Description of The North Face Desolation Hydro Water Short - Men's:
A pocket that keeps your point-and-shoot, wallet, and car keys dry in water up to one meter deep? Believe it. The side pocket on The North Face Desolation Hydro Water Short uses lamination and a waterproof zipper to block water. The four-way-stretch Apex fabric has a DWR finish and a UPF 30 rating, and the thermochromatic print on the side of this short actually changes color when it’s submerged in water.
Bottom Line: The color-changing print is just the icing on the cake.
Reviews (1):
Average Rating:
If you really NEED a waterproof pocket... 09-04-09
$120-150 for a pair of shorts!? Yep, but what you're really paying for is is the waterproof pocket. It does seem to work. I recently went on a multi-day rafting trip, and kept my camera in the pocket. It was nice to have easy access to the camera, but know that it was relatively safe when I was splashed or wading (I didn't get it 1 meter deep, but did fully wade into the water). It was nice not to have to dig the camera out of a dry bag or waterproof case each time I wanted to use it. I would agree with the recommended uses of kayaking, canoeing and rafting.
As for the shorts themselves, they seem to fit true-to-size. There's no liner, but the material and cut are such that you don't need to wear anything underneath them. They are comfortable and quick-drying. There's a drawcord, but this still doesn't allow much leeway if the size is off. Probably the only complaint I have is that other than the waterproof pocket, there are no other pockets. I'm used to having a number of pockets on my water-shorts, so there were times that this was a little annoying (and this also limits their use when you're not in a kayak or raft). Other than this, these are excellent shorts that do what they are supposed to (provide an easily-accessible, protective dry space for situations when you are likely to be around or briefly in water).
