Stone Glacier M7 Pants

[Colinfarre5]

Hey y’all,
So I’m looking for a dedicated late season pant and I’m between the first lite catalyst foundry and the stone glacier M7. I have the catalyst foundry, however, the M7 look to be an all around better later season option based on their waterproof/windproofness. One downside to the M7 is they are not knee pad compatible.

For anyone who has the M7 pants, could you give me any insight?

Thanks!

 

[jbwright]

Looking at this exact comparison! Following

 

[Noodlestheshaman]

I’ve recently sold mine. They were really noisy ( I know rain pants are not quiet but dang lol)

 

[ncederholm]

Hi - I’m new here, but I have used the SG M7 in a few different places the past year or so. Full transparency, I have no clue about the FL pants, so this may be a bit bias. I’ve used the M7’s at home here in AK on a 10 day Moose hunt (which was a wet one), an October Caribou hunt up in Atigun Pass area (Snowy, cold, windy, lots of on foot movements), and then I used them in Arizona on a mule/cous deer hunt in which I rained a ton and dropped below freezing a few nights out in desert. — below are my findings, all personal preference of course:

The pros: They are waterproof, they are decently warm for the fleece backer (not as warm as a puffy pant though), the large hip vents are amazing when you need them, they seemed to naturally ventilate better than expected for a waterproof pant.

The cons: full transparency - I’m an MMA athlete, I have big claves/legs/glutes with a 32” waist, finding proper fit is a nightmare for me, I always size up, SG has typically been the only company to actually accommodate my fit dilemma - I wear a size large in the de havilland pants (which are the best imo) and I bought the M7’s in the same size since SG advertises that their gear is pre-fit for layering accommodations, I found that to be 50% true, the belt line on the M7’s is larger, however the quads/glutes area is not at all larger, in fact they feel even tighter than the de havillands …… I think that’s given that the M7’s have a “mechanical stretch”. This made the break-in process a little bit annoying. “Mechanical stretch” is not my favorite, the de havillands have a great stretchy fabric, the M7’s are much more ridged and less mobile, and as such I realized that wearing a belt is the only way to keep them from falling down if I bend over/kneeling/etc. Something to bear in mind is that the M7’s are meant to be worn as a primary pant (not like the M5’s) so, if you prefer more stretch in your primary pants, the M7 might not be the right choice.

Bottom line: Do they work? Yes. - Are they comfy? Maybe like a 6/10 - Should you go a size up if you’re needing to layer? YES. - Are they worth the $300+ price tag? I don’t think so. - Will I use mine again in hunts this season? Likely No, I’d rather layer comfortably and pack my rain gear/puffy pants.

All in all, too me, the M7’s are a little disappointing in comparison to other SG gear. Maybe I received a pair that were janky on the assembly line, but given the price tag, that should NEVER be the case.

 

[ZuluBravo]

I have both I find myself wearing the FL Catalyst Foundry the most. The SG M7 are a totally different pant, think a thinner lighter weight snow pant or a rain pain with a fleece backer. If it were really wet or I was sitting in snow all day (predator hunting or late season blind hunting) Id opt for the M7

 

[Colinfarre5]

Hi - I’m new here, but I have used the SG M7 in a few different places the past year or so. Full transparency, I have no clue about the FL pants, so this may be a bit bias. I’ve used the M7’s at home here in AK on a 10 day Moose hunt (which was a wet one), an October Caribou hunt up in Atigun Pass area (Snowy, cold, windy, lots of on foot movements), and then I used them in Arizona on a mule/cous deer hunt in which I rained a ton and dropped below freezing a few nights out in desert. — below are my findings, all personal preference of course:

The pros: They are waterproof, they are decently warm for the fleece backer (not as warm as a puffy pant though), the large hip vents are amazing when you need them, they seemed to naturally ventilate better than expected for a waterproof pant.

The cons: full transparency - I’m an MMA athlete, I have big claves/legs/glutes with a 32” waist, finding proper fit is a nightmare for me, I always size up, SG has typically been the only company to actually accommodate my fit dilemma - I wear a size large in the de havilland pants (which are the best imo) and I bought the M7’s in the same size since SG advertises that their gear is pre-fit for layering accommodations, I found that to be 50% true, the belt line on the M7’s is larger, however the quads/glutes area is not at all larger, in fact they feel even tighter than the de havillands …… I think that’s given that the M7’s have a “mechanical stretch”. This made the break-in process a little bit annoying. “Mechanical stretch” is not my favorite, the de havillands have a great stretchy fabric, the M7’s are much more ridged and less mobile, and as such I realized that wearing a belt is the only way to keep them from falling down if I bend over/kneeling/etc. Something to bear in mind is that the M7’s are meant to be worn as a primary pant (not like the M5’s) so, if you prefer more stretch in your primary pants, the M7 might not be the right choice.

