KÜHL – Outdoor Clothing

I discovered KÜHL brand clothing about 10 years ago. At the time, I liked the cut of the pants and the extra side pocket. Plus, they were stylish and unique. I was looking for a fashion change and grabbed a pair. Little did I know that these pants would change the way I dressed and give me confidence about hiking as well. 

It may begin to sound a bit fan-boy on my part but I really like this brand. I soon discovered that many of my clothing needs could be satisfied with KÜHL and I could also look cool.

I like the cut, they just feel right on me. I’ve tried other brands, outdoor and traditional, and I’ve never fit into a pant like I do with these. Obviously I wear them on hikes and around town, but I’ve also learned that I can wear them for casual business and social events. The muted colors work for day and night needs. 

I soon learned that the side pockets were very helpful. I don’t use my back pockets so my phone and wallet occupy my front pockets. I visit too many foreign countries and strange places for me to place valuables in my back pockets. Car keys have always been a problem for me. I hate keys in my pockets. They feel bad and look worse. The side pockets are perfect for keys. I also carry water with me, everywhere, and I don’t like having things in my hands. If I’m day hiking, I put my water in my backpack. If i’m with a full pack (back country) or no pack (around town) I love having my water ‘at the ready’. And now with covid, I carry sanitizer which fits perfectly in the left side pocket. 

Everything I’ve said above are natural utility benefits that KÜHL clothes provide. However, there are a few no-so-obvious benefits that I never thought about until I began traveling to Switzerland. On my first visit in 2016, I went to the Matterhorn while coincidentally wearing KÜHL pants and a KÜHL shirt. If you don’t already know, the KÜHL logo is the Matterhorn. I didn’t know that nor did I much care until I visited the Matterhorn and my brand affiliation was solidified.

Two years later, I was the only American on a 4-day group hike in Switzerland. The “Swiss Classic” hike was sponsored by Transa, the REI of Switzerland. After a day or two, everyone relaxed into the hike and several participants *remembered* that they knew English. I noticed that many of the men had their pants open while they hiked. So I asked, “why are you hiking with your pants open?” 

A simple question received a simple answer, “to keep the temperature down.” 

“Really? Is this common?” I asked. 

The hiker responded, “Pretty much. Everyone in Switzerland does it this way.” Meaning, the ‘barn door’ is open and any other vents available to help with cross ventilation.

To which, I pointed to the inseam of my KÜHL pants and said, “why don’t you wear pants that breath better?”

“I don’t know, this is what we do.” Which seems like a reasonable response from a citizen of a country that had a federal election question asking if naked hiking should be outlawed. Although I’ve never seen it, naked hiking is still legal. And I feel very comfortable with the selection of my hiking clothes. 

The two styles I like best are the Konfidant and Radikl.

Link to Pants – Born In The Mountains, KUHL offers the best pants for hiking, hanging out, and more. Click here to shop now.

Link to Shorts – KUHL.com offers the complete selection of their award-winning shorts. Perfect for hiking, boating, fishing, hanging out, and more! Click here to shop now.