guide Pants ($69.00) and the REI Mistral Pants. Three out of the five members of our group had settled on the Mistrals. As one of REI’s most popular selling line of pants, the Mistrals were a fine choice for our late October trip. I strongly considered the Mistrals which retail for $89.50, as well as the REI Shuksan Pants with eVent fabric. Going for $239.00 retail, however, they were a little pricey for my budget.

The Mistrals were too tight in the legs though, and I didn’t want to have to go up two whole waist sizes to find a comfortable fit. So in the end, I decided on the Overland Guide Pants because of fit. There was also something about the texture of the fabric in Overlands that made them feel more comfortable.

With styling based on Bean’s iconic Maine Guide Wool Pants, the Overland Guide Pants are lightweight, breathable, both water and wind resistant, and made of a polyester/spandex blend. I found them to be incredibly comfortable, well tailored and accommodating to athletic thighs. I spent ten days basically living in these pants, and they were more than up to the task. After getting caught in some nasty rain and freezing rain on the second day of our trip, the pants dried quickly and did a very good job of protecting me from the elements. Even after climbing and at times crawling over some pretty gnarly terrain, they held up without even so much as a busted seam.

The six pockets provide plenty of room for stashing energy bars, pocketknives, money and other essentials. I also found them to be pretty stylish for functional wear. These pants would be just as suited to a resort town as they are to the backcountry.

L.L. Bean Overland Guide Pants - Bottom Line: At $69.00, I really can’t say enough good things about these all around functional and comfortable pants. And I’ve found just as much use for them at home walking the dogs and chopping wood during this cold winter as I did in the mountains. I’m confident that I’ll continue to get much more than $69.00 worth of use out of these pants for years to come.

Up next: A look at my mid and base layer choices.

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