Vent Lightweight Active Shorts 9"
Max Airflow Fabric | Ultra Packable | Stretchy Waistband
What makes these shorts incredible?
- Featherweight fabric built for hot days
- Stretchy and breathable for all day comfort
- Fast drying with mesh lined pockets
- Secure storage with multiple pocket options
- Packs down incredibly small for travel
Risk-free try-on at home.
If you ever damage any of your apparel, we'll repair it for free, for life.
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Shorts like an A/C unit for your junk.
Ventilated, stretchy & ridiculously lightweight. With a soft hand feel & no swoosh or shine in the fabric like you might expect from most light active shorts.
Thoughtfully designed with features that are essential for adventure travel.
Stretchy waistband with an internal drawstring that can be tied outside or inside. Two small accessory loops for keys, sunglasses or whatever else.
Side zipper pocket big enough for a large phone, hidden zipper on the back right pocket, button closure on the back left & traditional front pockets with an added media pocket on the right.
All pockets have light, stretchy mesh lining that help keep everything breathable and dry super fast, making these shorts perfect for when you need to hand wash and hang dry when traveling or camping.
Aesthetically minimal, as packable as they come & most of all perfect for those hot a$$ days.
Features & Specs
- Best For: Hot weather travel, hiking, camping, and everyday adventures
- Fabric: Featherweight, stretchy, performance fabric
- Waistband: Stretch waistband with adjustable internal drawstring
- Breathability: Ridiculously airy fabric with mesh lined pockets
- Storage: Secure zip pockets plus dedicated phone and media storage
- Comfort: Anti Ball Squish gusset for unrestricted movement
- Function: Dual accessory loops for keys or sunglasses
- Packability: Packs tiny and disappears in your bag
- Inseam: 9" inseam for versatile coverage
- Fit: Athletic fit with a barely-there feel
Fabric Details / Weight
Crafted from a unique, high-performance mesh-knit poly that dries incredibly fast and allows the air to flow in and heat to flow out. Non-shiny, non-swooshy and featherweight.
- Weight: 195g (size M)
- Fabric Weight: 135gsm
Regarding UPF Rating...
Our Vent Pants/Shorts technically don’t carry an official UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rating. That’s because the fabric is ventilated with extremely tiny needle-sized holes designed for maximum breathability. Since direct UV light can pass through those minuscule vents under very specific conditions, the pants can’t be certified with a UPF rating.
That said, in real-world use, it’s virtually impossible to get sunburned through them or get any meaningful UV exposure to your skin at all. For UV rays to reach your skin through those tiny vents, you’d have to be lying completely still in direct sunlight for several hours without moving at all. In normal use, there will never be any meaningful UV exposure through the fabric.
However, if you have heightened concerns about UV exposure due to skin sensitivity, medical reasons, or personal preference, we totally understand. In that case, we’d recommend checking out our Shenanigan Pants, which are a similarly lightweight option but fully UPF-rated for added peace of mind.
Wash / Care Instructions
Wash in cold water with like colors and air dry to extend the life of the garment.
Shipping / Returns
- Fast & Free Shipping: Available on all U.S. orders.
- Free Returns & Exchanges: Items must be new and unwashed.
- Expedited Shipping Cutoff: Orders placed by 12 PM PST ship the same day. Orders placed after 12 PM PST ship the next business day.
- International Shipping: Free on orders over $100.
- More Info: Visit our Shipping & Returns page for full details.
What Customers Are Saying...
Fred N.
My Favorite Shorts
These shorts are great! Definitely one of my favorite items from KETL so far. Super comfortable and durable!
Jared E.
Top Notch Ventilation
Perfect fit, the fabric is soft & ventilated, and the pockets are useful and well placed. Best shorts I've purchased in years.
Kyle M.
Super Lightweight
These fit great. Super comfortable. Great pockets and stylish design with maximum cooling effect.
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The KETL Commitment
Everything we make is guaranteed to be amazing & last a lifetime. We stand behind our craftsmanship with a lifetime warranty & offer a thorough repair / replace program. Visit our Warranty / Repairs page for more information on our commitment to excellence.
The shorts fit great and are vented for great cool venting. I can run and sauna in these!
I was searching for shorts to wear in the most humid conditions. These have become my go to pair. I will be purchasing every color!!!
Great shorts! I’m a baker and I cycle to and from work. From the hot kitchen to the hot streets these keep me comfy and cool as possible. I really like the breathability, adjustable waistband and side zip phone pocket. Thanks for a great product!
These are my new favorite shorts. Very comfy and they fit great. My new daily wear!
Love it! Very comfortable.
I bought a pair of these babies a few years ago, now they have been embedded in my outdoor life. Whether I am backpacking for a week deep in the Grand Canyon backcountry, bikepacking on the Arizona Trail, or packrafting on the Colorado River. Plainly put, this is what I'm wearing. They're thin, really thin so you you stay as cool as a pair of shorts can get you but they're also rugged! Rugged enough to slide down granite, cacti, travertine and limestone and still ready for the next obstacle.
Bought a pair and took them on a 50-mile backpacking trip in Yosemite. Pocket design was great, fabric dried quickly after swimming. Back pocket did rip though which was a bummer.
Best activewear for summer. Has all of the features of the full length vent lightweight pants but with the pro’s of being shorts. Can’t express enough how these are easily my best pair of shorts for any activity during summer. Has all the handy pockets that make it ideal for outdoor activities or work. Comfort is on another level, most breathable shorts I’ve ever worn hands down. Do yourself a favor and just buy them, you won’t regret it.
Amazing quality, most comfortable shorts I’ve owned
Nice quality shorts. Good fit and comfortable.
These are perfect shorts. Comfortable, lightweight, stretchy!
Great shorts, love them. They are lightweight enough to keep you cool but not too light. The zippered pocket on the side is perfect. Definitely going to get another pair!
Love these!! The perfect evolution of the of the pant version into short form. Lightweight, perfect amount of stretch, and stylish all the same!
Comfortable great material that seems very substantable!
The VLA shorts are lightweight and comfortable. Breathable for no satchel roasting. Best hiking shorts yet. The Venture Air 5 is perfect too. Don’t even know it’s there while humping the trail and great for covering the dome while dipping the barking dogs.
These are my favorite shorts for hot weather.
Are these shorts available with a brief liner?
They are not available with a liner