Lightweight cargo pants for travel

The trousers you wear on a trip do more work than anything else in the bag. They’re on for the flight, the walk from the station, the day out and often dinner. A light cargo made for travel handles all of that better than jeans or chinos: it weighs less, dries faster, and keeps the important things zipped away.

Why cargos for travel

• Pockets you can trust. Zipped thigh pockets keep a passport, a phone or a wallet in front of you, where they’re harder to lose and harder to lift.
• Light and packable. A thin synthetic cargo weighs a fraction of a pair of jeans and rolls down to the size of a T-shirt.
• Quick drying. Wash them in a sink at night and most synthetic cargos are dry by the morning.
• Comfortable for long sits. With a little stretch and a soft waistband, they’re easier on a long flight than structured trousers.

Nylon or polyester

Most travel cargos are nylon or polyester, usually with some elastane for stretch.

Nylon is strong and resists abrasion, with a smooth, soft feel. It takes up a little more water than polyester, so it can dry a touch more slowly.

Polyester absorbs very little water, dries fast, holds its colour well in sunlight and keeps its shape.

Both work. The weave and the weight matter more than the fibre. A tightly woven, light fabric resists wind and snags, and a hint of stretch is the difference between trousers you put up with and trousers you forget you’re wearing. Cotton and cotton-blend cargos look more natural and feel softer, but they’re heavier and slow to dry, so they suit city breaks better than hiking or humid places.

Features worth having

Zipped pockets. At least one zipped pocket for documents. Flap pockets with snaps or hook-and-loop are fine for things you reach for often, though hook-and-loop wears out and catches on knitwear.

A water-repellent finish. Often labelled DWR. It beads off light rain and coffee. It wears off over time; many finishes come back after a warm tumble dry, so follow the label.

Sun protection. Some travel trousers carry a UPF rating, which measures how much ultraviolet light the fabric blocks. Useful in strong sun.

A waistband you can sit in. An elasticated back, a drawcord or a built-in stretch belt. A built-in belt also saves taking a belt off at airport security.

Adjustable hems. A drawcord or snap at the ankle narrows the leg for walking or cycling, or holds it when rolled up for wading.

Convertible or not

Convertible trousers zip apart above the knee, leaving you with shorts. They’re genuinely useful on treks where the temperature swings through the day, and they save packing a pair of shorts.

The downsides: the zips can rub at the knee, the shorts are often an awkward length, and the look is very outdoorsy. For city travel, one light pair you can roll up to below the knee is usually the better choice.

Fit

A travel cargo should be relaxed enough to sit, climb and walk in all day, but not so loose that it flaps. A gusset, an extra diamond of fabric at the crotch, and articulated knees make a real difference on long days. A tapered leg or an adjustable hem keeps the trousers out of bike chains and puddles.

Try them on and sit cross-legged, climb a step two at a time, and check the waistband doesn’t dig in when you’re seated. That’s what the trip will ask of them.

Looking presentable at dinner

Travel trousers have a habit of looking like hiking gear the moment you sit down in a restaurant. Three things help. Choose a matte fabric rather than a shiny technical one. Choose a slimmer cut with flat or zipped pockets rather than big bellows pockets. And keep the colour dark. With a plain knit or a shirt and leather trainers, a pair like that passes almost anywhere short of a suit.

Packing

• Roll, don’t fold. Synthetic travel fabrics rarely crease, and rolling saves space and avoids hard fold lines.
• Wear the heavier pair. If you’re taking two, travel in the heavier one.
• One pair can be enough. A quick-drying cargo can be washed in a sink with a little soap, rolled in a towel to press out the water, and hung up overnight.
• Pick neutral colours. Olive, grey, navy, black or stone hide dirt and go with everything else in the bag.

For hot, humid places where you’d rather wear natural fibres, see lightweight chinos for hot weather and travel.