Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Wool Pants

Looking for a set of wool pants for active hunting (bird hunting, deer tracking, etc.) I have a set of Malone pants from woolrich and there great for ice fishing and late season hunts but to heavy for anything really active. I imagine the filson whipcords are tops but don't have the $240 they require. I am looking at the Johnson whipcords, LL bean whipcords, or woolrich big horn. Ive heard good things regarding value with the cabelas pants, but cant find any whipcords listed. Any feedback on these or other suggestions I might be missing. I want green or gray, no camo.

May want to hit up the local DI, Goodwill or thrift store and find some wool "dress pants". I found a pair of 100% wool German military dress pants for $3.50. They work surprisingly well in cold weather with an insulating base layer. They're kind of high watered on me, but that's OK, especially since when it is cold and snowy enough to need them, I am also wearing gators.

They're not my Filson Mackinaw bibs, which are awesome for late season upland birds, but they're also not $300.

Don't know much about the whipcords.

Go to the local Salvation Army/Goodwill, and look for a nice pair of wool dress pants. They're usually made well and are lightweight.

A pair of yard sale German woolys was my favorite pair of hunting pants until I got into a knife fight with a "dead" deer and they got all tore up. Good cheap option.

What size?

I've got way too many for various reasons......two Filson whipcords like new......probably 38x30 or so.....would need to dig em out.....also have some very heavy Filsons in 40x30.....will entertain reasonable offers from Campfire Members.

I've got a few different pairs. The woolrich ones are very heavy, which is gonna be fine for a horse or stand hunter.

The surplus German ones with the built in gaiters are really tough to beat. Used to be able to pick them up for less than $20. So you could pick up a couple/few pairs for the week long wet snow hunts.

Go synthetic. Lighter dry or wet. Dry faster. Just as warm, dry or wet. Wear-dry much faster.

Only downside is in the wind - and a light windbreaker shell fixes that. Especially if i is "breathable".

i have wool pants I haven't worn in 15-20 years...

Probably should good-will those suckers (and yes, they still fit).

Some of the bet I've used were the US Army wool field trousers that were issued in the 50's, maybe later. Pretty hard to find now. Never wore any out, but "outgrew" them and gave them away.

I tried some from Cabelas some years ago. Don't think they still sell the same ones - shrunk pretty bad even though supposedly washable and I followed the washing instructions. Only Ok to begin with, gave up after second pair shrunk.

Bought a pair of the LL Bean wool whipcords when they brought them back out a few years ago - great pants. Good tight weave, pretty good handling briars, quite, will be a lot lighter than your malone pants. They're tailored more like regular trousers so bought mine a size larger than usual to be able to use different weight thermals underneath. I use them as relatively dry weather hunting pants when it doesn't look wet enough to start out with goretex - they'll shed water for awhile but not like heavy wool. Definitely Recommend.

Never tried Johnson whipcords - would expect them to be pretty good. Used to use their 22 oz green wool pants, but stopped wearing heavy wool pants. I am on my second Johnson Wool cruiser jacket - first one was a good 30 year coat, but damn if I didn't outgrow that too!

Google M-1951 army pants. Wool whipcord and hell for stout. They are high waisted and I had my 2 pair cut down to more modern fitting. I absolutely love them and at about $40.00 total they beat Filson all over.

The M-1951s are the ones I was thinking of. If you can find a pair in your size it will be the best $40 you can spend on hunting gear!

Google Swedish Wool Army Pants. If you can find them in your size, they are great. Even have the hip cargo pockets that I find extremely handy. I got mine for about $30 a few years ago and now some are going for over $100.

I have Filson Whipcords and the much heavier wool 24oz/sq yd Filson pants; they are well made and last like a glacier but only the smooth textured Whipcords would be remotely suitable for bird hunting if PA is anything like Iowa. Wool with anything but a very hard finish will attract seeds and burrs like ants to a picnic. And, it would have to be very cold for wool to be comfortable for an active bird hunter.

If you really want wool and it's very cold, I'd consider some upland chaps for over the wool otherwise look at some good synthetics. For example, I have Sitka Mountain pants and like them more and more. They are expensive too but I'm sure there are other options.

M1951 USGI wools
Or
Pattern 1949 Canadian battle dress trousers.

Canadian wool is skookum! In WWII you couldn't keep the Tommys from stealing the Canadian battle dress!

Lucked out last year and found a pair of Filson Mackinaw trousers in our local Cabelas bargain cave. After all the sale discount reduced stuff they cost me $60!

Good luck!

I just bought 2 pair of army wool pants - 1951 for $20 each at the local Surplus store.

At that price who cares what happens to them on a hunt.

For those recommending the M1951's how true are the sizes? Its been a while since I wore BDU's and cant remember what the sizing was like. I wear a 34X34 jean, but for hunting pants I usually wear a 36X32. I was thinking a med or large long (which could always be hemmed for cheap). I probably snatch up a pair to try, If I don't like them, Im gonna give the bean ones a shot.

My 36" waist were true to size.

Are they the mediums?

West Germany mil sure wool cargo pants are great.

After Docbill's post reminded me of the right nomenclature for the M-1951 wool trousers, I did some web surfing and found quite a few sources through ebay and mil surplus stores. Mainly for small and medium sizes, a few larges. They all have a 3 or 4 inch fit range, with tabs at the waist to take up excess if you're on the lower end of a fit range. Get on the web and look them up - find a source that lists the waist and inseam numbers. As I recall the fit was accurate and I never had any problem with them shrinking, but I always had them dry cleaned. make sure you're looking at the wool pants, there is also a m1951 cotton sateen over trouser. Still good pants, but not the same!
My winter issue uniform in Alaska back in the early 80's was the m1951 wool shirt, cotton sateen field pants with liners, fishtail parka with liner, and US Army mountain boots or vapor barrier boots. All in the days before The ECWCS was general issue.

Thanks for that - I'm due for new wool pants so just Googled the M1951's and they came right up on Amazon so have an order placed...

Edit to add: Amazon lists the size ranges in inches that correspond to the small/med - short/long sizing.