Patagonia’s Hemp 5 Pocket pants
Editor’s Note: Best Horse Practices Summit board member Josh McElroy, who starts colts and helps with cattle work when he is not working as a horsemanship instructor at Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, reviewed Patagonia’s Men’s Iron Forge Hemp Canvas 5 Pocket Pants for us.
Josh writes:
I got these Patagonia work pants in the mail and was immediately impressed with the overall construction. This isn’t anything new, as everything that I own from Patagonia has the same hallmarks of quality. But, compared to other jeans I wear, the color was bright. I have gotten multiple compliments on them as I’ve wore them over the last several weeks.
I decided to give them a week to break in and wore them for three days in a row before I washed them. They held up well and didn’t show a significant amount of dirt. They have survived six washes without fading any noticeable amount.
Josh pauses with his sons during a recent branding. Photo JJ Sillman
They are comfortable but tend to fit a little more loosely than I would like. Especially for the type of work that I use them for. The pants did get a tad heavy when I was working in the heat and sweated a lot. They weren’t too bad, but they did retain enough moisture to notice the weight. I have worn them while horseback and was concerned about the extra stitching in the seat (the jeans have a gusseted crotch) and whether that would cause chaffing. I spent four hours in the saddle in a day recently and did not have an issue. So, it appears, at least in this case, that concern was unfounded.
Pros: Nice bright colors, functional pockets, heavy duty construction, stylish enough to wear when not working.
Cons: Looser fit than I like in a work jean for horseback/cowboy type work, seat seams could possibly cause chaffing, hold moisture and increase in weight, heavy material could be sub-optimal in more humid or hotter climates simply due to weight.
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Josh and his son. Photo JJ Sillman