AllOutdoor Review – Outdoor Research Obsidian Pants
Patrik Orcutt 04.19.23
Outdoor Research is a Seattle-based manufacturer of technical apparel and gear for outdoor sports, They were formed back in 1980s after a climber was attempting a summit of Mt. Denali when he and his team had a failure of a set of gaiters that sent them packing back down the mountain. That climber was Ron Gregg and after just over a year, Ron would have started his own outdoor brand, Outdoor Research (OR). Back in 1980, their flagship product was an improved pair of gaiters, fixing the problems Ron had with older pairs. Today OR’s product line includes everything you would need for alpinism, rock and ice climbing, backpacking, paddling, and backcountry skiing and snowboarding. This particular review will focus on the Outdoor Research Obsidian Pants as part of their tactical line.
I have been wearing the OR Obsidian Pants for the last seven months on various range sessions and longer ruck marches and hikes.
The OR Obsidian Pants were independently purchased and reviewed by myself and OR has not been allowed to preview this review. I would like to preface this review that there is virtually no information online about these pants at this point in time. OR discontinued them several months ago as their Tactical line has been a mess in regard to consistency for the last few years.
The Obsidian pants are Outdoor Research’s answer to athletic/outdoorsy tactical pant. They offer great durability with a lot of stretch.
Specs – Outdoor Research Obsidian Pants
- Weight: 15oz
- Fabric: Tweave Durastretch® SuperFabric
- Manufactured in: Bangladesh / United States
- MSRP: $300
Comfort and Mobility – Outdoor Research Obsidian Pants
The primary material that the obsidian pants are constructed of is Tweave Durastretch® SuperFabric. The Durastretch® brand encompasses a range of stretch wovens manufactured to stringent technical specifications. Ranging in spandex content from 10-50%, these styles are blended primarily with nylon. Fabrics in this range offer excellent shape retention and great durability with low weight/bulk. This is The same material that can be found in many of the military/law-enforcement products offered by Arc’teryx so you know it’s some top-notch stuff.
The Obsidians offer a great amount of comfort in that they are designed to be relatively stretchy but also durable. I had no problems running up and down ranges or going for hikes in these pants as they offered a great range of motion for my lower body. These pants definitely have an athletic cut to them as they are not nearly as bulky as something you might find on a CRYE combat pant. I have relatively large legs and they still fit very comfortably into these tailored pants.
Breathability and Venting – Outdoor Research Obsidian Pants
The Obsidian really works well in all environments and weather conditions. I have worn these on hot days at the range and also taken them for hikes in the winter. When it’s warmer out you will notice that these pants are very breathable but in the winter they can still retain a lot of warmth. This is in no small part to do with the adjustable weight cuffs on the bottom of the pants. All you have to do is loosen the cuffs if you’re getting warm and vent out hot air. And then if you’re getting cold cinch them down. I was shocked at how warm these would keep my legs while hiking in the winter. The Tweave Durastretch® fabric is very thin so if you want to use these on extremely cold days I would definitely recommend putting on an additional layer for your legs.
Weight – Outdoor Research Obsidian Pants
Coming in it just under 1 pound these pants are pretty lightweight in comparison to their competition. They are also very packable as you can roll them up into a very small package if you’re not wearing them.
Features – Outdoor Research Obsidian Pants
The obsidians have your standard front hand pockets but with a mesh lining. This promotes breathability in warmer conditions or while conducting sweaty activities. There are two zippered thigh pockets for smaller items. Personally, I found these pockets to be too small for most things I wanted to store in them I didn’t use them that often. They’re great for something like a small map or notes but beyond that, I wouldn’t use them. I feel the same way about the single-back zippered pocket as it’s also very small and doesn’t have a lot of room for expansion. A decent spot for your phone though.
All of the belt loops on the pants have a smaller loop at the top for attaching stuff? I never found a use for these and they also cut into the overall size of the belt loops meaning that you can’t use larger belts with these pants. I had a hard time fitting my Arc’teryx Riggers belt on these pants as that is a relatively wide belt. One thing I do like about the belt loops is that some of them have attachment points for suspenders so if you’re wearing these in the winter, this will help keep the snow from getting down your pants.
Another somewhat confusing feature on these pants is the close your system. The top has a velcro strap but the crotch area has buttons. I’m not sure why OR did this as I think it’s best to go with one or the other but personally, I just prefer buttons on my pants. One of the reasons why many of the higher and tactical pants just have buttons is because buttons are easy to replace in the field and also a lot stealthier than Velcro. Buttons also don’t wear out as fast as Velcro does. I think if Outdoor Research makes another version of these pants in the future they should just go with buttons on this part. Internally the waistband of the pants has a very nice felt lining on it and this helps keep the pants snug against your body and is very comfortable. As mentioned previously there are closures on the bottoms of the pants and these function great for ventilation when it’s hot or cold out.
Durability – Outdoor Research Obsidian Pants
Definitely one of the best parts about having the Tweave Durastretch® fabric is its inherent durability. While I have been giving OR a hard time for some of their design choices on these pants I think choosing that fabric really prolongs their durability. I wouldn’t say I’ve really abused these pants but they show zero signs of wear after seven months of use. The back of the pants where you would be sitting down has a very unique material that is sewn into the Tweave fabric. I wish I could say exactly what this material is but I couldn’t find any information on it but it certainly improves the durability of a highly abrasive area like this for when sitting down.
Competitive Options – Outdoor Research Obsidian Pants
Likes
- Great Breathability
- Tweave Durastretch®
- Very Comfortable
Dislikes
- Overpriced
- Not suited for broad Military use
- Strange pocket desgins
Wrap Up – Outdoor Research Obsidian Pants
In the end of the day, I think Outdoor Research did a fantastic job designing a pair of durable hiking pants that just so happen to be multi-cam. I couldn’t see myself wearing these on a work basis given the lack of pocket space and I think that might be one of the reasons why they’ve been discontinued. These pants are also incredibly expensive as I believe when they were still in the market they were selling for around $300 and for that price there are a lot of other really good options out there. These pants are certainly very durable and that’s their greatest asset and they work great for just running around on the range but for daily use in a military environment, I don’t recommend these. Bottom line, great outdoor/hiking pants, not great military pants.
