Last year I picked up a handfull of interesting things that I needed wanted, but was unsure about their capabilities and if the met my expectations. Here are the reviews of some of these things.

Carhartt’s Cryder Dungarees

El Niño is upon the bay which means tons of rain. Since I bike a decent amount, having gear for inclement weather is a must. But I dislike unitasking and excess clothing. The usual requirement would be rain pants, but that means stripping them off and having space to store them. So I set off on a journey of too much expectations: to find pants that were rain resistant, comfortable to cycle in and were workplace friendly. Lo and behold: the Carhartt Cryder Dungarees. These are some seriously nifty pants. Release only a few months ago, there wasn’t much about them online. But at 60 dollars, it seemed like worth the risk buying sight-unseen since I couldn’t find them at any local stores. But I did find similar Dungarees so I fitted myself at a brick and mortar store then placed the order online. Sorry local stores. They arrived just in time for the next deluge. The rain bounces off them quite nicely, anectotally I’d say that the smaller and faster drops are more likely to bounce off, but running a steady stream of tapwater over the pants will caust them to retain some moisture. Carhartt claims that it will maintain 80% of its hydrophobicity after 20 washes.

I’ve torn through the crotches of several pants mostly from cycling. These pants are gusseted, which means theres an extra panel of frabric where along the inseams, thus creating two seams which allows for greater flexibility and resistance to wear and tear because stress is distributed and not focused in one central place. The fabric is a cotton/poly/spandex mix so it has some stretch and there are extra elastic panels in the knees. All of this makes for a MUCH more comfortable bike ride instead of standard canvas. Its also great for hiking as well and they breathe. On a related note, these are pretty decent climbing pants too since they have some give. The carpenter pockets are also appreciated for my cellphone since the climbing harness cuts off access to the front pockets.

#####Pros:

  • Great multipurpose pants (all-weather cycling, hiking and climbing)
  • Rain resistant
  • Carpenter pockets
  • Gusseted Crotch
  • Strechy yet durable

#####Cons:

  • Elastic knee panel looks a little strange
  • Can’t dry your hands on water-resistant pants

Upcoming reviews: LIFX Color 1000 networked bulb, Metromile and Contigo Randolf Travel Mug.