Pants don’t excite me; every year, brands tout new designs, but changes seem minor, and many are hard to improve. But as a well-appointed gear tester, I almost always change pants between casual activities and other pursuits. I automatically search my closet for technical pants when I climb, hike, train, or do work around the property. LIVSN, a brand that started in 2018, had a goal to simplify belongings, and a result of this philosophy is the Flex Canvas Pant, which they claim could be the one pant I that could function across all my normal activities. A bold statement, but I accepted, thinking within a few hours I would expose faults that rendered them unacceptable for one use or another.
Living in the LIVSN Flex Canvas Pant
I wore the LIVSN Flex Canvas Pant for a week straight at home in Central Texas, where it was hot during a typical workweek. The pants endured climbing on my training boards, hiking in a wildlife refuge, work around my property (mowing, hauling wood, weed-eating, etc.), work in my office, and casual events in the evening. I never took them off except to sleep. And, I never noticed them limiting me in any way as they protected my legs from all sorts of mean plants, trees, flying debris, and the occasional run-in with climbing holds. I found the canvas material comfortable, breathable, and with just enough stretch to never hinder mobility. The gusseted crotch helped when climbing or high stepping, and the patterning was perfect for my slender build. The roll-up pant legs kept my line of sight with my feet clear while climbing, and kept my pant leg out of my chain while casually cycling around the property.
I washed them, then the pants stayed on me for a two-day drive to Colorado and a week of hiking and vacationing with my seven-year-old daughter. Again, I never noticed the pants during daily hikes up to 11,000 feet, with lots of bending over, sitting or crouching down on the ground or boulders to assist my little buddy. When we ventured into town a few times to eat, the pants looked excellent with a button front, collared shirt, which I cannot say about any of my technical pants. The EDC pockets were an inconspicuous and comfortable way to carry my multitool, and IÂ appreciated the security zippers and hidden pockets, lessening worries about losing my wallet or keys. Finally, the internal phone sleeve in the front pocket kept my keys or change from scratching my phone. After a week in Colorado, I drove home in them. Over more than two weeks, if I was awake, I was rarely out of the LIVSN pants.
Conclusions
Again, I’m usually not one to get amped about new pants. But I have to admit that after two-plus weeks of almost constant wear, in two different climates, they were wonderfully unnoticeable. And that is what I want from my apparel, technical or not.
For active and casual wear in temperate conditions, the LIVSN Flex Canvas Pant passed the test and made a believer out of me; a single pant can crossover from active, to casual, to work, and look presentable through all of it. The design is a Goldilocks, combining the feel-good and approachable aesthetics of canvas material, with technical performance features. LIVSN delivers a quiver of one pant for active lifestyles while holding to LIVSN’s mantra of simplifying possessions.
Specifications
- Sustainable 7.3-ounce custom Eco-Flex canvas with 2% spandex
- Tailored fit, gusseted crotch, articulated knees
- Interior lined with mesh for airflow
- Roll-up leg system with 3M reflective taping
- Reinforced, double-layer rear pockets
- Hidden security pocket and phone sleeve in front pockets
- Double bar tacks, tucked belt loops, and leather washer behind closure button for durability
- Guaranteed
- Available in men’s sizing in four colorways
- Pre-order at LIVSN for $99.