Green Pepper’s Sunset Bay Cargo Zip Leg Pants

You can’t always hike in neon-bright leggings! Just kidding, yes, you can, but sometimes it is nice to have pants with zip-off legs. We typically hike in the early morning, and it can be cold at first, but then as the day warms up, I’d like not over-heat in pants. I’ve had my eye on the Sunset Bay Cargo Zip Leg pattern for a while, so I’m thrilled to share all the details with you. These pants come with 8 extra-large pockets. Each pocket can hold an iPhone Pro Max with no problem. The legs zip off, and the bottom hem expands to fit over bulky shoes. I love everything about this pattern.

Fabric

I used Taslan 2ply fabric for these hiking pants. The material is similar to a pair of the North Face hiking pants I had in the early 2000s. My pants are burgundy, and Ryan’s are dark teal. The pattern calls for 2-1/2 yards, but I needed 3 yards. The nylon fabric has absolutely no stretch but is breathable, lightweight, and water-repellant.

If you are looking for fabric with stretch, try out the Active Twill SP-9019 from Spandex by the Yard or Stretch Woven fabrics from Discovery Fabrics. Just note that polyester fabric has a greater tendency to have static, whereas nylon is much less prone to cling. I’ve stopped using the Active Twill from Spandex by the Yard. I love the fabric, but it is too clingy in our dry desert air.

When sewing with a Supplex-like fabric, it is essential to use a Microtex needle. I also found it helpful to increase the pressure on my foot and slow down my sewing speed. My machine skipped stitches if I didn’t have the fabric firmly pressed down.

Size

Based on the size chart, Ryan and I fall within the LARGE range. My hips measure 42.5 inches, and Ryan’s measure 41 inches. Our waists measure 34-36 inches. These pants have a lot of ease built into them, so there is no need to go up a size if you are concerned. In the end, though, I used the size LARGE for myself and size MEDIUM for Ryan.