8 Best Hiking Shorts for Men 2026

A hot-weather trip is where the Silver Ridge makes its case. The fabric is light, dries fast, and can be hand washed in a sink and ready by morning, which is the sort of practicality that matters when you’re traveling with one pair of shorts. It packs small enough to disappear in a daypack, and it doesn’t feel heavy when the temperature climbs.

The cargo pockets sit flat rather than ballooning off the leg, and the zippered pockets give you a place for a phone or wallet without a bulge. That balance is why we rate it as the best town-to-trail option here: it looks tidy enough for dinner and still carries the day’s small stuff. The above-knee length keeps the hem out of the way on stairs and steep trail steps.

The trim cut looks sharp, but the sizing is the thing to check before you order: if you’re between sizes, go up. Otherwise, the Silver Ridge is the pair we pack for a warm-weather trip when we want one short to do everything. It is not the cheapest way to cover the basics, but the finish and pocket layout are worth the step up for frequent travelers.

Six pockets is the headline, but the useful part is how flat they sit. The zippered cargo pockets on the Hiauspor lie against the leg instead of ballooning, and the right-side phone pocket is easy to reach without unzipping half the short. That matters on a climb when you want a snack or a phone without stopping to dig.

The fabric is light and breathable enough for a hot climb, and the above-knee cut leaves room to step without the hem catching. We found the waist comfortable for a long day, with enough give that a big lunch does not turn the fit into a compromise. The leg openings are not so wide that they flap, which is a small thing that makes a difference in the wind.

Where it earns our recommendation is as the secure-pocket pick: you get six zippered compartments, a roomy leg, and a fabric that dries fast without feeling papery. It lands just behind the XKTTAC on all-around stretch, but ahead of it on pocket layout. For a hot hike where you want your phone and keys to stay put, this is the pair we hand over first.

Three inseam lengths in one listing is unusual, and it is the reason the Pudolla is our fit-first pick. The 7-inch version clears the knee for hot climbs, the 9-inch is the all-rounder, and the 11-inch gives more coverage when you’re brushing through scrub. Add five zippered pockets and a light stretch fabric, and you have a short that adapts to how you hike.

The stretch fabric moves well on climbs, and the five zippered pockets hold a phone, keys, and a snack without sagging. The slim cut is a nice change from baggy cargo shorts, especially if you want a pair that looks tidy in town. The 9-inch version is the one we reach for most; it hits the middle ground between coverage and freedom.

What we like most is how easy the choice becomes: pick your length, then stop thinking about it. The 7-inch is the hot-weather favorite, the 11-inch the brushy-trail option. The zippered pockets are the practical anchor, keeping the essentials close without turning the short into a cargo bag.

A drawstring waist on a hiking short can read as a gym shortcut, but the INNERBUT makes it work. The elastic band sits flat under a shirt, the drawstring lets you cinch without a belt, and the quick-dry fabric has enough stretch for a long climb. They look like regular cargo shorts, not pajama bottoms, which matters if you’re wearing one pair for the whole trip.

We rate it as the budget pick because it covers the basics without feeling disposable: five pockets, a light hand, and a fabric that dries fast after sweat or a rinse. The unlined build is a plus for packing and drying, but it means you need quick-dry underwear underneath; that is the trade you make for the lower weight. The rear pocket is deep enough for a wallet, and the side zip pocket keeps keys from migrating.

The waist has useful give, and the legs are loose without flapping. It is an easy pair to leave in a travel bag or wear on a hot, casual hike. The drawstring is the detail that makes them feel less like gym shorts and more like a short you can wear into town.

The TACVASEN is the cheap elastic-waist cargo short of the group, and it leans into that role. The side panels give when you bend, the fabric is light and airy, and the 7-inch version keeps the hem out of the way on easy trails. It is the pair you throw on for a quick walk or a camp day without thinking about it.

The cargo flaps have no Velcro, buttons, or snaps, so they lie flat and open quickly but do not lock down. That is a small thing until you are carrying a wallet or a snack and want to know it stays put. The rest of the pocket layout is uneven, with less rear storage than we like, so we treat the zippered pockets as the secure ones.

We treat it as a spare pair rather than a primary trail short: fine for a quick walk, a camp day, or a hot-weather backup, less so for a long day with a map and layers. The price is the point, and at the budget end it delivers a light, stretchy short that does not feel precious. It is a useful second pair to keep in the car or the bottom of a pack.

The expandable waist is the reason to look at the Jessie Kidden. It opens up for a big meal or a layer tucked in, then settles back without a belt digging in, which makes it a forgiving travel short. The nylon fabric is light enough to pack small, and the zippered cargo pockets are deep enough for a phone, wallet, and keys.

The quick-dry nylon is the right choice for hot, humid weather. It dries fast after a rinse and does not feel heavy when you sweat, which is why we kept reaching for it on travel days rather than technical hikes. The deep mesh pockets are useful too: they hold a wallet without creating a bulky outline.

They look tidy enough for a casual dinner, which is more than we expected from a pair this inexpensive. The zippered cargo pockets keep the important stuff from sliding out when you sit down, and the expandable waist is genuinely useful on long drives or changing layers.

We keep it as a travel backup. The expandable waist is the feature that earns it a place, and the quick-dry nylon fits the warm-weather role. It is not the pair we reach for on a rocky, sweaty climb, but it is an easy one to pack when comfort and fit flexibility matter more than a precise cut.

The Rdruko is the least hiking-specific short here, and that is the point. It is cut like an active short, with an elastic waist, a light drape, and zippered side pockets that sit close to the body. It works for the gym, a run, or a trip where you want one short that dries fast.

The quick-dry fabric is the strongest part: it handles sweat well, dries fast after a rinse, and does not cling when wet. The zippered pockets are secure enough for keys and a card, and the elastic waist means you can skip a belt. It packs small and takes up little room in a gym bag.

What it lacks is a dedicated trail layout. There is no rear pocket or phone-specific spot, so a bigger phone ends up loose in a side pocket, and the cut is better for a gym session than a day of scrambling. That is the boundary: it is an active short that can hike, not a hiking short that can gym.

We keep it in the active-short lane. It is cheap, quick-drying, and comfortable for gym sessions or travel, and it can handle an easy trail. For a full day of rocky hiking, choose one of the hiking-specific picks instead; for everything else, it is a useful, low-cost pair that does not ask much.