Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Wool Pants part 3 or 4...

Brad is right on the mark here IMO. Been doing the same thing for over 10 years and it works great. Supplex pants and silk long johns for me.

Since others have mentioned nylon I will throw out an idea that has worked for me. Here in North Georgia I have bow hunted in Septemper when temps have been 100+ and by January temps can be in the single digits in the mountains. I use the military BDU's that are 50% cotton and 50% nylon. I have 2 pair in OD green that are light weight and cool in hot temps and fit loose enough to wear heavy long underwear underneath in cold weather. I have never gotten cold if moving or still hunting with this combo. If it is windy I slip a pair of nylon wind pants on over them while on my stand.

I'm sure they would not dry as fast when wet as the 100% nylon but they are 50% nylon and light weight so they do not absorb moisture as bad as the 100% cotton camo pants I see most hunters wear.

To me at least they fit well, are comfortable and are not expensive. They sure look as good as some of the surplus wool pants I have seen. There is a rather large surplus store near where I live that sells 2nds for around $12 and first quality for $25.

If you go with the supplex nylon, the lightest ones I've tried with the most comfort and freedom of movement have been Gramicci climbing pants. I've hunted in them, slept in them, flown halfway around the world in them, done presentations to large groups while wearing them, tore the seat on a splintery log bench in Africa, patched them, and when they faded from sage to ash white, I dyed them a darker shade of green to keep hunting in them. Between the patched seat and huckleberry stains, they are no longer suitable for polite society. I flat out love them, though for quiet and hunting in wet, I go to the wool dress pants.

I've been blessed to stumble across a few critters while ambling about God's country and I am truly grateful for those life experiences.


the point of the photos though IS


the hat changes, the boots change, the shirts change, the PANTS stay the same.

there's a reason for that.

if it helps someone else use their outdoor money wisely it's thanks enough and the only way I really know how to repay the guys that taught me how to get around in the Alaska Bush, with confidence, comfort and sheer enjoyment.



OKanagan have you used the C's guidewear fishing pants?

am amazed if the Grammici (sp?) are lighter than those!


I've done some late fall hunts for bear and had an old river guide express amazement that I had no wool trousers. "No woolies?" he asked

Nope, have taken them outa my go to hades bag (bag with warm coat, mad bomber hat, heavy gloves etc. for when the temp just lost the bottom) replaced with expedition poly's those under my supplex and I better be sitting in really cold weather to notice the difference.

don't feel I've ever suffered for it.

even going to the cabin in extreme temps I don't wear wool anymore.


though I do dote on my Merino wool longjohns, Smartwool socks and a lt wt. wool sweater

the wool sweater I just can't give up on, it seems warmer than fleece to me, and when it gets cool enough to don it, I just feel like I'm really hunting, and in good meat hanging weather.

god but I'm thankful I've lived in a place where I could hunt.

but I think I'm going to start going back to see family in November again now to extend my hunting season with whitetails and quail if there any left.

I harbor a bit of envy missing whitetail season and so enjoy the pix folks share, god didn't make many critters prettier than deer.

Call us traditional, but virtually every forester up in these parts wears woolies every day when in the field. Wide suspenders too. There's nothing warmer in a working pant. Nothing more trusted.

The pant of choice is usually Woolrich Malones. Followed by Codets. But it is said that Codets are make from "recycled wool lint that comes up with the spare change from loggers pockets."

Craig

No, haven't tried them but will take a look as the Gramicci's need replacing and they seem to be shifting to selling cotton to the fashion crowd rather than synthetics for hard core climbers. There's a Cabela's 3 1/2 hour drive from here that I get to once in awhile and will definitely check on the guide pants.

Ditto on the whitetails. The older I get the more I enjoy hunting them. I suppose this is heresy but there is something proper and even dainty pretty about whitetails and the country where they live, even the big old bucks. I didn't break a sear on one this Fall and won't hunt them any more this year. I brought home the image of a modest 4x4 engraved in my mind. He was standing broadside inside of 50 yards with my crosshairs steady on his shoulder, finger on trigger, crossbreeze on my right cheek.

tha's way cool OK

imo&e it is when you finally figured out that you've arrived as a hunter, when you've decided that when opportunity presents itself that you still have options.

I use to hunt with a fierce bloodlust, not so much anymore, and it makes me wonder if I'm as good as I once was. But I do find myself enjoying my field time even more, taking more enjoyment from the other creatures that are not my quarry but still part of the environment I place myself in.

don't know your reasons for doing so, and it really doesn't matter

if it makes sense, I'll just say congrats, sounds like a fine hunt to me.


will be interested on your take on the C's pants weight vs. Gramicci's

1ak...which pants exactly are you and Brad talking about? Have a link?

