Debunking the belt issue: First off, 1st or 2nd review of a couple hundred purchases on Amazon. In short, I love these shorts and there have been some reviews that voiced a concern with the belt; however, they are somewhat misguided. I'm writing this review because they are by far my favorite shorts and really, really do not want them to ever be discontinued.... For some reason, Columbia stitches the cardboard tag for the shorts through the belt of the shorts on the RH rear side. A typical consumer, myself included, just rips off the tag, puts them on and goes about his business. The problem is that the two threaded stitched loops that were used to attach the tag typically DO NOT come off when that cardboard tag is ripped off - they stay there attached through the belt. As a result, the belt is attached to the rear of the shorts and will not slide to adjust when tightened. A simple solution is to use a pair of scissors to cut those stitched loops off. At that point the belt is fully adjustable and actually works really well. AGAIN, JUST CUT OFF THE STITCHED THREAD LOOPS THAT GO THROUGH THE BELT USED TO ATTACH THE TAG. I actually almost threw a pair away for this reason, but was going to cut out the belt for other uses and came across the stitching. I wish they would note this, or even better, not stitch through the belt, but they've been doing this for years. COLUMBIA, DO YOU READ THESE??? As mentioned before, these are by far my favorite shorts and I have at least 8 pairs. I wear the shorter 9" ones for wade fishing or jet skiing. I prefer the 11" ones for hiking, general around the house duties or going out. They are a very comfortable nylon, are cool, very fast drying and breathe extremely well in hot weather. I live in Ohio, but spend a lot of time in SW Florida and these are comfortable in both locales. I'm 5'-10" and about 170#, well.. 180#, and the mediums sit well and don't have to be hiked up all the time like other shorts. The 11" hits the middle of my knee and the 9" hits a hair above the kneecap. There is a mesh brief inside that is not too tight or to short, so undies are not needed to be worn. They don't fade, I have had none fail in stitching, they don't pill, hold up to 100's of washings, are stain resistant - seriously they are darn near perfect. I honestly can find no fault with these shorts other than the issue with the tag stitching and that's easily remedied. There's a zippered side pocket for phone or wallet and two front pockets. None in the rear. I'm surprised that nobody else pointed this out, but it is not really obvious. I really don't write reviews, but I'd love to hear your feedback on this one if that's how it works. -JK
