Pants

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 187

Durable cargo pants

Tactical 5.11 Pants

Similar to the 5.11 cop shirt you have reviewed on Cool Tools, the 5.11 pants are the best tactical (read cargo) pants I own. When you have cool tools you need some way to carry them! Used by the FBI and many other law enforcement agencies, I find that these pants wear well and look great. — Charles Kinnear

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Convertible activewear

Macabi Skirt

I used to hike wearing trail pants that converted to shorts by unzipping the bottoms. This conversion involved stopping, removing my boots, then unzipping the bottom portion of the pants above the knees, putting the boots back on and stashing the unzipped pant legs in my backpack. I thought, There’s got to be a better way.

Then, visiting the website of Sisters on the Fly, I discovered Macabi Skirts. These skirts are a design marvel. It’s easy to convert them from a skirt to pants to shorts of various lengths. A pant clip hangs at the end of an adjustable thin strap, which runs down from the waist in the middle of the skirt. It clips quickly to a hook on the inside back of the skirt. Using the strap, it’s possible to adjust the length in just seconds! Converting to shorts is just one more step. On the inside of each side of the skirt are snap straps that attach at the bottom of the pockets. Again, it takes seconds to adjust. Unlike the zippered convertible pants I used to wear, there’s nothing to store when switching modes in this skirt.

The supplex fabric is lightweight and soft. It resists wrinkles and dries quickly. There’s a comfortable elastic waistband with a drawstring, and belt loops. One of my favorite features is the oversize cargo pockets on each side of the skirt. It’s possible to stuff them without looking bulky. On the right side there is deep pocket that includes a zippered security pocket that easily fits a passport, thin wallet, and keys. The large left side pocket has an inner pocket that’s just right for a phone, iPod or slim camera.

Two of these skirts are the foundation of my travel wardrobe. In the summer the cool fabric and loose fit combine for outstanding comfort. I wear the skirts so often that I bought long underwear bottoms, so that I can continue to wear them during the Colorado winter! — Nancy Mulvany

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Concealed cargos

Scottevest Hidden Cargo Pants

I often carry far too much stuff in my pockets, and these pants allow me to do so without showing it. They’re durable, and I have not been able to find any other pants that do what these do. I wear these and Scottevest’s Ultimate cargo pants almost exclusively, because after wearing each type a few times, standard pants with standard pockets feel awkward.

The Hidden Cargo Pants are more formal than the Ultimate Cargos, or 5.11 Tactical Pants. The Hidden Cargos feel more like dress pants. The main difference between the Ultimate and Hidden is that the Ultimate have a rougher fabric, cargo pockets, and zip-off lower legs. The main pocket suspension is the same.

Access to pockets is excellent in the Hidden Cargos. The main pockets on each side of the front consist of three pockets in one. There’s a magnetic clasp to access the outer pockets, which are very large (they come down almost to the knee) and are divided into front and back sections.

As long as you’re wearing a good belt it doesn’t really get too heavy. The design of the pockets means it is far less cumbersome than standard pants, but it can, of course, get cumbersome if you really stuff them full– which would be a feat. Without a good belt, however, the pants can get a bit heavy and slide down if they are loaded with stuff. — TJ Wasik

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Farm-proof work wear

Duluth Firehose Work Pants and Suspenders

Duluth’s Firehose Canvas Work Pants are made of strong stuff. I have been using them on my farm for 12-months and have found that they are comfortable and durable. They have a generous cut so I have room to move when I am crawling around the tractor. They have wide and numerous belt-loops, velcro-flapped cargo pockets and hip pockets, and a handy loop for a tape measure, as well as a long pocket for a wrench or screwdriver on the thigh on each side (so they suit lefties and righties equally).

I hang them from Duluth’s wide side-clip suspenders so I can load up the pockets without losing the lot around my ankles. These suspenders have two inch wide straps and just two clips; the front and back straps meet at your waist (or where it once was) at the side under your arms. Normal front-and-back suspenders like to catch on stuff when I am crawling around, and often let go. The side-clips have never come unfastened. Great clothes. — Russel Day

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Multi-function pants

Skillers Super Canvas Work Pants

I’ve spent about two years in these work pants and believe they offer the most utility for anybody needing to carry a lot of equipment while staying comfortable on the job. They are the perfect pants for anybody in construction. My current pants are six months into their life and are going strong. I’ll need to get new ones for aesthetic reasons long before they even start to wear out.

