This video montage shows me wearing three styles from the KÜHL men’s travel shorts collection, including pairs of STRYVER, KRUISER, and AMBUSH.
I spent a month living my active lifestyle in three pairs of KÜHL men’s travel shorts. From the seashore to the desert and places in between, this is how well they held up under pressure.
KÜHL, an independently owned performance clothing company based in Salt Lake City, Utah, recently sent me three pairs of their men’s travel shorts for review. The styles and fit were selected by me; I decided the AMBUSH, KRUISER, and STRYVER gave me a good overall sample of the collection.
After receiving them in mid-September, I spent a month evaluating them, taking the shorts everywhere from the humid, oft-sweltering seashore of South Carolina’s Lowcountry to some of America’s most rugged desert hiking trails. Here’s a description of my assessment process followed by my thoughts on their performance:
How I Tested the Shorts
My current home base is subtropical Charleston, SC, so I basically live in shorts throughout the year. I wore the KRUISER (summer shorts made with a blend of nylon and spandex) and STRYVER (athletic/leisure shorts composed of polyester and spandex) almost every day around town and at the beach; I took the AMBUSH (ruggedized hiking cargo shorts made of cotton, nylon, and spandex) out multiple times to local trails.
I also pushed the performance limits of each pair, particularly during a hiking trip in early October to Arizona. I wore the KRUISER while exploring Boynton Canyon, including the scramble up to the well-known Subway Cave. I switched to the STRYVER the following day and went off-trail, navigating through heavy brush to explore Native American cliff dwellings.
I saved the most daunting test for the AMBUSH, which are designed to deliver in harsh terrain. The pair went with me on two difficult hikes at Grand Canyon National Park: minimally maintained Grandview Trail and the rim-to-rim route that begins with the North Kaibab Trail and finishes with the Bright Angel Trail. During both, I swapped from pants to the AMBUSH after the brisk morning air started to give way to the heat of the day.
How They Performed
After a month of thorough evaluation, all three of the shorts have been excellent. Right out of the package, the AMBUSH, KRUISER, and STRYVER fit as advertised on the company’s website. I liked that I was able to select the inseam that I wanted for each pair, an option that’s important both functionally and stylistically.
I was also impressed with the material of the shorts. For example, the KRUISER dried quickly after I changed into them following surf sessions. Their stretchiness made them easy to slip on during what is often an awkward process of swapping out of board shorts under a towel in my truck bed. Even after pulling them on at the beach or flexing the waist while scrambling in Arizona, they’ve always returned to their original fit, so I haven’t had to tie the drawstring. The pockets, including the one in the back, have made them easy to wear when running errands.
Meanwhile, the STRYVER went above and beyond my expectations during my off-trail hike in Boynton Canyon. Like the KRUISER, they are comfortable, return to their initial fit after stretching, and have the utility of two side and one back pocket. I was already sold on them as a solid everyday pair of shorts, but I decided to push beyond their marketed use to test the fabric. After going up a steep thicket that went for a quarter mile and then back down, the shorts didn’t show any sign of wear or tear. Very impressive.
Finally, the AMBUSH underwent my harshest battery of tests at the Grand Canyon. I have permanently discolored pants in similar extreme environments due to sweat stains and long exposure to sunlight, so that was my top consideration when evaluating them on Grandview Trail and the rim-to-rim hike, a point-to-point route that spans around 24 miles (~39 kms) and has an elevation gain/loss of approximately 10,000 feet (~3,048 m).
I completed the latter trek in one grueling day, and the fabric held up to the heat (topping out at nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit/~38 Celsius near Phantom Ranch) and my resultant perspiration. The AMBUSH’s nine pockets and its belt loops have also made storage of items like gloves and a multitool holster both easy and convenient while hiking.
My Verdict
If you’re in the market for quality shorts that are durable, functional, and stylish, I strongly suggest that you invest in KÜHL men’s travel shorts. Their outstanding performance in challenging environments has given me confidence that they will be an integral part of my clothing rotation for years to come.