North Face Exploration Regular Tapered Trousers review: the hiking trouser that works everywhere

Most hiking trousers look like hiking trousers. The North Face Exploration Regular Tapered does not. It looks like a pair of well-fitted outdoor trousers that happen to be made from stretch nylon, dry in an hour and shed light rain off the knee. That crossover is the whole point.

This is the non-convertible version of The North Face Exploration range. No zip-off lower leg, no extra hardware, no bulk at the thigh. What you get is a cleaner, slightly lighter version of the same four-way stretch, FlashDry fabric that makes the Exploration Convertible one of the better UK hiking trousers at this price. If you already know you will never unzip the lower leg, this is the version to buy.

Who this trouser is for

This trouser is for: hikers who want trail performance without the look or bulk of traditional walking trousers. People who wear the same trousers on a coastal path, in a pub, at the school gates and on a weekend away. Anyone who tried the Convertible and never once touched the zip. Hikers doing three-season UK day routes — coastal paths, moorland, woodland trails — where the terrain is varied but not technical.

This trouser is not for: people who need maximum pocket storage (look at RevolutionRace). Hikers wanting serious waterproofing built in (pair with an overtrouser for that, or check the best waterproof hiking trousers guide). Off-path rough terrain where fabric durability matters above everything else (Fjallraven Keb is the answer there). And anyone who actually likes the convertible option — the Convertible is only £5 more and is worth the extra if there is any doubt.

Four-way stretch on UK terrain

The fabric is 94% polyamide and 6% elastane, with FlashDry moisture management built in. The elastane content is modest but sufficient — this is not a dramatic athletic stretch, it is the stretch that removes resistance from normal hiking movements.

That distinction matters. UK trails are not flat. The Jurassic Coast path between Chapman's Pool and Kimmeridge involves steep chalk descents, narrow scrambly sections and repeated high stepping over exposed rock. The Corfe to Worth Matravers circular has stile crossings, gate-hopping and enough uneven ground that a rigid trouser would be registering friction at the hip and thigh within two miles.

The Exploration Regular Tapered does not fight your movement. The stretch is always there when you need a long stride up a bank or a high step over a stile. It is not noticeable as a feature, which is the point — it just means the trouser does not slow you down.

The FlashDry treatment works in the way moisture management should: wicks sweat away from skin during sustained effort, and dries fast enough after light rain or river crossings that you are not walking in cold damp fabric for longer than you need to. After a rain shower on the South Downs, these were dry within forty minutes of the sun coming back out.

DWR treatment: what it handles

The DWR coating is PFAS-free — The North Face switched to non-PFC treatments across the range, which is the right direction. It performs as a DWR should: water beads and rolls off in light rain, early morning dew from vegetation mostly deflects, and short showers do not soak through immediately.

It is not waterproofing. In sustained heavy rain it will eventually wet out, particularly around the knees where rain strikes most directly and where your gaiters or boot tops create a contact point. The answer is an overtrouser — my Patagonia Torrentshell 3L goes on over these when conditions turn properly wet, and in the pack before I set off if rain is forecast.

After washing, put these in a tumble dryer on low heat. The heat reactivates the DWR coating that washing gradually strips. Skipping this step is the most common reason DWR-treated trousers seem to stop performing. If the DWR has degraded past the point of reactivation, Grangers or Nikwax reproofing spray does the job.

Fit and the tapered cut

The tapered cut is the detail that separates these from most hiking trousers and makes them work in everyday life. A standard straight-leg hiking trouser looks utilitarian off trail — fine for the fells, odd in a coffee shop. The tapered leg sits closer to the ankle and reads as a regular slim-fit trouser to anyone who is not looking closely.

The fit is regular through the hip and thigh — loose enough to move freely, not so baggy that excess fabric creates chafing over a long day. There is a regular rise at the front and back, which works for most body shapes without the waistband-gap issues some people get with low-rise outdoor trousers. Belt loops are included; the waistband sits comfortably without a belt for a day's hiking.

One sizing note worth flagging: some reviewers report these run a size larger than other TNF products. Check the size guide before ordering and compare your waist and inseam measurements against the chart rather than assuming your usual TNF size.

Hems have a roll-up option secured by a button, which is useful for muddy conditions or fording shallow streams — you can get the lower leg clear of the water without the trouser staying rolled up for the rest of the day.

Pockets: what you actually get

Two hand pockets and two zipped thigh pockets. That is four pockets, which sounds right until you have been hiking with a RevolutionRace trouser that offers six or seven. For most hikers, four is enough.

The hand pockets are open — no zip, which means they are not secure for anything you cannot afford to lose. Phone, keys and wallet go in the zipped thigh pockets. Snacks go in a hand pocket or a hip belt pocket if you are carrying a pack. Everything else — jacket, waterproofs, lunch, first aid kit — goes in the Osprey Talon 33.

The thigh pockets are large enough for a mid-size phone with a case. The zip runs vertically rather than along the top of the pocket, which takes a moment to get used to but keeps the pocket flatter against the leg.

No back pockets. If you regularly carry a wallet or phone in a back pocket this is a gap. If you use a pack, it does not matter.

Trail performance vs everyday life

This is what separates the Regular Tapered from most hiking trousers in the range. I wear these to the supermarket. I wear them driving to a trailhead in the morning, hiking all day, and stopping at a pub on the way home without changing. The tapered cut and the non-technical appearance make this possible in a way that most dedicated hiking trousers do not.

The quick-dry performance is part of it. A hiking trouser that smells like effort or stays visibly damp is not going to work in an everyday setting. The FlashDry fabric dries fast enough that unless you have been hiking in heavy sustained rain, there is nothing to give away where you have been.

