“What’s the best do-it-all pant?” I get asked this often, and it’s not an easy question, but I have an easy answer: the Western Rise Evolution 2 Pant.
Most of us aren’t traveling 80 days a year or spending 200 nights a year in the field. While we like these opportunities and want more of them in our lives, gen pop works in an office and tackles tasks after hours. Trips and adventures come secondary.
So, my answer is a pant that meets the average 80/20 lifestyle — something comfortable, functional, durable, and timeless. Inevitably, that means a pant that is unfettered … something simple. Western Rise puts the nail in the coffin, with dead reckoning set to tackle life’s tasks.
In short: The Evolution 2 is the iteration of Western Rise’s flagship pant. Trimmed in a new material, it doesn’t stray from the original ethos. It’s a simple, durable pant that wears better than jeans, packs up tight, rebuffs stains, and sheds water like a slicker. It’s my recommendation for a daily, do-it-all pant that’s up for travel — be it the city, rock, or City of Rocks.
Looking for your next pair of travel pants? Check out GearJunkie’s Best Men’s Travel Pants Buyer’s Guide to compare the Evolution 2 Pants to the rest of our suggested wardrobe.
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Lightweight material breathes just as well as the first -
More durability than the first iteration -
Fantastic fit and construction -
Better mobility than the first iteration
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New fabric feels slightly stiffer (breaks in over time) -
Single security pocket is limiting for some travelers
Western Rise Evolution 2 Pants: Review
Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS). Although borrowed from the Navy, I first read this phrase in Mark Twight’s book Extreme Alpinism. Twight was doing big things on remote peaks, like climbing Nanga Parbat’s Rupal face in alpine style. By KISS, he meant to choose simple gear. Don’t overthink it.
Most of us aren’t scaling 8,000m peaks, and the risks around town are exponentially less significant. But good design transcends big peaks and carries into everyday living. Living simply with purpose has value. This matters in clothing as well: Fewer details mean less to fall apart, leading to garment longevity.
I’ve tested the Western Rise’s Evolution pants more than any other pants on our travel list. Others on the GearJunkie team have also worn them to work, and brought them with them to Asia, Europe, and South America. One reviewer even climbed the Grand Teton in his pair. Durable and simple, they keep on ticking.
A Day in the Evolutions
I had just climbed Ortles, a snowy peak on the Austrian-Italian border. The high camp was a three-story refugio stilted on a rocky prow overlooking the Stelvio Valley. I donned the Evolutions and began hiking the 8 miles back down to town.
Once in town, I caught a quick lunch at a fashionable restaurant and waited for my train. Unable to get reserved seating, I spent the 3 hours to Germany sitting in the train’s grimy stairwell, watching the alpine relinquish to pastures.
That evening, I caught up with others at Oktoberfest. Deep-fried chicken crumbled on my pants, and a liter of beer spilled afterward. The fall pilsner simply poured off the pants.
I rinsed off the pants and hopped back onto the train to catch the early plane back to the States the following morning. Unstained and unfazed, the Western Rise Evolutions were my only pants.
My trip to the Dolomites was unusually busy. I didn’t need to prove what the pants could do. They already earned my confidence in a heavy deluge bikepacking in Colombia. I brought them to Italy because I knew they were up for the task of a casual, durable, do-it-all pant.
The decision was simple. I was on a gear-heavy climbing trip in Europe. One pant gave me more room for my alpine kit. The Western Rise Evolutions carried me from coast to coast and adventures in between — formal and informal.
Upgrades From the Evolution 1
The Evolution 1s were launched back in 2018, and they have been a top seller in the travel pant sector. The five-pocket design has a denim-style pedigree. Like your typical jeans, the set-in hand pockets hide a coin pocket. The Evolution 2s dropped the black metal reinforcement rivets but still close the pants with a metal zipper and button.
The coin pocket on the right front hip was changed from 4×7 to 5×6, but it is still one of the best coin pocket designs I’ve tested. The increased width and shallower depth make it even more functional. It’s one of the few coin pockets that allows you to reach inside and grab your change.
This might seem like a minor point, but if you are traveling outside the States, coin-based currency is a real thing and is used often. You can walk around with $20 in nickels without really thinking about it. I love this feature when traveling to Europe, Mexico, Japan, or anywhere economies trade in change.
The large coin pocket can also sleeve your device. While the coin pocket sits off to the side a bit, it stashes your phone better while walking. You can feel it begin to bind in the hip when seated, and it can become a small nuisance when trying to access the contents when seated on a plane.
