Review: Patagonia Iron Forge Hemp Pants

The first thing to catch my eye when reading about Patagonia’s Iron Forge Hemp Canvas Double Knee pants was the word hemp. I’ve seen hemp clothing before but can’t recall a large company like Patagonia using it in production. My curiosity was piqued.

Out of the box, I noticed that the pants seemed slightly heavier than traditional work pants, but they were also much more pliable and didn’t require any break-in time. The fabric was soft to the touch, but extremely durable when hiking through thick brush, resisting tears and blocking abrasions to my legs. 

They fit well, although a little long, and the design gives plenty of room for movement. For what I do, the double-knee protection is overkill, but I can see the usefulness for someone in the landscaping or carpentry field; there is even an opening at the base of the knee where a knee-pad can be inserted.

Overall I see these being a pair of pants that I can wear in the mountains or on the town and I’ll be looking into other hemp clothing from Patagonia.

patagonia.com; $89.