Recommend me new mid-late season pants

[skip189]

Axis Hybrid are my late season go to pants. Just shot a couple cows in below zero weather with high winds and had just a light merino base layer under them and wind nor the cold was problem. Seem very true to size also.

 

[Sinistram]

Update on my situation - I obsessively researched for a week or so and stumbled across the Kings Camo XKG Lone Peak pant the other day. Fleece lined, side zips, stretch, wind/water resistant, and comes in solid colors and short-er inseam lengths (who the hell has a 34" inseam?! ) because I didn't want to hem pants after buying them. Kings seems like a brand that doesn't get the recognition they should. I figure why not try something besides the big guys, right? Best of all, they were between 10-30% cheaper than the other options being tossed around in this thread and I could order them on Amazon using some gift cards, bringing my out-of-pocket cost down to basically free.

They should be here Saturday and I'll report back on initial impressions. Deer is done here in PA, but winter small game/predator is good until the end of Feb for some actual field testing.

 

[oldskool67]

Kryptek Einar Windsheer pant. Discontinued but you can still find them steeply discounted. Removable knee pads and suspender capable. Wind proof and water resistant

 

[mighteywhitehunter]

Kuiu Talus pants would be my #1 followed by the Guide Pants as #2 if I were hunting the conditions you described.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Axis hybrid is my pick. Wore mine and a pair of timberlines on a cold, snowy hunt last year. The axis were much better at keeping me warm and dry. The option to dump heat through the hip vents was helpful too.

 

[Sinistram]

The option to dump heat through the hip vents was helpful too.

This was a huge factor for me. Having only recently discovered vented pants, I can't go on living without them. I simply can't!

I'm half tempted to modify all my jeans and add them.

 

[Anubis]

sitka stratus

 

[Primal-Understanding]

Ive worn Sitka Mountain Pants on more hunts than I could count and they are durable as hell. They fit me great and are a good medium thickness - not too warm for early season but not too thin for late. However, the pockets suck imo. Cargo pocket design makes it so you cant put anything of size in them and they seem to be on an awkward spot on the leg. The hip pockets are tiny and also an awkward cut/ angle. The pants also dont have any vents but for how much Ive worn them with no holes or anything Id buy them again in a heartbeat.

Ive tried several different Stone Glacier pants and I cant stand the fit. Sold every single one. I love the features of their pants but the top of pants went over my belly button and the waistline is very rigid so it was uncomfortable as hell.

I also have a pair of First Lite Corrugate Foundary. This is my favorite pair of pants from a comfort and fit standpoint. They also have great pockets, suspenders, and side vents. The only issue is, I have found them to be fairly fragile. Only hunted in them one year and already have numerous holes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[zpearo]

I just got a pair of De Havilland pants on a good sale and they seem great. I will never buy hunting pants without hip vents again.

 

[Sinistram]

Update on the pants "saga" and to provide future internet and forum searchers with some results. I received the Kings XKG Lone Peak pants about a week ago and was very impressed. The build quality is really top notch, and the pants themselves are built like the proverbial brick outhouse. The outer fabric is thick and stiff (new) and the inner fleece is more of like what you'd find in a Sitka Jetstream. It's kind of like a mini grid pattern. Warm and stout pants that are still somehow pretty quiet. If you're a bowhunter and want absolute silence, these are not your jam. For everyone else, they should be fantastic. The drawback with them - and I will say this may affect people with proportions similar to mine - was the very long rise in the waist. They definitely want to ride up near the belly button, and my natural waist is well below that. It wasn't an issue when I strolled around the house, but taking stairs and any high leg movement was seriously restricted by the low crotch. So - back they went. The fit comment is not an admonishment of the pants, only how they fit ME. You might be different, and if things fit better, they'd still be in my closet.

At the Great American Outdoor Show this weekend, I stopped by the Kuiu booth to examine their offerings. I tried on a pair of Axis hybrid and Guide Pro pants and was immediately impressed. The build quality and fit of each was superb. In speaking with the reps, they let me know the only practical difference between those two is the waterproofing of the Axis. Insulation is the same (and looked it) and the basic pocket layout was pretty typical. Even the exterior fabric looked and felt similar. The one difference was the weight. The Guide Pro pants are shockingly light. It was one of those scenarios where you look at something and can kind of assume what it should weigh and then you're totally wrong! I ended up buying a pair of Guide Pro's in Ash because of the comfort and silly lightness. With those and a good merino base layer, you're probably good into the 20's stationary and even lower if you're moving. I'll probably get them this week and can test them out at the range or on a hike or two to get a better real world assessment.