Out back and inside the right rear patch pocket, Western Rise sewed in a hidden zipper pocket. It’s been there since the first pants, and it’s large enough to zip your wallet or passport inside.
New with the 2.0, Western Rise changed the waist from a rigid, belt-friendly waist to a Techstretch waistband. Borrowed from what you might see in a yoga pant, the waist has some give, reducing binding. I found it more comfortable to wear when seated on a long flight. The main change in 2.0, though, was the shift to a new fabric, which is what makes these pants so great.
A Rough-Wearing Nylon
With flexible utility in mind, Western Rise designed the Evolutions around an air-texturized nylon fabric that’s woven into a smooth-faced twill. It’s soft in the hand and quiet while walking.
Nylon? We don’t often see it in pants. I associate it more often with climbing gear, like ropes and climbing shells. The long-strand polymer is waterproof and resists sharps. It’s twice as durable as polyester and less porous, preventing bacterial odors from taking hold (like in polyester). And it’s wrinkle-resistant. All good traits.
But nylon isn’t particularly appreciated for its soft-to-the-touch qualities. And it can be loud to walk in (think about your ski pants). To knock back the rough interface, Western Rise texturizes the nylon with air and weaves in 10% spandex for what it calls a four-way recovery. (It doesn’t stretch; it bounces back.)
The result is a softer, quieter, stretchier twill that retains the durable qualities of nylon. Plus, the fabric won’t bag out over time, leaving your pants with that tired, saggy-butt look.
Simply Sewn
Simple stitching sews the panels together. The inside seams and gusset are overstitched and sewn down with a double row of stitching. The seams down the outside of the leg are sewn using a simple single stitch.
I asked Will Watters, the founder of Western Rise, directly about his choice of stitching. While I haven’t seen any issues, a single stitch down the side could make the pants more vulnerable to unraveling.
“Our stitching choice matches the materials,” shared Waters.”Over-engineering a lightweight pant adds stress where you don’t need it or want it.”
A fully felled seam would be bomber, but rigid, taking the brunt of the tension forces instead of moving with the pant. The stitches per inch meet the stress where you need it. Nothing more.
Watters also added that “a good garment should be able to be flipped inside out and be wearable.” Form follows function: check.
The result is a clean-looking pair of pants that is more fashionable and capable than your jeans. For business, family, or some adventure on the side, these pants transition with the best.
Why Aren’t the Evolutions Ranked Number One?
If the pants are this good, why don’t I rank them as number one? I get this question often, including from Western Rise.
These pants were at the top for a few years and remain among our top five travel pant recommendations. However, I feel there are better travel-specific designs that can elevate your travel experience. The Evolutions are simple by design.
Their strength lies in the materials. And the materials are really good. Outside the bomber air-blown nylon material, details are minimal. Other than this sixth zipper rear pocket, it’s a straight five-pocket pant.
Western Rise is all about clean design and threatened to release a cargo pant, which I was looking forward to seeing. But in the end, they didn’t feel the prototypes aligned with its design ethos, so I haven’t seen it come to market … yet.
I can’t ding the brand here. Cargo pants are divisive. You either love ’em or hate ’em. But the influence that cargo pants have on travel pants is undeniable. When tamed, these extra pockets have real merits for traveling, giving you more security and options to keep your EDC safe and secure.
Bottom line, the Western Rise Evolutions fall short on pockets. There are better dedicated travel pants that have more options to secure your goods.
Western Rise Evolution 2: Parting Thoughts
The Western Rise Evolution 2 Pants are tailor-made to replace your everyday pants. They are great for school and casual Fridays and are a go-to staple for weekends. Nylon is more durable than cotton or polyester, and it can and has proven to take a beating.
While they lack the extra pockets I like to see in a dedicated pair of travel pants, I love that I can wear these day in and day out and still travel easily when the opportunity arises.
Still on the fence? I’ll leave you with one last story. A few years back, I saw a social media post about travel pants from a well-known adventure “influencer.” I asked him if he had ever tried Western Rise. He had not. A year later, I saw him gushing on about the Evolutions.
I love to point people in the right direction. I love it even more when people draw their own conclusions about how great a product is.
Bang for buck, you can’t go wrong with a pair of Evolutions. They are the perfect daily pants and work great for the one-bag traveler. Where will they bring you?
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