I was on holiday in Maine last year when I found a pair of these pants on sale at an outdoor shop.  Even though they were very expensive (>$90), I took a chance and it was the best decision I made with a pair of outdoor pants.  After my trip, I was thrilled to find them available at Amazon.com, and for less than I'd spent while on holiday.  These are super comfortable and light.  Surprisingly, despite the thinness of the material, they are an effective wind barrier, though in cooler weather, I do wear long underwear beneath them as an added layer of warmth.  As someone who is often in the woods geocaching, I have a lot of trouble with 'travelers' or 'begger's lice' - those annoying little bits of seedy plants that stick to you so that they can spread their weediness elsewhere - but even if one or two get on these pants, they literally fall right off with the brush of your hand!  I also like that they zip off into shorts, so if the day gets too warm, I can easily and quickly convert them.  Additionally, the pants are a bit stretchy, so they're very flexible.  If I can move that way, they can move that way.  I plan to buy more throughout the year and am looking into the 'non-convertible' style as well, for those days I know I won't want to change to shorts.