These Shorts Rock

By Gary Orona on June 19, 2023
3 min read

A.K.A. I've Got a Bone to Pick with KÜHL

A landscape of a rocky scenery somewhere in USA

As a filmic and photographic artist I am stubborn and ridiculously picky about my men's outdoor adventure attire. Just ask my wife. I’m impossible to shop for. We spend almost every day grinding across rugged outdoor terrain, and having done this for more than 30 years, I’m set in stone when it comes to what I wear out there. It must be comfortable, flexible and tough as hell. No exceptions

So how has KÜHL rocked my world? In a nutshell, KÜHL has proven me wrong. I never wear anything other than heavy cotton when it comes to men's cargo shorts. So when KÜHL sent me a pair of the Tufflex-based Renegade Cargo Shorts my first thought was, “I’m not going to do well in these. They’re not cotton!”

KÜHL Renegade Cargo Short Product Review

The original plan was to wear them on a trek in search of ancient Native American archeological sites hidden within the Grand Mesa area of Utah. But then I put the shorts on and was immediately taken by how comfortable they are.

I normally like baggy, airy men's shorts with plenty of room to stretch but these trim, form fitting shorts are ridiculously stretchy! I wore them around the studio for a day and was overwhelmed with how good these shorts felt.

A man climbing a rock dressed in KUHL mens climbing shorts and hiking shirts

I decided they must be tested for durability. Sure they fit great, but could they take abuse in the natural world? With so much comfort and stretchy flexibility they must fall apart in seriously sharp, rugged terrain, right?

My wife and I knew exactly how to test these babies out: Dinosaur Badlands!

A landscape of a rocky scenery and a rock pillar somewhere in USA

We often hunt for dinosaur bone sites in secret badlands near our gallery in Utah. These landscapes are rife with razor sharp rocks and treacherous conditions. I rip through the toughest of shorts in mere weeks.

Could the KÜHL Renegade Cargo shorts hold up to my derriere sliding across jagged rocks all day long? In a word, yes.

A man standing on a rock wearing KUHL men's climbing shorts, shirts, and hats

We trekked mile after mile into, across and over savage badlands. My wife found a fossilized Cretaceous Age dinosaur claw.

An image of a rock with a fossil

Further on she discovered a fossilized dinosaur spine (that’s her hand for scale).

A man placing his hand on a rock with fossils

Later she found yet another fossilized dinosaur claw!

Another image of a rock with a fossil

And we hung out on some rocks with this cheery local fella.

A close-up image of a lizard in the rocky region

All day long we scraped across this brutal landscape, and the KÜHL Renegade Cargo Shorts held up beautifully. There are no rips, tears, stains, or even abrasions on the shorts. Very impressive.

A man standing next to a rock wearing KUHL men's climbing shorts, shirts, and hats

These shorts are really, really comfy, extremely tough, seriously flexible, and they are cool on maddeningly hot days (it was 109°F on this day). It’s safe to say that KÜHL has burst my cotton bubble, and my days of cotton-snobbery are over. I’d wear the KÜHL Renegade Cargo Shorts any day in the great outdoors. They’re winners.

A landscape image of a sunny day on a rocky region

Did I mention they look great as well? Truth be told, I’ve been wearing them in our fine art photography Savage Territory Gallery in Green River, Utah. A lot. If you come in, chances are you’ll see me like this. (That’s the KÜHL Airspeed LS Shirt I’m wearing with the Renegade Cargo Shorts on an in-gallery day. Don’t get me started on that men's shirt. Let’s just say ahhhhhhhhh.)

A man standing in a museum dressed in KUHL mens hiking clothing

I received KÜHL apparel for this review at no cost. I received no other compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.


Gary Orona is a native Californian now living in Green River, Utah amidst the sublime canyon lands of the Colorado Plateau. He is an international, award winning filmmaker and wild landscapes fine art photographer.

He spends approximately 300 days a year trekking into rarely visited, off-grid wilderness in search of photographic locations for his Savage Territory Fine Art Photography Galleries. This year Gary and his wife opened their first brick-n-mortar physical fine art photography at 30 S Broadway, Green River, Utah 84525.

Gary Orona
Gary Orona

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