There are pockets on the knees to insert kneepads into that don’t scratch, cut off bloodflow or bind leg motion in any way. I really don’t even think about having kneepads as they’re just always there. The pads are sold separately for about $10.00.

The most useful pockets (for construction) are the nail bag pockets. They’re located right over your normal hip pockets, and can be tucked in when not in use so they look just like normal pants. You can put nails, screws, tape measure, chalk line, etc. in these pockets and not get poked or feel bulky in any way. The other pockets I use the most are the three pencil pockets (mine are located on the left leg which is perfect for me because I’m left handed). I keep at least two carpenters pencils at all times (I hate looking for a pencil, or not having a backup when I’m on a ladder and drop the one in my hand). A nail punch goes in one pencil pocket, and in front of the pencil pockets is a buttoned pocket about two inches wide and four inches deep where I keep my Leatherman multi-tool unfolded (in plier mode) and securely buttoned in. Above these pockets is a wide button closed pocket that is about five or six inches deep. I keep a bandana in there, and it’ll hold much more if I need it to. The right leg has three long slender pockets that will hold a torpedo level, a pocket T-square, and other similar sized and shaped tools. I keep a speed square in my right back pocket, and a hammer holster and utility knife pouch are attached to my belt.

You may put things in different places, but these will hold pretty much everything a large, bulky, heavy toolbag will hold. These pants keep the weight spread out too, so the perception of the weight is reduced. You can even buy accessories designed to work specifically with the pants if you need extra pockets for anything.

Oh, and you probably want to know how much all this costs. These retail for a whopping $60!!! Probably less than you pay for your Carhartts. — Nathan Sharp

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Hefty, comfy suspenders for working

Duluth Trading Suspenders

I’m a big fan of the work clothes from Duluth Trading Company. My lastest score is a set of $16 suspenders that I can highly recommend. They are uncommonly comfortable, because the straps are two inches wide. They attach to your pants with buttons, not clamps. I hate clamps. They loosen, they break, and they’re ugly. The harnesses that hold the straps onto the buttons of your pants are nicely made of leather that is a good balance between handsome and sturdy. My galluses are an attractive red. (They also come in navy.) These braces are best used with a $4 set of brass buttons to attach to your pants. And best of all — best of all — these buttons are actually rivet-like affairs. You don’t sew them on. You put them on your pants by taking a little nail that comes as part of the kit, pushing it through the waistband of your pants from the back, then sticking that nail into the brass button that you wear on the front, and whamming it home with a hammer. I can’t tell you how entertaining I find it to tailor my clothes with a 16-ounce hammer. I wish all my clothes were this satisfying.

These suspenders are best used, I think, with the Skillers 12-oz. Brown Duck Work Pants with the removable knee pads and the nail pouches that fit inside your front pockets when empty.

04/27/26

Key fobs / US Park finder / Movie theatre deal

Recomendo - issue #511

Spare car key fob

Most modern cars have electronic fob keys, which are great, except if you need to replace them. They can cost between $200 to $500 to replace. Our 2008 Toyota Prius had one single grungy fob that was starting to fall apart and I wanted to have a spare key cheaper than the $400 Toyota wanted to charge us. So I found Tom’s Keys, which sells a third-party fob ($98) that you can program with an existing working fob (required). The programming steps are ridiculously complex; I thought it was a joke (open, close the driver door 6 times, insert fob twice quickly, open and close door again, push both buttons on fob, repeat, etc. This complexity is from the car manufacturers, not from the key people.) But after many many tries I successfully programmed the new fob to work, so now I have a spare. Tom’s Keys customer service is flaky, and there are some complaints about not being able to program the key, but for me it was worth the try for $100. — KK

Plan your next national park trip

The US National Park Finder filters all 63 U.S. national parks by their best months to visit, as well as listing their top activities and best spots for stargazing. After filtering, each park card gives you sample itineraries, fun facts, travel hacks, and resources and advice pulled from Reddit. The next park on my travel wishlist is Saguaro National Park, and it’s helpful to get all this information on one page. — CD

