Lots of opposition to jeans here. I have plenty of synthetics and I've done some of the hardest trails. But honestly jeans are great in the fall in many places. Sure you don't want to be wet and lost in them. But that all depends on the hike, and that's the point of this article. When you're taking on hikes where you might find yourself wet and lost, start thinking about another solution. But you don't necessarily need another solution for baby steps.