My new go-to, do it all adventure shorts, the Kuhl Vantage, provide fast drying comfort, an exceptionally light build, and a stellar look to go along with it.
The Kuhl Vantage shorts have an elastic waistband, external draw cord, two front pockets, one zippered back pocket, a dedicated phone pocket, and are constructed from a blend of polyester and spandex for natural SPF 50+ protection.
These are built to be do it all adventure shorts, and do it all they do. The Kuhl Vantage provide fast drying utility, usually drying off in under an hour after a quick splash into the water when the sun was out or when it was windy. They have an exceptionally light build that makes them great for high exertion activities like hiking or jogging, and the modern yet earthy look goes along with their premise rather well.
I’ve been using these shorts whenever I knew that I was going to be in or near water, particularly when hiking and paddle boarding. I really love the fit and feel of the shorts (I sized up as I generally run a little small in Kuhl sizing and prefer a loose fit anyway). They’re soft, silky, and stay in place nicely wet or dry. When paired with the proper undies, they provide a nice low friction hiking system suitable for long hikes and even jogging. It helps that they hand wash easily and clean up with little effort, making them great for hot weather backpacking trips. They roll up quite small and weigh very little, making them easy to pack for longer trips.
I did notice the seams on the inside are a little larger and rougher than I would have preferred, where the multi-colored bands are joined together. They are definitely noticeable on bare skin at first, but as long as I had another layer on beneath it wasn’t bothersome. As a stand alone swim trunk it wasn’t my favorite, but I always paired them with skin tight synthetics beneath and had no issues.
They’ve held up great, have been color fast even with machine washing and drying, and have quickly earned themselves a space in my wet summer weather pack.
They retail for $70, come in various sizes with selectable inseam length (nice), and are available in men and women’s varieties of multiple colors.
If you’re looking for something that is lightweight, cool, dries quickly and has a unique look to it, these could be a great option. They’re a bit pricy but well within the expectation for outdoor equipment.
Highly Recommended
For more information on the Kuhl Vantage Shorts, check out their link here. This isn’t an affiliate link.
For information on our rating system and our testing procedures, check out our About us/ Contact us page.
I want to extend a huge thanks to Kuhl for providing this product for review. We couldn’t do it without their help.
Our full disclosure can be found here. Thanks as always for reading! Don’t forget to follow our blog for future updates and reviews (link on the right also).
If you have any questions, comment below, send us an email, or find us on Twitter or Facebook (links on the right)
TreeLineBackpacker 