Outdoor Research makes some phenomenal clothing, and we're particularly fond of their soft shell selection. The OR Supercharger pant is a great example, with some cool features that show OR isn't afraid to improvise.
The Supercharger is made from all-time hall-of-fame material Schoeller Nanosphere, which is the holy grail of soft shell: it breathes like a teenager watching Showtime after hours, it's tougher than you are, and the Nanosphere construction repels every bit of nastiness you can throw at (or up on) it.
The Supercharger has a relaxed fit that easily moves with you, and the tapered legs make it is a perfect climbing and cool weather mountain biking companion – no pants sucked into the chain ring or hanging up your heel hook here. The elastic waist has a built-in webbing belt with low-profile buckle that rides smoothly under a harndess and pack waist belt, and the zipped fly doesn't go through to the waist line. The short zips on each gussetted cuff relax the fit enough to handle any boot. There's even a couple loops hidden down there for instep laces if you're going to be racing through the scree. One oddity: the official description lists ankle draw cords which were not on our pant, and were not missed at all.
The mesh hand pockets function as extra venting and are not zipped, which we love; how often do you really zip those pockets anyway? If you need to secure a phone, some cards or cash, there is a right-hand zipped pocket just below the hand pocket. To sum up, the Supercharger is an awesome do-anything pant, with custom-tailored fit and top-shelf materials. You pay a premium for it, but this is clearly a case of getting what you pay for.