First of all let me assure those nay-sayers, I don't give a 5 star rating lightly. I'm a field biologist and have tried scores of outerwear pants over the years. True these pants aren't cheap, but nothing of quality is cheap. My review doesn't factor in cost....I need quality & comfort in the field, and am more than willing to spend $45-60 per pant to get it.
These pants not only look great no matter what you might be doing on a given day, but they are indeed very rugged pants and definitely withstand ripping & puncturing. I've taken these through very thick blackberries, prickly ash, and inadvertently swiped barbed wire with some force without feeling a thing or scuffing/tearing the pants. I've only had them for a couple months, so my 5-star rating is provisional pending another 12 months testing in the field, but so far they've withstood the worst I can throw at them and still holding up and protecting me.
These pants also seem to be fairly good at shielding from cold winds with the tight ripstop weave.
Thus far shrinkage from washing has been minimal, thus doesn't look like that will be an issue. These pants, as well as the dark chocolate I've purchased, also seem to be relatively color fast, although I expect after many more washings, wear & tear over time, and depending on your water hardness, might well show fading in the future, especially along hard & worn edges.
The pants have very easy access pockets (thanks Carhart)....none of that velcro crap for this field guru. Snaps on side pockets are easy to open and close. Cell phone pocket is perfectly sized for iPod and most cell phones and I've had no problems with phone popping out of the pocket no matter what I'm doing.
Cargo pockets are generously sized, but not overly so and work great for notebooks, small field guides, gloves, and a variety of misc gear and tools. Accessory pockets on the outside of the cargo pockets are quite useful, although Carhart could have added a flashlight accessory pocket that was a little wider & 1-2 inches deeper for large "billy-club" like flashlights such as large 2-3 cell MagLights.
The pants are extremely comfortable, even when wearing long-underwear, but they are not so relaxed/baggy that they look bad or get in the way and catch whatever you're working around. Belt loops are many & are sturdy. Cordura lined pockets and pocket edges are very nice addition to improve long-term sturdiness.
The inside of the main side/hand pockets seem to be solidly constructed, but are not as rugged as the rest of the pant, thus are not the types of pockets you want to put abrasive/sharp items or tools in. There is some room for improvement here if they can be made to not interfere with comfort.
After testing 1 pair, I purchased another 5 (have 3 each of moss and coffee color all told). Of these, one pair has a zipper that functions, but not smoothly....all other pairs work flawlessly. Only improvement here would have been to go with button-fly (such as Levi's 501's) instead of zipper in the event the zippers give out before the rest of the pants do.
I honestly feel there are few pants on the market that can equal these unless you want to go with very heavy & thick cotton canvas or the heaviest denim, although those materials don't always wear well either. And, other Carhart models don't appear to wear as well or protect you as well as these do. The cotton ripstops will now be my go to everyday pant regardless of occasion/situation. After many years searching for the most functional work/field pant, that also look acceptable when in the office or meetings, these are it. Very few improvements can be made here.
January 2013 update - these pants still performing well. Shrinkage has been very minimal. Also some minimal fading from washing and wear, but overall holding up better than expected. Due to their durability and good looks, I really have no reason to wear any other pant except during extremely formal occasions.
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