Rockbound Short

By Alan H. Ranked #513 - Men's Hiking and Climbing Shorts June 21, 2009

I wrote a review on the pants so this will be somewhat similar, although I do have one different thing to say. About the length, they are pretty good but they begin to tighten towards the end. By that I mean, its almost like they were meant to fit around your legs. They just feel much different than last years model...

And as an avid hiker, I can say I don't like these as much as the sacred cliff shorts (last years model). These are definitely more designed for climbers now.

The description on here for pockets says, "2 Front, 2 back." That is inaccurate. The pants have three front pockets and ZERO back pockets. Two pockets are where all normal pockets are but then there is this pocket on the right thigh location (picture shows the zipper). Now, this was the difference that bothered me. I am a wallet person, so with this pocket set-up, I really can't walk around comfortably with one. Honestly, that is my only gripe, but it's an important one for me.

A change I do like very much was the change in the draw cord. Last years model was this skinny string that was almost useless. Now, it's a thicker cord that allows you to tighten the waist part and tie it off.
Overall, they are well thought out climbing pants. The material is just what I like because they dry out quickly. I even use this as a swimsuit a lot and it works great.

View Details: The North Face Rockbound Basin Short - Men's

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