Zorali Women’s Venture Pants – Reviewed and Tested

When you find yourself on a 22km, overgrown, pathless trek requiring a little bit of bouldering and a whole lot of bush-bashing, what’s the one thing you need? Well, as Tayla found out, it’s Zorali Women’s Venture Pants.

The beautiful 22km return, Ruined Castle and Mt Solitary hike in the Blue Mountains requires hikers to trust their navigational skills and soldier through dense overgrowth, scale rock formations, and scramble their way to the mountain top. 

I’m not going to lie, as I began to kick my way through the undergrowth, I was a little sceptical of how the Zorali Women’s Venture Pants would hold up considering their lightweight feel. I was convinced my brand-new pants would be ripped to shreds (along with my legs) by the end of the trek.

 We Are Explorers has previously reviewed Zorali’s Unisex Recycled Venture Pants, but the Australian-based brand recently came out with the women’s specific Venture Pants, and it was time to take them for a spin!

So how did they handle it? After nine hours of muddy trekking, tree hoping, rock scrambling and bush whacking, I found out…

Thinking about how much more climbing I have ahead of me

Why am I the right person to do this review?

Besides basing half of my personality on tackling dangerous day hikes, I’ve been chasing great treks all over the world for about eight years now, and have become quite adept at mastering the art of bargain hunting for amazing adventure gear. 

Unfortunately, many of us aren’t blessed with large expendable incomes so finding great gear at affordable prices is a lifesaving skill when you’re obsessed with the outdoors. 

Quick Specifications 

Weight: 390g
Waterproof: No, but PFC-free water-repellant
Colourway: Nightfall, Black, Ironbark, Puce, Desert Sand
RRP: $150

Zorali’s Claims

‘Multi-functional, super-tough, supremely comfortable.’ This is what Zorali promises on their website, which is a pretty big claim! They also highlight features such as ‘flexible knee movement’, ‘water repellent’, ‘lightweight, windproof, and warm in cool weather’. That’s a lot of claims to make about one pair of pants!

Performance

Knowing I’d be doused in darkness by 5pm, I started my hike early in the cold, foggy (and wet!) autumn weather. Beginning at Furber Steps, I began my slow descent down the steep stairway into the Jamison Valley before beginning along Federal Pass. 

I was rugged up on top but had just the Zorali Women’s Venture Pants on the bottom as I wanted to give them a chance to show me how warm they were in cool weather. I was surprised to find that even though they are very lightweight I didn’t notice any wind-chill, nor did I feel the cold. 

As the weather warmed up and I stripped back my top layers, I didn’t find myself sweating or overheating on my bottom half, giving me a great appreciation for the breathability of the pants. 

Hiking pants need to adapt to all kinds of intensities and terrain

As mentioned, there’s a lot of physicality required along the trail, be it climbing over the multiple trees which are currently blocking the path, pushing through overgrown sections, and finally, climbing up the sides of both Ruined Castle and Mount Solitary, which is essentially just low grade rock climbing.

Through all this, the pants didn’t restrict any of my movement. When climbing, I usually wear some kind of skin-tight legging, however I found these pants provided unrestricted agility and I’ll be taking them on my next climb over my leggings. 

Lastly, the trail was very wet and muddy and toward the end my luck ran out and the rain began again. While I was wet on my top half, the rain beaded straight off my pants keeping my legs dry. Pretty impressive.

All in all, the pants exceeded my expectations on performance and definitely held up against Zorali’s promises.

Durability

I can’t comment on their durability long term yet, however I was pleasantly surprised that after feeling them catch on almost every bush I pushed past, after sliding down rock faces, and at one point missing my footing and completely axing myself down the side of Mount Solitary, I finished the hike without pulling a single thread in the pants. The 100% recycled nylon material is definitely tough.

The material’s tough and I didn’t need to be cautious sitting on rough sandstone

Comfort

I was nervous before getting the pants that they’d be bulky and uncomfortable to hike in. I usually prefer my pants to be fitted so I don’t ‘feel’ them as I’m moving. However, while the pants are a ‘relaxed’ fit, they’re not baggy. 

These ‘women’s specific’ pants are Zorali’s second-generation line after the release of their unisex venture pants, and are designed to accommodate a woman’s natural curves. The new design features include a higher-waist fit (which I’m obsessed with. I despise low-rise pants), and added room in the hips and thigh. 

The lightweight design did mean I felt the spike of a thorny plant through the material every now and again, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. I’d rather put up with a rare prick than deal with thick, rigid pants.

Higher-waisted and accomodating of hips and thighs

Design 

My favourite design feature of the pants (besides the high waist), are the pockets. There are eight pockets, including four compartments with waterproof zips. The pants have two deep hip pockets (which I could fit my phone and portable charger in easily), two side cargo pockets (for snacks!), two side compartments with waterproof zips and two back pockets with waterproof zips. The pockets are also very subtle, which means the pants look sleek too. 

Something extra I noticed was the side cargo pockets were designed pretty much where my hand fell, so I didn’t have to bend down too far to get access to them. 

The pants also have a removable, elastic belt which makes them so simple to get on and off. I didn’t even need to undo the belt at all. I just pulled the pants on and off and tightened or loosened the belt as needed. 

Lastly, the ankle clinch means you can let the pants sit loosely over your hiking shoes or tight around your ankles. The one drawback I did notice was the pant length. The length of the leg was just slightly shorter than I would have preferred (disclaimer, I do have long legs). So unfortunately, even the clinched ankle couldn’t keep the leeches away…

Sustainability

If you’re looking for an ethical and sustainable organisation, Zorali is a good one to support. The company is B Corp certified and 100% of their products are carbon neutral and made with recycled or organic materials. 

The Women’s Venture Pants are made with 100% recycled Nylon, which comes from post-consumer materials like plastic bottles, fishing nets or discarded clothes. 

Zorali is also certified by Bluesign, the Global Organic Textile Standard, the Global Recycled Standard, and Fairwork. Knowing your gear is coming from workers who are paid properly will surely keep a spring in your step!

95% of their products also use biodegradable packaging, which includes tags made from recycled materials and compostable bags (nice!).

Lastly, the water-repellent material is PFC (perfluorochemicals) free (yay!). These synthetic chemicals, which are often found in waterproof products, both persist in the environment and build up in living organisms – and can cause major health and environmental problems – you can learn more about it in our PFC explainer.

The pants have a low impact on all of this

Price

Let me keep this simple. At $150, I reckon they are well worth the price. 

Final Thoughts

Zorali’s Women’s Venture Pants have converted me into a Zorali fan. They kept me warm in the cold, cool in the heat, and dry in the wet. They allow for agile climbing without feeling baggy and are designed especially for a women’s body. The price tag and ethical design are just added bonuses. 

While the length was a drawback for me, if you don’t have ridiculously long legs, you’d probably be fine. All in all, these will be my new go-to hiking pants, so if you ask me for a recommendation… it’s these.