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. It’s either a ‘touring pant you can trail-ride in,’ or a ‘trail-riding pant you can tour in,’ depending on your perspective.

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. The Woodsman Pants are comfortable enough that minimalists can use the Woodsman as their only pair of pants on a multi-day trip.

With the Woodsman, we’re breaking free from the convention that you need to wear waterproof ADV gear all the time. In most sports, when the rain stops the rain gear comes off. 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, when the rain stops you can take off your rain gear and continue your trip in a stretchy, more breathable, more comfortable pant.

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 on the rest of the ride.

We call the Woodsman a ‘90% pant,’ because 90% of the time it’s exactly what you need. In full-frontal rain, the Woodsman pairs with a packable over-the-boot rain layer like the Rak Overpant.

TO COMPLETE YOUR KIT: Check out other complimentary pieces to the Woodsman, like the Autonomous Belt, Rak Overpant, and Workhorse Jersey.