Earlier this fall, 686 teamed with Usal to put the new Cruiser Pants to the ultimate test, collaborating on an outdoor workshop series with the purpose of creating a feedback loop of sustained performance in the field.

Usal is a Los Angeles based community providing bookable experiences for the modern nature enthusiast. Together with a team of hand selected professionals, Usal offers local workshops and retreats across all things outdoors, sustainably, and wellness. Their mission is to provide an inclusive and safe environment for all humans to learn.

Their founder Michael Washington describes the Usal Project in more detail, “It’s a place for individuals from all backgrounds to feel welcomed into new outdoor activities. We create safe and fun environments to be a novice and meet others who are also on their learning journey. Our guides build connection between participants and their workshop through sharing the reasons why they do it, not just how to do it. It’s important we create a human connection to nature and the sport around it, as this is what creates the foundation in others to want to bring these sorts of activities into their lives, which is our goal at the end of the day.”

In partnership with the Usal community, we teamed up for two Cruiser Pant field testing workshops in the LA area. An outdoor bouldering workshop at Stoney Point, and a cityscape / landscape photography workshop at Griffith Park. These were our elevated results.

The historic boulders of Stoney Point were the venue for the first workshop. Since the 1930’s this location has been a focal point in the development of California climbing, serving as training grounds for Royal Robbins, Yvon Choinard, Ron Kauk, and many others. The Usal climbing community put the Cruiser Pant to its ultimate performative test here. Participants maneuvered through the park’s various problems in the pants progressive ripstop fabric, utilizing its extra room for far reaching foot holds.

This workshop brought out a lot of Usal regulars as well as new faces. The vibe that day couldn’t have been more positive, with everyone cheering on both beginners and experts. The beautiful part of climbing comes down to the community support. Something that you don’t see in other spaces like surfing, etc. Seeing someone top out on a boulder they were trying hard for and the reaction of those around them after they finally nail it is why we climb.

The response from Usal’s community was overwhelmingly positive, and since then many have continued using the pant for their outdoor and indoor exploration. Their final word on the Cruiser Pants after a day in them; “I would say: Style and Function.”

About the 686 Cruiser Pants: Move forward in a progressive stretch ripstop fabric stitched into a vintage inspired silhouette. The Cruiser pants were requested by our team to provide Nineties style with today’s function. With the wider fit and a bungee cord hem the pants hit the sweet spot between street-ready and fully functional for outdoor adventures.