The stretch also matters for everyday comfort. Sitting in a car for forty minutes after a long descent is markedly more comfortable in a trouser with four-way stretch than in a rigid fabric. This is a small thing but it adds up across a day that includes a trail, a drive and an evening out.

For hikers who want a single pair of trousers that covers walks of up to 20km and the rest of a weekend, these are the answer. For hikers doing serious multi-day routes with rough off-path terrain, you need something more durable — but for the majority of UK day hiking, the Regular Tapered does everything required.

Regular Tapered vs Exploration Convertible

The Exploration Convertible is the same trouser with a zip at the knee that lets you remove the lower leg and convert to shorts. It costs around £70 versus £65 for the Regular Tapered.

The performance differences are negligible. Same fabric, same stretch, same DWR, same pocket configuration. The Regular Tapered is marginally lighter because there is no zip hardware at the knee. The tapered leg sits cleaner without the slight bulk the zip seam creates.

The Convertible has one feature that is worth calling out: you can remove the lower leg without taking your boots off. That is not true of all convertible designs and it is the reason the zip-off function is worth having if you think you might use it. No untying laces, no sitting down on a muddy verge, no thirty-second delay.

Buy the Regular Tapered if: you are certain you will never use the zip-off function, you want a cleaner everyday look, or the £5 saving is relevant.

Buy the Convertible if: there is any chance you might want shorts on trail, or if you regularly hike in variable conditions where the option to convert mid-walk has value.

Regular Tapered vs Craghoppers Kiwi Pro II

The Craghoppers Kiwi Pro II costs around £30. The Regular Tapered is £65. That is a real difference, and it is worth being direct about what you get for the extra £35.

The Kiwi Pro II is a legitimate hiking trouser. It is lightweight, dries reasonably quickly and the polyamide fabric is durable enough for regular use on UK trails. The Kiwi range has been earning the same respect for years because it consistently delivers on the basics at a price that does not require a second thought.

The Regular Tapered is better in three specific ways. The four-way stretch is more pronounced — the Kiwi Pro II has some stretch but the TNF fabric gives more noticeably under load. The everyday look is cleaner: the Kiwi Pro reads as outdoor gear and the TNF Tapered does not. And the FlashDry moisture management is faster in practice.

What the Kiwi Pro II has that the TNF does not: more pockets, a slightly more robust feel to the fabric, and a price that makes sense for a first hiking trouser or a spare pair for rougher conditions.

If you are new to dedicated hiking trousers and want to try the category without a significant outlay, the Kiwi Pro II is the right starting point. If you already know what you want and are looking for a trouser that will work on trail and off it for several years, the Regular Tapered is worth the extra.

The best-selling alternative: Craghoppers Kiwi Pro

If you look at what UK hikers actually buy rather than what gets reviewed, the answer is almost always a Craghoppers Kiwi. The Kiwi Pro is the dominant seller in the category — around 1,700 ratings on Amazon UK at 4.4 stars, against roughly 25 for the TNF Tapered. That gap tells you something. This is the proven, affordable workhorse that has been on more UK trails than anything else in this guide.

At around £50 it is cheaper than the TNF, and it gives you more for less in the ways that count on a hard day out: more pockets, including secure zipped storage, a tough quick-drying fabric that shrugs off bramble and gorse, and a cut built for walking rather than crossover wear. If your trousers are going to take a beating on rough paths, the Kiwi Pro is the sensible choice.

What it is not is a trouser you would wear to dinner. The Kiwi Pro reads as outdoor kit, the leg is straighter and looser, and the fabric has less stretch than the TNF's four-way nylon. The TNF Tapered is the better-looking, more modern-fitting trouser and the one that crosses over into everyday life. The Kiwi Pro is the value pick most people buy and rarely regret.

Pros and cons

• Four-way stretch removes resistance on demanding UK terrain without feeling like athletic wear
• FlashDry fabric dries fast enough for everyday crossover use — not just trail
• Tapered cut looks like a regular trouser off trail, which most hiking trousers do not
• PFAS-free DWR handles light rain and morning dew across three seasons
• Lightweight enough to not register on a long day out
• Roll-up hems add practical flexibility for water crossings and muddy sections
• Consistent TNF sizing across the range — reliable if you know your size

Reasons to look elsewhere: Only four pockets, with no zips on the hand pockets — if you carry a lot in your trouser pockets, this will frustrate you. Not waterproof in sustained rain, so you need an overtrouser in the pack. The Convertible is only £5 more if the zip-off option has any appeal at all. And the fabric, while good, is not as hard-wearing as the Fjallraven Keb for off-path terrain with significant vegetation.

Sizing runs large on some cuts — measure before ordering.

Verdict

The North Face Exploration Regular Tapered is the hiking trouser for people who want one pair of trousers to do everything. Not a separate trail pair and a casual pair. Not a trouser that looks like you have just come off a mountain when you are standing in a supermarket. One trouser that handles 20km on the Jurassic Coast and a Saturday afternoon without requiring a change.

The four-way stretch is the performance detail that matters. Everything else — the DWR, the FlashDry, the clean silhouette — supports that core function. At £65, this sits at the right price for what it delivers. Not the cheapest option in the category, but considerably better than the budget alternatives in the ways that matter most for regular use.

For most UK hikers the Craghoppers Kiwi Pro is the sensible-value buy; the TNF Tapered is the choice if you want a more modern fit and everyday crossover. If you want the zip-off option, buy the Convertible for £5 more. If you are certain you will never use it, save the money and get a cleaner trouser.