Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Backcountry pants

I'm looking for pants to wear elk/mule deer rifle hunting out West. I normally wear BDU 60/40 poly/cotton blend. That's great for hunting whitetails here, but I don't think that would work out West. What type/brand pants do y'all wear for backcountry hunting? Thanks for any info.

I've used several different pants over the last few years. I add long johns , if super cold, or a water resistant over pant often if really wet.

First Lite Wool pants - I've used them a lot and like them.
Kuhl Wool blend pants - no longer made, but really like them. I like them enough I picked up a second pair in fairbanks, and asked Kuhl if they were ever going to make them again (answer is no). A bit lighter weight than First Lite pants, I would consider them very durable as well . They are a wool / nylon blend.
First Lite soft shell - Ok with a pretty standard cut, I like the pocket config for hunting but not my fav soft shell overall.
Mountain Hardware soft shell - I forget the model, they have some Event panels built in (in the rear) and some reinforcements. Certainly an Alpine cut, mountaineering style pant, but the best performance of the soft shell pants.

I am liking these a lot. And they finally had my size on clearance.

http://www.kryptekstore.com/Alaios-Pants-Gen-II-Highlander-P106C38.aspx

Marmot Scree are my favorites.

Kevin,

When you referred to First Lite pants, are you talking about the Kanab 2.0 pants or another style? Just curious because I have the Kanab 2.0 pants and thought they are a little on the light side as far as warmth.

Thanks

Older Sitka Mountain pants have been serving with distinction for quite a few seasons thus far.

Highly breathable synthetic is the ticket for me. Critical to have waterproof gaiters with this set-up.

Probably a bit of East vs West style cold, and lots of opinions not just my own would probably be better.
I have some heavier pants but I just don't wear them. Yes Kanab 2.0 . I use the above combos for everything, and while I don't go to the coldest places on earth, I have been out in -25 a few times. Way more about Face / Head / Hands and feet to me. If I keep those warm I can get away with nothing super heavy for most of my body and some layers.

These

I wish I could wear the Kanabs. I don't know about the 2.0's, but the original Kanabs were tight on my legs. Do the newer version allow for a looser fit?

Like everyone else have tried a lot of stuff over the years. Took me a long time to switch from wool. Synthetics are warmer than I thought they would be and they really do dry fast from your body heat. I usually wear gaiters which adds to the warmth so it has to get pretty cold before wearing long johns.
I find the fabric weight, ability to use a real belt and pockets are key for me. I like pockets that are secure and placed with some thought.
Brands, Eddie Bauer, North Face, Marmot, Reebok, Columbia and LL Bean have all worked for me. I prefer the heavier weight fabric when I know it will be cold all day.
I tried a Rivers West upland game type pant this year. Fleece with a waterproof barrier. Side zips to help get some air when it is warm. Wasn't that cold and when I moved a lot I sweat a little and no matter how I tried I could not get the moisture off the inside until I took them off at the end of the day. Nice idea, just didn't work that great for me.
My point with all this is that you always run a fine line with wind and wet and not getting too hot. I find that getting wet from sweating a lot is harder to fix than figuring out how to stay warm when it is cold.
Don't have to break the bank! I found most of my name brand, high end gear at garage sales and thrift stores.

I like the kuiu attacks best.

First Lite Corrugate Guide for me.

The early Kanab pants had a really odd cut I did not care for.

The Corrugate Guide is the soft-shell I have used by FL.

Like 338WIN, usually a gaiter adds warmth.

My wife has some insulated synthetic over pants she uses for real cold weather. I think they were from Ebay, nothing fancy.

Make sure it is material that burrs cannot attach to or you will be completely covered like velcro.

I've been using these for hiking and some mountain hunts. Durable, plenty of pockets, and relatively inexpensive:

https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/m...eak-ii-convertible-pants?variationId=0C5

Here are the Mountain HardWear pants on STP

MHW Softshell Pants

The Kuhl Pants are called Outback and work well. They are very durable. Like I said, all you will find are closeouts , but you might find a good deal. I found an initial pair at a local store on closeout , really liked them. Asked KUHL about them, they said no more .. but those that had them really liked them, then I found a pair in Fairbanks so I picked up a second pair.

http://www.rei.com/product/869940/kuhl-outback-pants-mens-32-inseam

Sporthill Expedition for me

I keep coming back to the Rab Vapour Lite pants for anything from around 45 degrees or colder. I wear them with just Merino boxers to about-5F and with micro weight Merino long johns for anything below.
I have tried Sitka, First Lite sand a bunch of different soft shells and they all pale compared to the Rab's.
They breath great, block the wind and I can be in snow all day without getting wet.

I've got a couple pairs of these and find myself wearing them more and more. They are really a great pair of pants. REI Endeavor pants are another favorite.

smokepole, PM

Mountain Hardwear Pieros

I am not heavy duty backpack hunter like the rest of you all - more of an overnight hunter and do a lot of small game.

I'm in the NE where there is not as much brush and prickly stuff.

What I do use on winter camps and when on showshoes and skis now though are snowboarders/skiing waterproof/breathebke pants. The most useful pair that I have found that are styled like cargo pants and not ridiculously bell-bottomed for ski boots are 686's Infinity Cargo pants. They can be had in various shades of brown, as an extra bonus.

They are friggin awesome

I've worn 60/40 BDUs for every elk hunt ever done in AZ. And most scouting. Not the best, but I already have them.

I use westcomb reccon cargo pant. Love it.
My dad has the rab vapour rise and it is a great pant as well.

Prana stretch Zion

Cabelas microtex if it is a little colder

I've been happy with Kings desert shadow pants. More traditional cut poly fleece. They come in two weights the light is good for most use from pronghorn to early elk season.

These plus: gaiters, rain/wind pants, and a pair of long johns will cover most of my hunting. But I don't hunt the late seasons.

BDUs would work - my son where's his on most of our hunts. Otherwise, I like First Lite and Cabela's Microtex pants. If it's really cold, I'll wear Army surplus wool pants.

I just spent the last 8 days hunting in Idaho in temps ranging from 8* to 35* w/ several inches of fresh snow. I used REI Schoeller pants and Mammut Softech pants. Both performed very well, Quiet, great freedom of movement and plenty of zippered pockets. Both were impervious to wet snow and never felt damp or clammy. The REI pants had a longer zipper giving better access to Richard through 3 layers so were 1st choice.

Next winter trip I will upgrade to expedition weight long johns from the LW ones I used on this trip for those calling stands. Outdoor Research Croc gaiters continue to be the premier invention of the 20th century.

mike r

For most of my backcountry hunting in the past 50 years the pants that I've worn were either Levis or Wranglers. Didn't really matter if I was hunting mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, black bears, moose, bighorn rams, Dall rams, mountain caribou, Alaska caribou, buffalo, or pronghorn antelope.

First Lite Kanabs light weight wool pants for cool temps down to about 20 degrees. Colder temps I wear Big Bills 8-Pointers. They are heavier pants but I've used them two years in CO chasing elk and performed well. Warmer and/or wet weather, my favorites are Tech H2O pants from Gander Mountain. Not a place where I normally buy hunting gear but, they have performed better than I expected and they are truly waterproof and comfortable down to about 30 degrees or so.