Kuhl Renegade pants

Heat, humidity, sun. 

When it comes to summer clothing, these staples of summer weather don’t always work in concert with style, function and fun. 

Sometimes, however, they do.

From a seemingly magical marriage of tech fabric, smart design, and smooth style, we’ve got some clothes that pull off the trick of letting you enjoy an adventurous summer while keeping your cool, no matter the activity. 

Like it, Reserve it

You read about one (or all!) of the following pieces of cool gear and decide, “Man, I need that! I wonder if my local store has it in stock?” Now, when you click on the product link, it will take you to a more detailed description of the product and give you the opportunity to see if it’s available in your size and favorite color in your local store. Find the right size and color? Great! You can put the item on reserve for up to 24 hours! No more keeping your fingers crossed on the drive in that those awesome pants will still be there when you arrive. Pretty cool!

Now, on to our summer cavalcade of cool clothes, this week for men (we’ll get to the cool women’s clothes shortly).

Kuhl Renegade Pant

“My favorite pants on Earth are the Kuhl Renegades,” says Chad Pickens, manager of our Chapel Hill shop. “They’re a light nylon, they have DWR (Durable Water Repellant) coating, the seams will last for years, and you can spill coffee and a donut on ‘em and they clean right up.” It’s hard to say what Chad likes most about his Renegades, though the easy coffee and donut cleanup seems near the top of his enthusiasm meter. Their durability is up there, too, especially for a lightweight pant.

“I hike all summer in these,” says Chad. Summer hiking in pants used to be nearly unheard of in this part of the South, due to the heat and humidity. But when pants breathe this well, and you throw in that extra layer of tick protection — not to mention protection from grabby thorns and briars on overgrown summer trails — it’s hard to argue against summer hiking in pants when they’re this versatile.

“They’re also lean and they look great,” adds Chad. “You can go right from the trail into a restaurant.” 

$85. Learn more about the Kuhl Renegade Pant and reserve yours here.

Kuhl Renegade shorts

Kuhl Renegade Short

OK, not everyone is into long pants on a 90/90 (heat/humidity) day, even long pants that breathe. So what does a devote Renegade wearer wear when it really is too hot for pants? 

“Renegade shorts,” says Chad. “See? I’m wearing them now!” Indeed, on a busy Tuesday as he was generating a fair amount of heat during the noontime rush, his Renegades were the shorter version. And what was Chad giving up with the shorts? Certainly not pockets — his Renegade shorts had eight of ‘em. They also come with UPF 50 sun protection.

$70. Learn more about the Kuhl Renegade Short and reserve yours here.

Kuhl Kontra Air Pant

If you don’t need the durability of the Renegades, if quick drying isn’t important, and if you absolutely must have cotton, then Chad says a good alternative is the Kontra Air Pant. In addition to the lighter, more breathable cotton, these pants also feature the Kuhlair vent system — 11 strategically and discretely placed mesh vents that permit airflow over your legs and torso. No lack of pockets on these pants, either.

$85. Learn more about the Kuhl Kontra Air and reserve yours here.

Stio Eddy shirt

Stio Eddy Shirt

Maybe you’ve been on the trail and passed a particularly competent looking hiker wearing a cool button shirt. Maybe you’ve thought, “Hmm. Dude looks particularly competent, yet he’s wearing the kind of shirt I’d wear on a date. What’s that about?” It’s about Stio’s awesome mix of style and function in the Eddy Shirt. Sure, it looks great, especially with its snappy pearl buttons and a modified shirttail that works tucked or untucked. But it’s also a great trail shirt, its nylon/poly blend offering water resistance and quick-drying capabilities, not to mention its UPF 50+ sun protection rating. Feel free to work up a sweat that will dry long before you belly up to the brew pub for an apres’ hike cold one. 

$129. Learn more about the Stio Eddy Shirt here.

Free Fly tee

Free Fly Apparel Men’s Bamboo Midnight Motion Tee

Or maybe for your adventures you’re good with a straightforward t-shirt — nothing fancy, just something that moves with you and keeps you dry by wicking away summer’s sweat. A great option: Free Fly Apparel’s Bamboo Midnight Motion Tee. It’s a midnight bamboo blend that stretches in all directions. Plus, its flat seams minimize irritation due to rubbing (an issue with lesser technical t-shirts), and its athletic cut makes you look good exploring while you’re feeling good exploring.

Learn more about the Free Fly Apparel Men’s Bamboo Midnight Motion Tee and reserve yours here.

hari mari fields flip flops

You love the idea of flip-flops: they’re the next best thing to going barefoot, and when it comes to summer, there’s no better way to expresses yourself than with naked feet. But frankly, there are a lot of dressed-down versions of flip-flops out there that can make a barefoot-loving soul look schlubby. Enter the hari mari line of flip flops, which take flip-flop fashion up a notch. The nubuck leather foot beds and straps are smart looking and easy on your feet; they have a firm arch so you can wear them all day; and the MemoryFoamToe™ means they snuggle up to your foot from the get-go. They also come in kids’ sizes, which is appropriate because a portion of hari mari sales go to support the battle against pediatric cancer.

$60. Learn more about the hari mari here. 

Women’s summer clothing?

Looking for summer clothing that’s well-suited to the adventurous female traveler? Check out our recommendations here.