JJ, as far as whipcords go I like these quite a bit from orvis. Got 'em on clearance at the store, but see them on sale online also. wool marsh pants

1AK,

Nice pics mano. Great attitude also. I'd partner up on a hard hunt with you anytime.

So if I wear them magic pants of yorn will I bag those trophies?

Please rephrase that "gettin in his pants" stuff, willya?

grin, Mikey gotta yank my chain


sorry guys I lost this thread and didn't realize I'd been asked about the specific pants I like.

this is a great deal for you big boys, I ain't seen em this cheap in a looooonnggg time.

they'll have L sizes on down for regular prices I'm thinking, bout $50

oh and thank you for the kind comments, well 'ceptin for that danged old ironbender, grin.

hope to cross trails with more campfire folk in the future, the ones I've met to date have been top shelf.


http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=Q2GT3KXXC5NIXLAQBBISCOVMCAEFEIWE?id=0054311903872a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=cabelas+guidewear+supplex+nylon+pants&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=14&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&_D%3Asort=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&Go.x=18&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

AK, those really are some great pics of fabulous country and fantastic critters!

Totally agree about the "feel" of wool... no fleece or nylon stretch-whatever can take the place of the "handle" of wool IMO. Wool pants certainly have their place for sure, and right now with cold temps setting in and bulls living up high in knee-deep snow I've switched back over to whipcord. If the temps really dip I'll dig out my Surplus Six Pocket German Military pants! They're my all-time favorite pants when the temps really drop!

Here I am fully clad in wool, with the German Pants and wool sweater... temp was -12* F when I left the truck in the morning and 0* when I hammered this bull at 1:00 in the afternoon... no Supplex this day (grin):

.06 Mac?

Great pic, obviously taken while in "pred mode"...

Dober

338 WM Dobe.

Self timer strapped to a lil' tree...

I was Tom Selleck's stand-in at the time (grin)

210 Nozzie or was that the 300 SMK bull?

Dober

ah yes...the Selleck years...lol...

Nice bull! I get chilled looking at that pic though...I need to cover my neck once temps get down into the teens. Usually use a fleece gaitor.

yep great pic Brad,


your sweater sports the kind of camo that appeals to me!


I've been lucky enough to have hunted my share and bag a few critters that made me happy to be in that place at that time.


but I can see the hand writing on the wall, I'm not going to live long enough to do ALL the hunting I want.


sooooo a pic of a beautiful elk like that makes me as happy for you as a jealous man can be. (grin)

I've only dined upon elk one time and I thought it was delicious, and they are so majestic looking from my view.

I do believe it's time to change that, I've a pard here that traded out some hunting with some CO boys and went down there and shot a nice elk.

I think I'll have him see if he can hook me up.


life is too short to not at least try and bag one of those and make room in the freezer for a different taste.


oh yeah wool pants! I do keep a pair at the cabin, probably should have worn them Thanksgiving morn when the temp was -30, but I had smartwools on, Carhart flannel lined jeans and snow bibs for the ride out.

they'll last longer than the supplex, but is one of life's amazing surprises to me how tough and wind resistant that paper like material is.

I find that odd as the Filson Whipcord pants are 17 oz./sq. yrd. and the L.L Bean 4-pocket wool pants are 16 oz./sq. yrd. and 12 oz./sq. yrd. for the camo.

Dober, he took the 2:10 Nosler Nap (grin).

Ken, yeah but it's a "dry cold" here (grin).

AK, the only animals I want to hunt besides elk here in Montana (with an occasional antelope or deer thrown in) all reside in AK. I hunted once for moose on the Kenai and would still like to connect on a moose. One day I may draw here (sure). Aside from moose, sheep would top the list. Dall sheep is without doubt the best tasting game I've ever had, with elk and moose jockeying for second place.

No desire for shooting goofy looking African critters for this kid... Big Game begins and ends in "Northern" North America for me.

Totally agree how tough Supplex is... pretty deceiving. My pair of North Face Supplex pants are six or seven years old now and have been hunted and BP'd pretty hard but they sure don't show it.

I have worn Filson's whip's for years in all kinds of weather but I'm intrigued by RailRiders pants. They have two synthetic pants, a Weatherpants and a Winter Weatherpant, 13 and 18 oz respectively; $79 and $84 respectively. The first is their original syn adventure pants and has quite a resume, having gone on treks around Everest and on other adventure such as the Bornea Eco-challenge. The first is a nylon pant and the second a newer four-ply Supplex Taslan with reincorced seat and knees.

Anyone use these or know about them? I just may spring for the Winter pant and try them here in an Iowa winter. These may work for mild to cold hunts with layering underneath with quick-drying ability and being quiet to boot.

www.railriders.com or 1-800-437-3794.