25 Days Wearing Outlier Slim Dungarees | Product Review
Written by Andrew
Hiking at north Georgia’s Tallulah Falls wearing Outlier Slim Dungarees. Day 7 of 25.
When I get into something, I tend to obsess pretty hard, so when I set out to find the best men’s pants for minimalist travel I really went all in. I was tired of the lack of versatility in wearing jeans and disappointed in the performance of other “tech” pants that I’d tried. I wanted something that I could wear for weeks on end without thinking about what I was going to do that day. I wanted a pair of pants that I could wear in an office or hiking, something that would be comfortable to live in while traveling or just hanging out at home. For me, the perfect pants were:
Quick drying, both in case of rain or travel around rivers and oceans, and so they could be hang dried overnight after washing in a sink
Durable enough for hard use hiking, camping, etc. but still wouldn’t stand out in a nice restaurant or office setting
Resistant to odor, so they wouldn’t need to be washed after every wear
A neutral color to match well with a variety of shirts, etc.
Capable of packing down small enough to fit easily in a carry-on backpack
Slim fitting, but not so tight that I can’t wear a merino wool base layer underneath
After spending several weeks testing the Outlier Slim Dungarees, I can say they’re the best (at least for me) do-it-all pants on the market. I’ve found them to be comfortable in temperatures ranging from a humid 80ºF to a windy 20ºF; for sustained exposure in temperatures below 20-25ºF I’d want a base layer, but I think that would be the case with any alternative. I’ve confirmed that they’re easily washable using nothing more than a dry bag, soap, and water, and that they will hang dry overnight (just don’t lay them flat). The DWR treatment is excellent, water beads off the surface. And they’re durable—after I wore them for 25 straight days, they had gotten a little baggy, especially around the knees, but otherwise showed no signs of wear.
At the same time that I tested the Slim Dungarees, I compared them against the following alternative options:
Outlier Strong Dungarees - I almost went with these but thought they would be too heavy in hot environments (tropical, desert). Plus they don’t feel quite as comfortable or fit as well as the Slim Dungarees. Worth a try if you don’t like the Slims though, and from other reviews I’ve read they’re more durable
Western Rise AT Slim - way too tight on my quads. Might work for guys with less athletic builds. The fabric is top notch, I just wish they weren’t quite so slim cut
Western Rise Evolution - comfortable, but super thin, I would only wear them in tropical environments. I also feel like the fabric would tear easily
I’ve also traveled with these two alternatives, and have decided they don’t quite fit my needs:
Lululemon ABC - look nice, but hold onto odor really terribly. Can’t recommended them for extended travel because you can’t get more than a day wearing them without a wash
Prana Brion - they wear out fast, and don’t fit nearly as well as the Outliers. I still have a couple pairs of them, but I’ll only wear them for hiking trips. Wouldn’t travel in them, they simply aren’t versatile enough for me. Probably the best budget option though
Outlier Slim Dungarees can be purchased through their website. Note that in these photos, and the video review I made showing clips from wearing them throughout the month of January, I’m wearing the Bluetint Gray color, but I also have a pair in charcoal. If Outlier is out of stock in your size/preferred color just be patient—they restock fairly frequently.
And, just to be clear, this post isn’t sponsored in any way. I spent my own money on these pants (and swallowed hard at the price tag when I added them to my shopping cart) and I’m recommending them to you the same way I’ve recommended them to my friends in real life.
Thanks for reading—if you end up trying these out, let us know what you think in the comments.