MACPAC FAST TRACK SHORTS REVIEW (I LOVE THEM)

Felix: “The Macpac Fast Track shorts are the best shorts you’ll ever wear.”

Me: “Sweet, I’ll trust you and get two pairs.”

That was me blindly trusting my new colleague on my first day working at Macpac. And I tell you what, he was right (I did try on a few others first).

I now have four pairs (two regular and two long), they’re super comfortable and I wear them everyday for most things life throws at me. And they’ve got zipped pockets (including the women’s and kids pairs 😮 ).

If someone comes into Macpac looking for shorts, I go in to bat for the Macpac Fast Track shorts.

This post will give you all the details about what I do and do not like about them. I of course wear the mens Fast Tracks, but there are kids and women options too.

Want to buy the Fast Track shorts now?

Here they are at Macpac.co.nz and Macpac.com.au.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE FAST TRACK SHORTS

THEY’RE SUITABLE FOR EVERYTHING

I like to keep the amount of clothes I own on the lower side, so the Fast Track shorts are great in that I can really use them for everything…whether that’s:

• Travelling
• To the pub
• Hiking in both NZ and overseas
• Trail running
• Hot tub
• Weddings (yes, I wore them to a wedding)

In short, I can put these on and maybe a clean pair in my pack and I know I can get through the day without needing to worry about being caught out. As a regular hiker/trail runner in Queenstown, it always pays to be ready to go into the hills at a moments notice.

THEY’RE COMFORTABLE

From day one they sit magically. I’ve never had an issue with being itchy, feeling weighty or anything. For me, this is important. From what I understand about materials, nylon is generally a comfortable material.

THE POCKETS ARE DEEP

There’s just the two pockets on the Fast Track shorts, but they’re large and with the zips can fit plenty. As I write this on a post while on a long distance bus I have the following in my pocket:

• Man purse
• Passport
• Samsung S10 phone
• Heart Rate monitor
• Headphones Case

And provided I’m not running, this doesn’t feel like they’re overflowing in weight.

THEY’RE DURABLE

I mention a couple of the durability issues you could be picky with in the things I don’t like section.

But for me, I’ve been wearing all four pairs everyday and there’s no signs of them getting to their expiry date yet. I’ve just gotten two more pairs of Kuhl shorts to review, so was thinking I could get rid of two pairs of the Fast Tracks.

But I just can’t make myself part with them when they’re still perfectly fine to wear. Will probably donate them.

THE DRAW CORD WORKS

There’s nothing worse than wearing bottoms or a hoody with a draw cord, and the drawcord gets lost. That along with the elasticated waist keeps me happy as.

THE ZIPPED POCKETS

There are just the two pockets on the Fast Track shorts, but they’re both zipped which is awesome. On one of the four pairs of Fast Tracks the zip doesn’t work anymore, but I’d say 7 out of 8 zips working after 2 years of regular use is good going.

And yes, ladies, the women’s Fast Track shorts have zipped pockets too!

THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT LENGTHS

One thing I’ve noticed in New Zealand compared to the USA, is that we often don’t get the chance to pick our inseam length.

If you’re in a store and like a pair of shorts for everything but the length is a deal breaker, you have to get a different short. Macpac Fast Track shorts have two different lengths, the regular is 18cm and the Fast Track Long Shorts are 24cm (for the Medium size).

I’ve got two of each, and do all activities in both. When I’m out on the trails in the long shorts, I feel like I’m a bit of a Courtney Dauwalter with Shortneys!

WHAT I DON’T LIKE

THERE’S SOMETIMES SOME PILLING

This is something that doesn’t phase me, but I have had a couple of people mention the pilling on the pocket areas. This has only happened on one of my pairs, so I’m thinking its more a me problem.

HOLES IN THE CROTCH

On two of the pairs I’ve got, the stitches in the crotch areas have broken leaving a nice hole. While this would is a super easy fix (you can even take them into Macpac to be sent away to be resewn), I’ve somewhat (no judging) never actually had them repaired. It’s not a major, and I’m not one to go commando.

THERE’S A FUNKY THING GOING ON WITH THE POCKETS

I do love the pockets, but they’ve got one quirk which is hard to explain.

At the bottom of the pocket there’s almost a secret extra bit of pocket? I didn’t notice this until I was confused as to where the coins I had in my pocket had gone. They’d falled into the secret bit of pocket which unless you’re consciously looking for, you can miss.

Now that I know it’s there it’s fine, but I needed to find some downfall of these shorts.

TECH SPECS & FEATURES

Material: 85% Nylon, 15% Elastane
Weight: 160 g (Size M)
Pockets: 2x zipped side pockets

Other Notes:

• Extra elastane ensures freedom of movement
• The design is intended to prevent chafing on the seams
• Reflective detailing for visibility
• Stretch fabric

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Can you tell that I love the Fast Track Shorts?

In my mind, they’re the best Macpac shorts you can buy. If I had to pick a second best, I’d choose the Trekker shorts. But I’m team Fast Track all the way!

If you have any questions/comments about these shorts, leave a message below or email jub@churnewzealand.com and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Enjoy gear reviews? I’ve written a bunch more to help you choose the best gear for the trails.