7mesh Farside Shorts Review

7mesh knows their way around a bike, and in recent times, they’ve been expanding outwards from there. Not too long ago, I tested their foray into the world of alpine-wear with the Guardian Apex Jacket. Now, the line expands further with the Explore Collection, which is aimed at broader mountain use. I’ve been wearing the Farside Shorts from the collection for the past 3 months, and there’s just not much they can’t do. I’ll tell you about them.

7mesh Farside Shorts Features:

• Two hand pockets as well as one zippered side pocket
• Belt loops
• Low profile locking waist adjusters
• Zippered fly and snap closure
• Reinforced crotch seams
• Clean finish laminated hem
• Bluesign® approved Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certified fabric
• PFC and PFAS free
• Global Recycled Standard certified
• MSRP: $120

Wherever You May Roam

Reflecting on the past few months wearing the Farside shorts, the primary word that comes to mind is versatility. They might seem like mountain biking shorts because 7mesh made them, but they really shouldn’t be pigeon-holed like that. I wore them a number of times for mountain biking, sure. They’re good for it. Don’t get me wrong. 7mesh knows their way around bike gear. That said, I wore them much more frequently for hiking, ski-touring, mountaineering, and rock climbing. And you know what? They’re maybe even better for those things.

In April, weather up here in Bellingham was unseasonably pleasant. So, taking advantage of the opportunity, a buddy and I headed out towards Mount Ruth in the North Cascades. I had a splitboard on my back, donning trail runners and the Farside Shorts, heading toward the glacier. They hiked well, breathing as my body temp climbed, and flexing with my longer strides comfortably. Their fabric had a little swish-swish to it as my legs moved along, but it wasn’t anything excessive. When it came time to descend, the weather was so favorable that I just went down in the shorts. After all, why not?

Last weekend I got another good outing in with them, heading up the North Ridge of Mount Baker. I hiked in wearing the Farside shorts, then when I got onto the low glaciers, threw a shell on right over them. You know you have a comfortable fit when you opt to wear them under other layers. The key comfort piece for me was the waistband. As a size 31” guy wearing size Mediums, I have to use the waist adjusters to get the right fit… but they’re great. They’re low profile, stay put perfectly, and don’t cause any pressure points when you, say, wear hard shells and a harness over them all day long. I had a few gear gripes that trip, but the Farside shorts were not among them. They were a great decision.

A couple days after getting down from Baker, I headed out with a friend to climb a local trad line. It’s 3 wonderful pitches of steep to overhanging crack, and while I’d like to be all chill about it, it takes something from me. I need my flexibility, my focus. I wore the Farside shorts, and I didn’t think about them once. They didn’t hinder my flexibility, and they stayed comfortable. That’s what I want.

So, what am I saying with these little disjointed stories? These shorts are good for anything! They’re light, but durable. They breathe well and they stretch well. They’re comfortable at the waist – something that I was admittedly skeptical about when I saw the adjustment design… happy to be wrong. And they look good, so that’s nice. I think 7mesh put out a wonderfully capable all-rounder pair of shorts with this one, and there’s only one thing I would change.

It’s minor to some, but it’s important to me. Pockets. The two hand pockets are good, and I’m also happy to have the zippered side pocket. I just miss the butt pockets. Where is my wallet supposed to go? Where should I put my trail food trash, if not the back right butt pocket? Mountain bike clothing design has a lot of upsides, especially when it comes to technical details and design for movement, but the lack of butt pockets always gets me. As 7mesh expands further into the world of general, non-MTB mountain sports, I hope to see more butt pockets. Still though, I’ll take the L on my pocket program if it means I get to keep wearing these shorts.

Fit: I’m a lean 170 lbs and have a 31” waist. I opted for the size Medium, which fit well with some waist cinch adjustment. No regrets.

Buy Now: Available at 7mesh