Proof’s 72-Hour Merino Pants Review | Anti-Stink, Stretchy, & Water Resistant?

I’ve been a big fan of Proof’s 72-hour tees for some time now, so it was a no-brainer to check out their 72-Hour Travel Pants — so named because they’re meant to be so antimicrobial and resistant to stains and stink that you can wear them for three days straight.

In the video below I also checked out their hoodie, but this written review is going to focus on these über popular pants. Proof uses a very technical wool synthetic blend fabric that they claim has a load of features: stretchy, anti-stink, water-resistant, UV-resistant, and more.

I’m going through the pros and cons, features, fabric, fit, and style, so you can know if they’re worth the price tag.

Author’s Note: Huckberry sent me both the pants and a hoodie for free for this review on my YouTube channel, but all the opinions in this video are mine and mine alone. I did not share this content with Huckberry prior to publication.

Pros & Cons: Proof 72-Hour Merino Pant

TL;DR, if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick rundown of my experience with these pants.

Pros

• The stretchy wool synthetic blend provides a range of motion that rivals yoga pants
• The wool does indeed have anti-stink properties, wicks moisture, and is quick-drying
• Lots of sizes, inseams, and two fits (straight leg and tapered)
• The fabric has durable water-resistant (DWR) coating, so they’re stain and water-resistant
• The subtle, minimalist branding is pretty much unnoticeable
• Not itchy; while some of Proof’s shirts have a higher wool content that might irritate some folks’ skin, the 47% wool content of the pants makes them more accessible

Cons

• Fabric feels synthetic and a bit grainy
• While not transparent, the fabric is fairly thin (you might not want to wear boxers)
• The DWR coating will eventually wear off
• They are very tapered and don’t look great with boots. The straight leg will work better if that’s your style
• Price: not bad for technical fabric, but wool is expensive

How I Tested Proof’s 72-Hour Pants

I make videos for a living and shoot outdoors, so I’ve been wearing these for work quite a bit over the past month. I haven’t had a chance to travel in them yet.

I have washed them at least once, but I’ve worn them a lot — they’ve certainly received more than 72 hours of wear without washing, though I often give them some time to rest while I wear in my selvedge jeans.

Features: Proof 72-Hour Merino Pant

• The fabric is a stretchy blend of 47% Merino wool, 33% nylon, 14% polyester, 6% elastane
• Durable water resistant (DWR) coating
• Three colors: black, navy, and olive
• Five-pocket design with a zippered back pocket

My Proof 72-Hour Merino Wool travel pants have an athletic tapered fit. They are available in black, navy, and olive.

They’re made from 47% Merino wool, 33% nylon, 14% polyester, and 6% elastane. So, the pants will stretch and give you a full range of motion. Six percent elastane is dramatic; if you enjoy Huckberry’s products you might have tried their 365 Pants, which are perfectly squat-capable with two percent elastane. Six percent makes them stretch like yoga pants.

They have a durable water-repellent (DWR) coating. DWR is found on waterproof and water-resistant fabrics. It’s essentially a waterproof spray applied to the surface of a fabric. Eventually, it wears off from abrasion and washing.

The design is a classic five-pocket jean-type material, but there is a secret zip pocket is in the back right pocket. They also feature a gusseted crotch for a higher range of durability and range of motion.

So if I am traveling and a pickpocket wants to go in there because they see that wallet bulge, they can’t. It’s a feature that I am definitely looking forward to trying out next time we travel.

Advantages of Merino Wool Blend

• Naturally anti-stink
• Merino wool is softer and less itchy than other wools
• Moisture wicking
• Very packable
• Dries quickly

I’ve been doing a lot of outdoor shoots, and I’ve been wearing these pants quite a bit for those because they offer me a lot of stretch and maneuverability. Sometimes, with jeans, especially if it’s hot outside, they stick to you once you get a little bit sweaty and lose a lot of your range of motion. The 72-Hour Travel Pants have not done that to me at all. They’re even more functional than stretch jeans.

The combination of wool and polyester makes them moisture wicking: when I get a little sweaty, they pull the moisture away from my body to help evaporate it.

