Summer and warmer weather are here, and have gone again and are due back shortly. So is it time to get the old walking shorts out again, give the legs an airing on the next walk this weekend, or should I treat myself to a new pair, and if I do what should I look out for? Well let’s go through my checklist and see what I can find.

As far the waist goes, winter has been good and even though we have got a few walks I probably need to lose a couple of pounds, so I think it might be best to look for a stretchy waist, but with belt loops so I have the option of tightening my belt, so to speak as I get my walking weight back.

As with the waist the overall stretch of the garment is important, some manufacturers are using both two-way and four-way fabrics which give both extra comfort and increased freedom of movement. However, with shorts I have purchased previously if the cut and overall design of a garment is good enough then even shorts with no stretch can be comfortable too.

Increased ventilation is always an important consideration, especially on hot summer days, so if the shorts have mesh-lined pockets that is a bonus that is worth looking for, and when we consider pockets, it is always useful for one or more pockets to be zipped so that important items can be kept safe but accessible. And similarly one pocket should always be of sufficient size to accommodate an OS map or guidebook.

They can be made form a fast drying synthetic material, although cotton is good too, but can tend to soak up water and is slower to dry out. However, I tend to look for durability and so prefer a heavy duty fabric with double stitching AS I feel Iam getting more short for my money.

So do you think I have missed anything and that I need to consider other factors in thinking about my next pair of walking shorts? Why not let me know what you think.