Scorpion Yosemite Pants

We measured these pants and compared to Scorpion’s size chart below and we find the chart to be accurate for the waist. The inseams tended be just a touch shorter than the chart… maybe by an inch. I could get them to match the chart if I stretched the fabric a bit, but in the relaxed state, they were about 1” short.

There are a couple things to keep in mind on the fit of a pant like this. First, you’ll want to measure yourself with a tape if you haven’t done so in a while. MANY jeans are “vanity sized” which means the jeans are bigger in the waist than they actually are to make you feel good, so if you choose a pant size here base solely on your jean size, you may wind up with pants that are tight. Second, motorcycle pants such as these fit a bit higher on your waist than ordinary jeans, so if you have a bit of a belly you’ll want to measure up a bit higher just below the navel where slacks usually ride for purposes of choosing a size.

Waist sizes listed are the approximate maximum waist size. The Velcro side adjustment straps will allow you to snug down the waist approximately 3” tighter. When in doubt, choose larger and make use of the adjustment straps since it doesn’t work the other way around. These pants don’t have long side zippers like you’d find in an over-pant design, but if you are are planning on using these pants over street clothes, we would recommend going up one size.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

Last week I reviewed Scorpion’s Yuma pant, which is a mostly-mesh pant and the Yosemite pants here are a solid textile design. The features are very similar in both pants and to choose between them, consider what temperatures you are mostly likely to ride in. The Yumas are good for mild to warm or hot weather and these pants are better for warm to cold weather use, and wet weather use too.

I say cold weather because the main shell of these pants is solid textile material which will block the wind, and if you layer underneath, you could use these pants down to very cold temps. And the pants have a removable rain liner as well, so you can keep dry. There are a total of four zippered vents, two on each thigh to allow some air flow in warmer weather. These will help extend the comfort range up a bit into “warm” weather (but not hot weather).

I do like the knee armor arrangement on these pants. It is the usual armor-in-the-fabric-pocket setup, but the armor is stuck to the pocket by a strip of Velcro, and so you can fine tune the position of the armor vertically or somewhat horizontally as well. This set-up gives just a bit more flexibility than the other three pocket arrangements I’ve seen.

The pants have a great waist closure too. There is a wide strap at the waist that has two sturdy steel hooks to hold the waist band closed. And these certainly won’t pop open when you sit! The side adjustment Velcro straps are wide and sturdy feeling too. You can use those two straps to fine tune the fit of the waist.

The pants have a couple wide Velcro-close cargo pockets on the front thigh area, which can be used to store your stuff. And then there are a couple zip-close hand pockets up nearer the waist band. The zippers are a waterproof type which will help keep out water (although I wouldn’t trust them with a cell phone).

The armor in the knees is Scorpion’s usual… the Sas-Tec brand which is pliable and comfortable. The hips have pockets for armor and the pants come with some thin foam inserts, but you can upgrade those to Sas-Tec if you like (see the link below).

Another very nice pant from Scorpion. The pants have a zipper connection for Scorpion jackets, but they could surely be used with just about any gear as well (without the zip connection or with the zip if you adapt the jacket), so don’t overlook this style no matter what type of gear you wear up top. :: Paul, 08-27-15