Axis vs Guide

[tracker12]

Was wondering if the Axis is a Guide pants with the water proof front and seat. Anyone have both and have a preference.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I don’t have the guides, but I have the axis and think you are correct. fwiw I am a big fan of axis for cold, cold weather. Ran them on a cold Colorado hunt this year with a good base layer and they were great.

 

[hunting1]

To me yes they are the same pant but with the panels.

 

[LASTINLINE]

the difference i find in general is the guides are warmer for walk in stand hunting. the axis has those waterproof panels that you can almost feel the cold punch through if your sitting.late season hunting in snow. i sat on a log for 2 hours. the Axis felt clamy cold through the panels. if your active through your hunt in cold snowy stuff they dont soak through but i find using the hipvents help alot.

 

[croben]

I have the Axis pants and really like them. They were my go to pants for snow the last few years. I have both jackets and the fleece lining feels the same in both.

 

[AKDoc]

I replaced my first generation Guide jacket and second generation Guide pants with the Axis line when they first came out a few years ago. I much prefer the Axis pants for hunting in Alaska…the hip vents and waterproof panels are very functional features for my hunts. I also like how the collar on the Axis jacket comes up higher, allowing me to tuck my chin inside when a cold wind is coming face on. The collar on the Guide was always too tight for me with layers beneath.

Edit: The fleece backing on the second generation Guide and the Axis looks pretty much the same to me, as others have noted (and the second generation Guide pants have hip vents). I'm not an ounce counter, but I was curious. For those who are: The Axis pants are a slight bit heavier 1.4; the second generation Guide pants are 1.2. Conversely, the first generation Guide Jacket is a slight bit heavier 1.7; Axis jacket is 1.5

 

[doverpack12]

They are not the same pant.
Guide pant fabric is thicker with a higher brushed fleece inside. Guides are warmer if there is no wind and they have significantly bigger vents.
Axis pant material is thinner with less fleece brushed height inside and has the waterproof panels and the regular material areas block wind. Vents are smaller. They are not as warm in same conditions if there is no wind, add wind to the equation and axis quickly becomes the warmer pant

 

[elkman392989]

How quite are the Axis pants? Would they work for mid Whitetail season as well?

 

[Seeknelk]

How quite are the Axis pants? Would they work for mid Whitetail season as well?

My brother wears axis, pants definitely had some zip zip sound to his walk. Not really loud but definitely not the pant for tracking down a cracked out whitetail! Sitting in a stand, just fine.

 

[Texasbuckeye]

I fond the a is pants and the attacks to be “too loud” for my taste when bow hunting WT deer. Ymmv depending on ambient noise, typical wond conditions etc.

When the wind is above 10mph these pants are fine for bow hunting. but if it is relatively calm or just a light breeze, a slight shift in weight in a treestand can be heard by deer even 20-25 yards away. They are not quiet by any stretch and as such ambient noise level will make their use in a treestand more or less.


Having said that, love the pants, they were just not made for treestand hunting with a bow.

 

[tracker12]

Thanks for all the feedback. Very helpful

 

[JustCortisol]

Has anyone used either of these pants when they're soaked through? I'm currently using the Apex pants which are awesome up to light dew, but they get soaked in rain or stepping through underbrush with heavy dew, and then they rob all of your heat. I'm wondering how the Axis, Guide, or Timberlines all perform in either freezing rain or stepping through wet underbrush?

 

[Elk Wallow]

Has anyone used either of these pants when they're soaked through? I'm currently using the Apex pants which are awesome up to light dew, but they get soaked in rain or stepping through underbrush with heavy dew, and then they rob all of your heat. I'm wondering how the Axis, Guide, or Timberlines all perform in either freezing rain or stepping through wet underbrush?

I’ve used both the timberlines and guide pants. The guide pants are way better in my opinion. The guide pants are definitely warmer and shed water way better. I have gotten wet in the conditions you mentioned but never got cold.

Kevin