KUHL Renegade Shorts Review

The KUHL Renegade Shorts (shop now) are something of a platonic form for traditional hiking shorts. With a tough-yet-comfortable fabric and more pockets than any other pair, these are a surefire win on or off the trail.

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• Weight: 9.9 oz (M’s only)
• Price: $79
• Pockets: 2 hand, 2 back, 2 zippered cargo, 2 drop-in phone
• Material: 95% nylon, 5% spandex
• Inseam: 8″ 10″ 12″
• Waist: Snap closure, zipper fly, belt loops
• Average User Review: 4.6 stars
• Pros: Great pockets. Durable. Secure fit.
• Cons: Not the sportiest, minimal stretch,  heavier fabric. Snap button closure is polarizing. Rear pocket Velcro isn’t user-friendly.

Features

The first thing to call out with the KUHL Renegade Shorts is that they have oodles of pockets, most of which are sufficiently sized and functional for use. This includes two perfectly angled hand pockets, two vertically-accessed zippered thigh pockets, two velcro-closure rear pockets, and two side thigh phone pockets, That said, the side thigh pockets aren’t particularly useful or additive, and one of them is very insecure. What’s more, the rear velcro pocket can be difficult to open with a pack and/or scrape your hand every time you reach in. So we’ll we would say these have great pockets, they aren’t perfect.

Renegades offer a traditional zipper fly with a snap closure. We feel it is a very secure snap, but we would have preferred  a button as some users have reported the snap coming undone on its own and others have reported it being too difficult to undo. Can’t please ’em all. We’re not sure what’s better about a snap compared to a button, or why they opted for it. The waist liner is a soft “micro-chamois” and comfortable against skin. Belt loops ensure they’ll stay up no matter what.

The Duralux fabric is the same as what is used on the Renegade pants, one of our top pick pairs of hiking pants. It is durable, soft, and has light duty stretch thanks to the 5% spandex blend. That said, it’s on the heavier side as shorts fabric go, and certainly not the stretchiest. They’re also water resistant, thanks to a DWR coating –  though that’s not particularly helpful in shorts-weather.

Perhaps the only drawbacks to these shorts, aside from the price tag, is that we would describe them as traditional hiking apparel. More and more we’ve been favoring trail running oriented styles as they’re lighter and more movement friendly. But as traditional hiking shorts go, these can’t be beat. Because the the fabric is heavier and has only modest stretch, we recommend the shortest 8″ inseam length if you intend to really hike in them.

Verdict

The KUHL Renegade shorts are everything you’d want out of a classic pair of hiking shorts. They have all of the right performance traits and so many excellent pockets, but we wouldn’t have minded a lighter weight and stretchier fabric.

Compare this model to all of the best hiking shorts of the year.