The Woodsman takes design inspiration from ski touring and alpine gear. The first thing you’ll notice is that it’s ‘stretchy.’ Not just in a few small panels but everywhere. To complement the stretchiness, we articulated the patterns for athletic riding and for alternating between a seated and standing riding position. They are comfortable enough that minimalists can use them as their only pair of pants on a multi-day trip. They work on and off the bike, around the fire, and out for a beer. Dust and dirt are the only things that will give them away as riding pants.
There are four vents on the thighs, two cargo pockets for your wallet, phone, trail map, or clip knife, and two hand pockets that are ‘handy’ when you’re off the bike. The pockets all zip closed, so you won’t lose your valuables if you bounce off the trail. The Woodsman is cut to fit inside your boot for durability and grip and has ample stretchiness for maximum mobility. Depending on your perspective, the Woodsman is a ‘touring pant you can trail-ride in' or a ‘trail-riding pant you can tour in.’
They work on the bike and off, around the fire, and out for a beer. Dust and dirt are the only things that will give them away as riding pants. The Woodsman’s in-boot design allows you to grip the bike directly with your boot – without pinching fabric in the middle – which is how the bike-makers and boot-makers intended it. That’s why you rarely see off-road racers in over-the-boot pants. Unlike most in-boot pants, the Woodsman has a full-length inseam, so you won’t get that ‘moto-capri’ look when your boots come off.
With the Woodsman, we’re breaking free from the convention that you need to wear waterproof ADV gear all the time. In most sports, the rain gear comes off when the rain stops. With ADV, many riders wear waterproof gear in every type of weather, regardless of whether it’s raining or not. Even in the desert with no chance of rain, we see ADVers in head-to-toe waterproof clothes, trying to manage their heat problems in all sorts of creative ways. With the Woodsman, you can take off your rain gear and continue your trip in stretchy, breathable, comfortable pants when the rain stops.
The Woodsman takes a hybrid approach to water management. The thighs and butt are fully waterproof with a 3-Layer Schoeller softshell, while the crotch and calves are membrane-free for maximum breathability. All the seams are taped, and the entire pant is treated with a Durable Water Repellant (DWR) coating, so light water beads up at the surface. There’s just enough water repellency for stream crossings, muddy puddles, dewy brush, and light rain without causing heat problems for the rest of the ride. We call the Woodsman a ‘90% pant,’ because 90% of the time it’s exactly what you need.
