Men's Wear-Resistant Trousers - Hiking and Outdoor, S to 3XL

Ripstop nylon is a cloth with a grid woven into it: reinforcing threads at intervals so that a tear, once started, stops at the next line instead of running the length of the leg. On a hillside that is the difference between a snag and the end of a trouser.

What it is made of

Ripstop nylon throughout. The grid is structural, not decorative - you can see it against the light as a faint square pattern, and it is the reason this cloth is used for parachutes and shelters as well as trousers. Nylon also sheds light rain and dries fast, so a river crossing or a shower is an inconvenience rather than a day-ender.

How it fits

Mid waist with a zip fly and button, straight through the leg, sizes S to 3XL in black, cold gray, green or khaki. The straight leg is cut with room at the knee for a high step, which is the movement a hiking trouser actually has to allow for.

Where it earns its place

• Ripstop grid stops a snag from running into a tear
• Sheds light rain and dries quickly rather than holding water
• Cut with knee room for a high step, not just a flat stride
• Four field colours, none of them loud

Size chart