I used to be an ebike skeptic until I realized the numerous benefits of having a small motor attached to your bike. Routes with lots of hills suddenly become a lot less intimidating and locations previously out of range for my 36-year-old legs are no longer. Better yet, friends who might not ordinarily join me on a hearty bike around the city are more inclined to do so when I offer them the option of borrowing an ebike.
Essentially, the best ebikes open up new possibilities, make the act of riding a bike less intimidating and give riders more control over how intense a workout each ride is. In many ways, they are a democratizing force making cycling easier than ever for folks to try.
Now, Arc’teryx wants to replicate the concept of ebikes with hiking pants, and you can be the very first to rock a pair.
Arc'teryx e-pants: cost and availability
Priced at $5,000, the Arc’tryx MO/GO Hiking Pants — short for "mountain goat" — are set to ship sometime in 2025. Secure your preorder now with a $99 deposit; doing so also locks you into early-bird pricing, which knocks the overall cost down to $4,500.
On the fence? You can also apply to test out a pair for a full day of trekking for just $80. Or, if you're in Squamish, British Columbia, you can pop by the Arc'teryx Climb Academy for a free 20-minute demo, something I fully intend to do next time I'm up that way.
Arc'teryx e-pants and the promise of greater mobility
Gimmicky and pricey as they may sound, the MO/GO pants represent the outerwear future we all deserve, one where factors like age, mobility or overall fitness level don’t stand in the way of accomplishing your outdoor adventure dreams.
I live in the Pacific Northwest and many of my favorite mountain hikes require a fair bit of elevation gain, often thousands of feet. When my retired parents come to visit from the East Coast, I love taking them out into nature but also know their limits and as such, I avoid strenuous climbs.
But what if my parents could keep up with me on my favorite treks without over-exerting themselves? That’s where Arc'teryx MO/GO Hiking Pants come in.
Arc’teryx MO/GO Pants: features and tech details
Arc’teryx teamed up with the wearable tech company Skip, a Google spinoff, to create the MO/GOs. Built around a pair of modified Arc’teryx Gamma hiking pants, you get roughly 3 hours of battery life from a (presumably) removable rechargeable battery pack. Billed as a mobility device and not a medical one, they are all about helping you push your hiking boundaries.
Electric joints and ultra-light motors at either knee provide extra power to assist hiking on flat ground or on uphill terrain. The e-pants also soften the impact of trekking downhill, which is great for folks with bad knees, like my pops.
While you walk, onboard software analyzes your stride and gait to best assist you in a manner that feels natural. Users can also dial up or down how much electric assistance they receive.
Arc’teryx says a pair of MO/GO pants can make you feel up to 30 pounds lighter. Each power module weighs around 2 pounds while the entire contraption — pants, motor and battery included — is around 7 pounds.
The power modules connect to carbon fiber attachment points hidden under the pants. And, while the device is far from discreet looking, it also doesn’t appear entirely ridiculous.
The future of e-assisted outerwear
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a company launch an electric-powered exoskeleton to assist hikers, but it is the first product fully integrated into a pair of pants and from a major outerwear brand.
Ultimately, the MO/GO hiking pants seem more like a pricey proof of concept than a mass-market product but the simple fact that one of my favorite gorpware brands is pushing this kind of advanced clothing tech has me nothing short of hyped. Your move, Patagonia.
Now, if I could only scrape together another several thousand bucks to buy myself a pair or two…
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