And while synthetics like polyester and nylon can sometimes exacerbate body odor, there’s so much wool in here that the pants do indeed enjoy the antimicrobial, anti-odor powers of wool: they don’t stink. You can wear them for three days without them being stinky. I’ve done multiple challenges of three consecutive days of wear, and they don’t stink. So if you’re traveling and don’t have access to laundry, you won’t have to bring as many clean pants as you might think!

You can also wash these in a sink pretty easily: the pants pack well and don’t take up a lot of room and they don’t hold onto much water either. In other words: they’ll fit in a hotel sink if you need to wash them, and while not everyone loves synthetic fabrics, they do make a fabric that washes easily and dries quickly.

That’s why thru-hikers choose Merino wool socks and underwear. Because they’re only packing a couple of pairs, they can wear them over and over without them stinking.

So while some folks turn up their noses at synthetics and others turn their noses up at wool, the combination of the two here does give you the benefits of both.

Fit & Comfort: Proof 72-Hour Merino Wool Travel Pants

• Comfortable in hot weather
• Full range of motion when active
• Legs are very tapered; if you wear chunky boots you might prefer the straight leg fit

The 72-hour pants really worked well for filming outside. I regularly found myself working on my feet and moving at a good clip in 85-degree heat — and I run hot.

I sweat plenty, I didn’t stink, and I still had a full range of motion in the pants. No matter how long I wore them for they were always comfortable and always flexed and moved with my body.

I really love them and will continue to wear them. I’m confident that the work I put these pants through is a good test of how they’d handle intense travel. I’m looking forward to making the most of their stretchiness during my next long flight, especially because I travel with a five-year-old and that requires a lot of bending, reaching, getting in and out of overhead compartments and bags, et cetera.

Style: Proof 72-Hour Merino Wool Travel Pants

• Fairly casual, 5-pocket design
• Easier to style with sneakers than boots unless you get the straight leg version
• Minimalist branding, no visible logos

These are definitely casual pants, not just because they have the five-pocket design of jeans — much more casual than the slash pockets of chinos — but also because the fabric is pretty clearly synthetic. This is especially true if you get the grey (“Overcast”) color that Stridewise’s editor Nick got.

I’ve been wearing these with a pair of sneakers: I’ve worn them with Chucks, Vans, and boots. But I find I need to wear pretty slim boots with a narrow shaft if I’m wearing these tapered ones.

Another thing I like about Proof clothing is the minimalist branding and the black accents. They blend in well with the garment and r because I sleep in them, and then they get a little wrinkly from sleeping in them.

How to Wash Proof 72-Hour Pants

• Follow the care guidelines:
  • Machine wash cold with like colors
  • Tumble dry low, Gentle cycle
  • Do not use fabric softeners

I’ll machine wash the pants cold on the gentle cycle, then hang them to dry.

I’ve not thrown them in the dryer, so I’ve not experienced any shrinkage. I didn’t experience any shrinkage in my 72-hour t-shirt, either. But for the pants, I don’t want the legs to twist or anything on them, so I’ve just been hanging them to dry.

Worth the Investment?

• $168
• The price isn’t bad for technical fabric with a wool blend

You might see the price tag and say that’s pretty expensive for a pair of pants. But remember, merino wool is usually a bit more expensive, no matter what company makes it.

It’s expensive because it’s a sustainable animal product that requires a lot of labor and time to produce, but also because it’s valuable: merino wool offers so many amazing properties for traveling and everyday wear that it’s really worth it. You can wear it on a warmer day and not overheat, or you can wear it as a layer to keep you out of the sun.

You can wear it on a plane, jump off the plane and go out to a nice-ish dinner, throw on a nicer shirt, and still look pretty good. And you can wear them every single day and still look fine with them in a t-shirt. All of these products are definitely worth their price point.

Conclusion

All in all, I am very happy with these pants. They’ve become a wardrobe staple and will see a lot of wear over the next several months. I can wear them at work, while I travel, play with the kids, and doing housework. They’re versatile and functional. I’d recommend them to anyone looking for a technical fabric.

Now, if you don’t like synthetic or stretch fabrics, you might not like these, but these are great for people looking for something “outdoorsy” that doesn’t look like you just got the Appalachian trail.