686 Men's ATP Stretch Performance Pant

Nice pants but what is the deal with locker loops

I'm enjoying these pants so far, but a couple of things I find annoying. I'm trying these out as lightweight hiking pants. Holding up better than expected after a bit of bushwhacking. Went through some prickly juniper and dried out scrub oak and did not give the pants any regard when pushing through. Back home the pants were still looking good as new. No snags, holes, pilling or abrasions. I would want the pockets to be deeper if I was going to carry much of anything in the pockets, like a phone, or include well made zippers. The pants are really light, so I'm not sure how the carry would be for something heavier like a phone in the zippered side pocket. The leg cuffs are tight. I don't have big ankles or calves and I still find them a bit of a struggle to pull on, and have heard a fit stitches pop on occasion. Once on, they stay in place, which I appreciate, and are not so tight as to be uncomfortable. Definitely tight enough though to keep mud and dust from getting up the legs of the pants. And perhaps tightness alone is not an adequate enough description, there is not enough stretch. The elastic material does not extend all the way around the leg, which I mostly like, but the elastic part doesn't stretch quite enough. I cannot pull these over the patellar straps I wear just under my kneecaps All that being said, I like the feel of the material. The overall fit and finish is good. They are really light. The waistband feels good and the pants stay in place without having to over tighten the drawstring. They wear well while hiking about, and fit close enough to the skin as to not be catching on branches and brush along the side of single track trails. I think these will perform well for my intended purpose, but would think twice for general purpose use where I would be carrying anything of much weight in the pockets. Lastly, what is the deal 686 with the useless locker loops? Not just on this product but all your stuff. Is it some kind of IN joke? I own at least 5 pairs of pants of various styles, some shorts, several snow jackets, bibs and pants and not a single one has a usable locker loop, just this tiny excuse of a loop of nylon that won't fit over anything, or they have none at all.

Personally my favorite pair of pants

Good pants