Sound machine for a good night’s sleep

We live on a fairly busy street, and in the summer our fans do a good job of drowning out traffic noise. But in the colder months, we rely on sound machines instead. I used to play white noise through my phone, but I worried about damaging the speaker at high volumes night after night. This $25 Hotmoon Cocoon 2 solves that. It has 40 sounds, including white, pink, green, and brown noise. I’m a fan of brown noise — it’s less harsh and more mellow than white noise. — MF

Civilized hiking

I am a huge fan of walking a long distance with friends or family. It’s intensely bonding. Ideally you walk about 100 km, for six days, with comfy lodging at an inn with a meal every night, cafes along the way, carrying only a daypack, with your luggage forwarded. This is not camping, not backpacking! Walking with no gear is so very civilized. I’ve done these kinds of memorable walks all over the world. The easiest way to start is to follow a route supplied by the outfitter MacsAdventure, who will arrange the lodging and luggage forwarding, and give you a route to follow on your phone app, for very reasonable costs. You choose when you want to go. My recommendations for two easy-to-do, highly rewarding walks are the Cotswold Loop in England, and the Coastal El Camino in Portugal. Either one will give you an easy, memorable trip. Sign up with some friends or family. — KK

Find direct flights midway

Midway is a tool to help people in different cities find a meetup destination they can each reach by a direct flight. You put in two or more departure cities and it shows you every destination reachable by direct flight from all of them, with filters for distance and flight time. Honestly, even if you don’t have group plans, it’s just useful as a way to see all the direct flights possible from your home airport. — CD

Unlimited movies at AMC

My wife and I go to the movies at least once a week, and AMC Stubs A-List has been a fantastic deal for us. For $27.99/month (going up $2 starting July 15), you can see up to 4 movies per week at any AMC theater — and it doesn’t matter what format: standard, Dolby Cinema, IMAX, Prime, laser, or even the lounge-chair theaters. All are included. You also get free online reservations with no booking fees. If you have an AMC near you and enjoy movies, this will save you a lot of money. — MF

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04/26/26

Why doubling down on your position never works — and what does

Book Freak #207: How to Get What You Want by Joshua Bandoch

Get How To Get What You Want

How to Get What You Want is a science-backed guide to persuasion that teaches you how to navigate any professional, political, or personal situation by working with how human minds actually change.

Core Principles

Adopt the Them-First Mindset

Most people approach persuasion by doubling down on their own position — marshaling more facts, repeating arguments louder, and making a stronger case for themselves. It has the opposite effect. Effective persuaders shift their orientation from “proving my point” to “finding a bridge.” The goal isn’t to win an argument but to create shared action — something people choose to do together.

Emotion Before Logic

Human beings feel first and reason second. The brain’s emotional systems process incoming information before the rational, analytical systems do — which means that leading with white papers, spreadsheets, and logical arguments actually runs counter to how the mind processes information. Skilled persuaders make an emotional connection before presenting evidence. They understand the values, fears, and aspirations of the person across the table, and they speak to those first.

Stories Beat Arguments

Stories are how the brain organizes and retains meaning. The most persuasive stories are morally motivating, emotionally intelligent, and built around heroes other than yourself. Telling a story in which you are the brilliant protagonist often triggers skepticism and defensiveness. Telling a story in which your listener’s values are vindicated invites identification and trust.

The Subconscious Signals

Tone, pacing, eye contact, and posture communicate before a single argument lands. Much of persuasion happens below the level of conscious reasoning — small adjustments in delivery, warmth, and presence can determine whether someone opens up or shuts down. Likability isn’t a soft skill; it is a primary mechanism of influence.

Try It Now

1. Before your next important conversation, write down the other person’s top two priorities — not yours. Frame your opening around one of theirs.
2. Replace your next logical argument with a brief story: someone who faced the same problem, what they tried, and what actually worked.
3. In your next meeting, speak 10% more slowly and pause for two full seconds before responding. Notice what changes in the room.

Quote

“Persuasion is shared action. Shared, because it’s something we voluntarily do together with others. And it’s action, because it’s about getting things done, not about speaking pretty words.”

04/24/26

Your Ideal Carry-on Bag/Better Budget Airline/Cultural Atlas

Nomadico issue #203

The 4 Types of Carry-on Bags

The legacy airlines are hiking already high baggage fees in tandem and are veering close to what the budget carriers pile on top. You’ll pay up for any luggage on the latter, but on most large airlines, your ticket still includes a carry-on if you skipped the dreaded “basic economy” option. The type of trip you’re on determines the best kind of luggage, however, and I see a lot of travelers struggling because they bought the wrong kind. Here’s my rundown on the four main types of carry-on luggage to consider, with specific examples that are better alternatives than a TJ Maxx cheapie.

