>>1465884for everyday /out/ there a large powergap between complete novices and the more experienced. The novices wear jeans for everything because they don't know any better, the more experienced wear jeans because they know as long as the weather is fine jeans will be okay. I never wear synthetic hiking pants anymore except for backpacking trips on my own free time but as long as the weather is good I'll go hike or climb in jeans. I'm not a roadie cyclist anymore but I'm much happier now when I go ride my bike for a couple hours in jeans in a t-shirt. Granted I like jeans with some spandex woven in but that's just preference.
When I did trail work its pretty accepted to wear heavy jeans or canvas for weeks on end because they're exceptionally durable, affordable and you're not exactly looking for peak performance. But hell do a lot of people want to go home and change into 100% synthetic everything before they go for a day long hike, which is just silly. Cotton KillsTM is an outdoor industry meme to get you to buy a second additional wardrobe of synthetics. In college we used to go hiking in jeans in winter on the AT all the time and even if you came home soaking wet it doesn't really matter. Sure you wouldn't do that backpacking but its really fine.
