Fjällräven’s Hiking Pants – er, sorry, pants – is legendary and now most of the spring is spent on a pair of Abisko Trail pants, I know why. If Dad is a hiker or spends any time in all the outdoors, this is a great gift.
They are lightweight, but surprisingly warm, especially good at blocking winds. The G-1000 Lite stretch recycled fabric gives you good, stretchy freedom of movement and is already suffering from Lyme disease, the ability to bind leg cuffs and prevent things is invaluable. (I also put a lot of insect repellent on undyed or otherwise damaged fabrics.) I also like the waxed G-1000 to refurbish waterproof (although I don’t want to do that yet).
If you want to go the shorts route, try these Kuhl Silencr Kargo shorts ($79). They are “invisible” cargo shorts because they have a lot of pockets but don’t look like it. There was no need to get dad back to the grunge singer of the 90s, he didn’t have to do that. – Scott Gilbertson