Breeze Airways Isn’t Too Bad

I know that “I flew Breeze Airways and it didn’t suck” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, but by today’s budget airline standards, that’s above average. I took my first two flights with this no-frills U.S. carrier last month and it was good enough that I’m doing it again in June. One unique characteristic on my flight was that there were only five seats across, so very few people got stuck in the middle. There was more legroom than you’ll find on competitors’ flights too. Here’s a full list of where they fly and it’s robust: 36 states and four international destinations.

Digging Deeper Into Cultural Norms

It sometimes takes new residents of a country years to figure out all the traditions, beliefs, and hidden scripts that are in place among the locals. If you want some shortcuts before interacting with a population that doesn’t have the same background as you, this Cultural Atlas website is worth consulting. I pulled up two countries I’ve lived in for at least a year and found the information to be spot-on. It’s not complete: two countries I’ll be visiting later this year aren’t included, but the most popular ones for travel or living abroad are. Great for avoiding culture shock mistakes.

Return to a Classic Travel Book

I went to the Jules Verne Museum in Nantes, France last year and recently watched the TV series of Around the World in 80 Days with my mother. The museum was great, and while the TV series was a fun romp, it unfortunately had nothing in common with the book except two characters’ names and the title. I’ve learned that the original English translations of Vernes’ books were dumbed down to appeal to kids and to avoid offending the British, so the versions in the public domain are not as robust as the original French books. I bought a new translation for my Kindle for five bucks and really enjoyed reading it again.

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A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

04/23/26

What’s in my NOW? — Camille Newsom

issue #251

Camille Newsom is a poet, artist, educator, and land steward who weaves creativity, collaboration, and community-building into her work. She facilitates Offers and Needs markets, writes custom poems for strangers on a manual Smith Corona typewriter, and loves exploring all the nooks and crannies where the meta and mundane meet.

LINKS:

• Linktree
• Instagram
• Substack

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PHYSICAL

• Selah: A Báyò Akómoláfé Reader — “When times are urgent, we must slow down.” This book is an essential challenger of all human conditioning, an existential thirst trap, tool, a teacher, a gift.
• The Zone of Authenticity: Authentic Connection Cards — This deck of cards has helped me reconnect with my mother and father after years of distance. We spend one hour a month picking cards from the deck, answering the questions, listening to one another, sitting with each other’s unfolding authenticity. It’s playful at times, heavy at times, and an invitation to soften into new shapes of old relationships.
• Blue-light Blocking Glasses for Daytime Use — As someone who spends hours a day looking at screens and suffers from headaches and migraines, these blue-light blocking glasses are a true lifesaver…and they are cute! Yes, sometimes it’s awkward to be the one on the video call with yellow-lensed glasses, but don’t we all need a simple way to practice giving fewer sh*ts what others think?

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DIGITAL

• An Existential Guide to: Making Friends —  For you—you who some days (maybe most days) wish you were moss, you who find eye contact with animals pleasureful and eye contact with humans uncomfortable, you who struggle to answer the ice breaker question because you are every color, you who, at your core, only want to be held and cared for.
• You, The Living — A black comedy that begins with this quote from Goethe’s Roman Elegies, “Therefore rejoice, you, the living, in your lovely warm bed, until Lethe’s cold wave wets your fleeing foot.”

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INVISIBLE

hard on the systems…soft on the people…

Just a good reminder for us all right now and always.

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04/22/26

Groundbreaking Food Gardens / World of Warcraft Chronicle

Issue No. 114

73 PLANS THAT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU GROW YOUR GARDEN

Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden
by Niki Jabbour, illustrations by Anne Smith, Elayne Sears and Mary Ellen Carsley
Storey Publishing
2014, 272 pages, 8 x 10 x 0.8 inches (softcover)

Buy on Amazon

Fittingly, the layout of Groundbreaking Food Gardens is similar to a community garden. Within the landscape of this one book, readers find 73 distinct plots, each neatly contained, each with its own character in the beds of text and image. In it, edible gardening expert Niki Jabbour curates 73 thematically diverse illustrated plans contributed by master food growers and writers with unendingly fresh perspectives. Each mini-chapter opens with three or four cornerstones of the design therein, and these points become headers for each section, like garden markers for the reader.

