Light Ain’t Always Right: The Case for Cactus Outdoor and Their Buy-It-For-Life Supertrousers

We wanted someone with high standards for their outdoor gear to come and check out the toughest trousers we’d come across, and Zander Williment’s name kept coming up. We let him loose.

I’m going to divide the We Are Explorers community here, but I’m not an ultralight guy. Not a fan, never have been. And while I can appreciate there’s a time and place for super minimalist gear, in most instances it’s not for me – kinda like fruity beer. 

Maybe I’m old fashioned – maybe I’m a hipster – either way I’m just not psyched on the overly crunchy, plasticy state of the outdoor industry at the moment. We’re buying tents with no floors, wearing rain shells with no rain, and cold-soaking meals instead of sitting around the fire. 

Some like it heavy!

We’ve all got Gaia and Garmins, but it appears we’ve lost our way. 

So when the opportunity came up to try out some gear from Cactus Outdoor I was pumped, because I reckon Cactus ‘get it’. 

Cactus Outdoor’s gear is deliberately made for a different kind of outdoorist

Who are Cactus Outdoor?

For the uninitiated, Cactus Outdoor is a New Zealand brand that makes really bombproof gear – buy once, cry once sorta stuff. It’s kind of like if Patagonia and Carhartt had a baby, and that baby was born 30 years ago, with a Kiwi accent. That’s Cactus. 

Think functional designs, time-tested materials (like canvas, drill cotton, down, and PrimaLoft) with a focus on durability and repairability. Their pieces strike a nice balance between technology and timelessness, and it’s the kind of gear I can get around. 

The Norbu Hooded Jacket pairs waterproof fabric with synthetic fill for all-weather warmth

Cactus Outdoor started with a single DIY chalk bag, now three decades later it’s a full scale outdoor company with a cult following around the world. In my observations, I’ve seen that Cactus owners are a semi-secret club amongst outdoorists, tradies, and film crew who seem to swear by their gear. It’s one of those IYKYK brands that you’ll begin to notice now I’ve pointed it out. 

Read more: DIY Chalk Bag for Rock Climbing: Step by Step Guide

A bit of core-lore for you, the brand’s name actually comes from the founder’s mother. She was propagating cacti at the time and suggested Cactus as a name because they’re tough and thrive in harsh environments. Not wrong. 

The Cactus Outdoor catalogue is full of gear that’s tough and built to withstand whatever you throw at it. I’m a big fan of the Norbu Hooded Jacket, and their CanvX™ range of jackets and bags, but if there’s one item that truly embodies the brands philosophy it’s got to be the aptly named Supertrousers. 

These things just exude toughness

Buy It Once, Buy It Right

Before we get to them though, I want to dive into my own gear philosophy, something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently.

My YouTube bio describes me as a bonafide weekend warrior, and master of none. That’s my self-deprecating way of saying I’m an outdoorsman. Mountaineering in South Island NZ? Tick. 400km self-guided canoe trip in the Yukon Territory? Tick. Backcountry snow camping, sandbagging myself on climbs in the Blue Mountains, hunting for deer, hunting for waves, deleting beers around the campfire? I do it all.  

Read more: Why Being a Jack of All Adventures is Better Than Being a Master of One

This is pretty much the vibe

I’ve made a habit of jumping in the deep end and learning as I go. I rarely score full marks for execution but I do, more often than not, get the job done.  

My mates might bag me about my lack of fishing skills or fear of heights (shout out the Briars boys) but when it comes to gear, I know my shit. That’s because I obsess over what works and what doesn’t. 

After each trip I always end up with a list in my notes app. Gear that worked, gear that didn’t, and gear I need to buy or add to the list for next time. Rather than counting grams, I’m purely focused on what could be done better. Sometimes that is shedding grams, but sometimes that’s bringing gear (or clothing) that’s more up for the task. Sometimes that’s gear that’ll make my experience more enjoyable, safe, or fun.

Climbing gear’s a great role model: not always light, but always dependable

Now, it’s taken me a while to figure this out, but when you do lots of stuff, you don’t actually want lots of options. What you’re really looking to do is build a tried and tested system that’s reliable and versatile for the range of activities that you do. This applies to both clothes and gear. That way you can pack faster, do more with less, and ideally invest in trips, plane tickets, and fuel rather than the latest piece of gorpcore.

When I was doing a mountaineering course in NZ I was lucky enough to bump into legendary Kiwi mountaineer, Woody, who was guiding another party. We were all huddled in this hut in the latest and greatest gear and in strolls this absolute dude; battered gear, heavy pack, Julbo shades. He proceeds to pull out a goon bag and get changed into cotton! I’ve never been more jealous. Later that night, while telling one of his war stories, he let it slip that he brings a thermos up Everest. What a G. 

Doing our best to be like Woody

For the record I’m not a guide, far from it, but after this trip I really started thinking about gear with a guide mentality. It’s really helped refine my decisions and narrow down when to invest in something new and when to run something old into the ground. 

My problem with ultralight culture is that it can encourage endless specialist purchases; the guide mentality is about owning fewer things you know and trust. Stuff that does what you ask of it season, after season. What you compromise on weight you gain in longevity, and personally I love gear that develops a patina; billy cans, Nalgene bottles, flasks, patched up jackets, and in this case, trousers. Since when was looking like a newb who just left the store cooler than looking like a seasoned dirtbag?  

Anyway, guide mentality in mind, I’ve tried to distill what makes a new purchase worthwhile and I think I’ve low-key nailed it. It goes like this: 

 ‘Will this piece of gear serve me on many trips, for many years?’

If the answer is ‘yes’ then that’s something worth having. Which drops us back nicely at the Cactus Supertrousers. 

How’s that for a segue?

Enter: The Supertrousers

I’m going to assume by the very fact that you’re on this site that you probably already own a pair of polyester hiking pants. The Supertrousers won’t replace them, but for any outdoorsy person, Supertrousers will be the perfect addition. Pack a poly pant and a pair of Supertrousers and you’re ready for anything. 

Out of the box they’re stiff, so I set to work on breaking them in. So far I’ve worn them on a canoe camp trip, abseiling, for a night on the boat, to work, and to the pub. 

The point isn’t that Supertrousers are specialist trousers for any one of those things. It’s that I didn’t need a different pair for each. 

There’s no need to baby the Supertrousers, they’re built different

So what makes the Supertrousers so super? And what justifies the price tag? Let’s talk tech for a second:

They’re made from Cactus Outdoor’s premium CanvX material, with articulated knees, and YKK zips and bar-tacks reinforcing the places most likely to let go. As I mentioned, they come stiff, take some breaking in, and aren’t light. But that substantial construction is kinda the point. These aren’t pants designed for the shop floor, they’re designed to become better over time. I can see myself punishing my pair for years to come. 

It’s worth noting that while I try to avoid fads, I am into my clothes. Call it vain, but I like to look good while I’m getting my outdoors on. And these things look cool with a nice and timeless straight fit. I found the Antelope brown colourway paired nicely with pretty much anything.

This, this is the colour pallette

My final verdict. The Supertrousers are, in fact, super. Would I wear them for every activity? No. That would be a lie. But for anyone who really uses their gear; tradies, climbers, non-cosplay outdoors people, or anyone who wants a reliable and versatile pair of pants for an extended trip… these are those. 

Because light ain’t always right. Sometimes the lighter way to move through the world is to own less, use the shit out of what you own, and stay focused on the fun. 

*Cracks 375g beer.*