I like the Mountain Hardwear Mesa convertible pants for the most part. The material is fairly sturdy for nylon backpacking pants, but still comfortable to wear. I recently wore them on a 4 hour orienteering exercise in below freezing temperatures and snow in Colorado. They performed great going through scrub brush and at times knee high snow with only a base layer under them. I did manage to cut them open during a barbwire fence crossing, but It was a fairly small tear that will not put them out of service. I think that a lighter pair of pants would have been toast after that.
My only issue with them is the odd fit for me. I'm about as average as you can get, 6'00, 200 lbs, 34 inch waist, 32 inch inseam. I tried a size large at a local shop and found them to be tight in the thighs. I had a hard time raising my knees up comfortably. I opted for the XL to have the room in the legs, but that left me with a huge waistband that bunches up when I tighten down the belt. That has left these pants as a cool weather pant with a base layer under them to take up some of the space in the waist.
I just received a pair of TNF Paramount pants in the mail. I took a chance with the size large and it paid off. These pants are great. The material is stronger and the fit is perfect. With only a month in the Mesa's they are going on the shelf for the Paramount's.
I'm a pretty hardcore loyalist to MH, and have had previous issues with TNF's quality control, but this time TNF wins.