Even the most bibliophilic gardener has to admit, it’s hard to find a good gardening book that says or does something new. But within the first 24 hours of bringing home Groundbreaking Food Gardens, I had filled it with every bit of scrap paper in our bookmark pile. Though more of a design lookbook than a how-to, it still offers plenty of information. Woven throughout the plans, there are both practical tips and historical gardening factoids to appeal to new and seasoned gardeners alike. You wouldn’t use a bean pole to support a squash, and so the scaffolding of each design chapter changes slightly to reflect the 73 unique concepts. Colby Eierman’s “Backyard Orchard” walks you through espaliering a fruit tree while Wendy Kiang-Spray’s “Asian Vegetables” chapter focuses on familiarizing us with 28 varieties of, you guessed it, Asian vegetables. Because each design focuses on a particular interest or challenge (lack of space, lots of space, kid-friendly, wildlife-welcoming, one of everything, all garlic, all the time), I’ve been having fun daydreaming about taking bits and pieces of each plan to fit my particular gardening needs and wants (which are, let’s be honest, all the gardens).

Practically speaking, for those of us who don’t have the time or money to completely transform our outdoor spaces all at once, starting out with Jayme Jenkins’s ingenious “Hanging Gutters” garden or improving current plots with Laura Henderson’s tips on water collecting and succession planting will keep our hands dirty while dreaming of recreating Mac Mead’s half-acre “Biodynamic Farm.” Whether you have a perennial green thumb or just some dirt under your fingernails from the basil on your window sill, you’ll find inspiration in Groundbreaking Food Gardens. – Mk Smith Despres

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WORLD OF WARCRAFT CHRONICLE TAKES YOU TO THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE WOW UNIVERSE

World of Warcraft Chronicle
by Blizzard Entertainment, Peter Lee (artist) and Joseph Lacroix (illustrator)
Dark Horse
2016, 184 pages, 9.3 x 12.3 x 0.7 inches

Buy on Amazon

Real chronicles for imaginary places are nothing new. I’m pretty sure my first one detailed all the secrets of Krynn. But it might have been Pern. Or maybe Thra. It’s hard to remember. And these days, the market boasts a surfeit of atlases, histories, dictionaries, and art books big enough to satisfy even the most die-hard fan.

Dark Horse’s World of Warcraft Chronicle Vol. 1 fills all these roles beautifully. Formatted as a history (hence “chronicle”) the book takes the reader from the very beginning of the WoW universe to a time 45 years before the Dark Portal, when a young boy named Medivh awoke from a long coma…

WoW is famously lore-dense. It is one of the most captivating things about the game for many players. Each new expansion brings new races, new characters – each with their own complete story – as well as new back stories for old favorites. And then, too, WoW has a nifty habit of either adding new locations (and new stories!) or completely destroying the old lands and kingdoms and rebuilding in the same spots for, you guessed it, new stories!

This book is an attempt to corral all those stories into something coherent and readable. Two things help the book achieve its goal: the history is laid out chronologically (chronicle!) and supported by numerous maps and stunning artwork. The maps show the same locations again and again, noting how things have changed since the last time they were presented. And the art…Blizzard’s own Peter Lee illustrated Chronicle with lush paintings that depict key scenes instantly familiar to anyone who has spent time in World of Warcraft.

As a physical object, Chronicle is another in a long line of beautifully constructed books from Dark Horse. The covers are sturdy (and sans jacket, instead having fixed illustrated panels on the front cover) and the paper is heavy enough to survive being leafed through repeatedly without tearing. Likewise, though glossy, the paper resists being smudged or marked by skin oil. The font and typesetting is clear and easy to read. As I said, it is a beautiful book.

With the (hopefully first of many) Warcraft movie set to debut this summer, World of Warcraft, the game, is sure to gain a bunch of new fans as well as see the return of lapsed players like yours truly. This book is the perfect companion piece for those new to Azeroth and those whose recollection may have faltered a little and even those who are already experts because, if nothing else, this book will make you want to take up your sword, climb on your mount, and join the battle. For the Horde! (Alliance!) – Joel Neff

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Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

04/21/26

What’s in my NOW? — Camille Newsom