03/04/2025
𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔
I have sad news. In the last three minutes of work today I ripped my pants during a lunge while playing a game of johnball with the after school kids. They were good pants. I purchased them at the REI in Madison Wisconsin in 2008. I'm not sure which month since REI does not track purchases beyond 2014, but it was in either the late spring or early summer. It was the first time I had ever been to an REI, or really any large camping store. I was shopping to gear up for a trip to Philmont Scout Ranch. Along with an REI membership and numerous other physical items, I got another pair of pants that were identical, apart from being grey.
Those were also good pants. The grey pair began to first falter on the end of very last day of my Philmont trip when the I dismounted the wooden stairs I was sitting on and found myself suspended by the seat of them by a rather sturdy, but exposed nail. The nail punctured the pants but luckily, not me. There was a small hole, however the pants were sturdy enough that they did not rip. I had to have my crew lift me off of the nail after they picked themselves off the ground from laughing at my gently swinging form. I slapped some duct tape on the inside to cover the hole. I had to replace the tape several times until the sticky residue made me choose to throw them away. I have purchased several synthetic grey pants to replace them since then. But this pair always felt slightly better in some way, be it the optimized pockets, color, fit, or zip-off capabilities.
This pair, being the same build, has held as my favorite pair of pants for a remarkably long time. One secure zipped cargo pocket on left has saved me for losing valuable items many times. The one on the right was velcroed on the flap and was used more often for easier access and overflow from the main top pockets. The back pockets were rarely used. They could fit a quartered standard piece of paper perfectly, which was nice on occasion. I didn't use the zip-off capability very often, but in these last few years, every time I did I could see how much the outer pants had worn and become sun bleached compared to the untouched strip hidden inside near the zipper.
This final tear and sun bleaching isn't the only damage. My heals wore the back bottom hem out many years ago and it was frayed badly. The are little holes in various places where embers have landed on my legs. The integrated belt was removed shortly after wearing them with a pack for the first time and I still use it on occasion. The left knee was frayed and juuust starting to wear through. I blew out the crotch three years ago during my through hike of the Ice Age Trail. I was going to toss them but my mom put them back together with some red thread. She did a good job too, since it held together and you can't even see it from the outside! I've grown some since my purchase 17 years ago and the pants have grown with me as the elastic waist has given entirely and the reinforced button hole has given out to allow me an extra half inch of grace. They still somehow fit well to the very end.
These pants have gotten me though a lot of experiences that have helped make me who I am today. I've literally had them my entire adult life. I've worn them for AT LEAST over 2,000 miles of travel under my own power. They've gotten me though probably half of my Boundary Waters trips. I did the entire Ice Age Trail in them as my only pair of pants the whole time. I've slept in them many, many times. I'm even relatively sure that I ran my first half marathon in them!
Today, their last day ever worn, I brought them out from the back of the dresser for a Vacation dress up day at work, since I've worn them on so many outings. I got them to help me have a good time. I wore them to remember good times, and they gave out as I was having a good time. And, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm really going to miss them. They were a good pair of pants.