Bottom line: Do they work? Yes. - Are they comfy? Maybe like a 6/10 - Should you go a size up if you’re needing to layer? YES. - Are they worth the $300+ price tag? I don’t think so. - Will I use mine again in hunts this season? Likely No, I’d rather layer comfortably and pack my rain gear/puffy pants.

All in all, too me, the M7’s are a little disappointing in comparison to other SG gear. Maybe I received a pair that were janky on the assembly line, but given the price tag, that should NEVER be the case.

Hey thanks for all the imformation and your personal experience with the M7. I know their pant sizing has been all over the place and they have had some issues with their fit. Especially so with guys with thick legs.

I’m looking for a primary outer and I figured since hunting late season almost always involves snow and in general freezing temperatures, I’d rather carry one primary outer layer pant. Right now If I carry my catalysts I have to also pack my kuiu Chugach rain pants. If I have the M7s I only need one pant which would save weight. The catalyst aren’t particularly stretchy because of all the sections of chap from the knee down and the seat.

 

[strattonje2020]

Corrugate foundry is a much better option. Late season being waterproof is mostly irrelevant. Because if it’s raining it’s probably in the high 30s anyways.

 

[ncederholm]

Hey thanks for all the imformation and your personal experience with the M7. I know their pant sizing has been all over the place and they have had some issues with their fit. Especially so with guys with thick legs.

I’m looking for a primary outer and I figured since hunting late season almost always involves snow and in general freezing temperatures, I’d rather carry one primary outer layer pant. Right now If I carry my catalysts I have to also pack my kuiu Chugach rain pants. If I have the M7s I only need one pant which would save weight. The catalyst aren’t particularly stretchy because of all the sections of chap from the knee down and the seat.

Totally see what you mean. I have the kutana rain pants and love them (extra stretchy!) The M7’s make a lot of sense for your application. I’ll say this, all things fit-wise considered, the M7’s performance is absolutely stellar, no question about it. I actually thought I messed mine up pretty badly on a cactus in AZ and the dang pants shook those cactus spines like they were nothing! Then it rained that night and I had no issues at all. The strange fit and lack of stretch are my main downfalls for the pants is all.

just wish they fit me a little better is all lol.

 

[unclericco]

Good info in here. I'm looking to upgrade my rain gear also and really like my dehavilland pants but I've been eyeballing the M7 set also. I would have these packed in my pack most of the time but they look to be heavier than other rain gear like the sitka dewpoint and the like? Wondering if I should be going with something lighter?

 

[ncederholm]

Good info in here. I'm looking to upgrade my rain gear also and really like my dehavilland pants but I've been eyeballing the M7 set also. I would have these packed in my pack most of the time but they look to be heavier than other rain gear like the sitka dewpoint and the like? Wondering if I should be going with something lighter?

Hey, so the M7’s are meant to be a primary pant, essentially a replacement of the De Havilland’s for the late season with a really thin micro fleece backer. They don’t have that full length size zipper that rain pants like the M5, Dewpoint, Kutana, etc. have. The hip zips are the same as the de havillands.
Personally I love my de havillands, my absolute primary pants, im that total d-bag who wears them to the grocery store and hunting and hiking and to my in-laws (it’s okay though I work from home lol). But, I do have the M7’s as well (I posted above about them) and I’ve made the decision to sell mine. They are size large if you’re interested (shameless plug)
Anyways, They function absolutely perfectly and as advertised which is pretty on-par for SG, but I just can’t handle the fit around my quads/hams area & the “mechanical stretch” is no where close to the de havilland stretch we know and love.

So, I’d recommend (personal opinion of course) to either buy the SG M5 rain gear or maybe go with the Kutana system or like you said, the Sitka Dewpoint system. If you’re thinking about packing your rain gear, which is what I do.
Then, if you’re needing insulation maybe scoop up the SG Grumman gear, the jacket and the pants are ace.

I don’t know much about the Dewpoint system, it doesn’t look stretchy though. I’m a huge fan of stretchy fabrics, mobility is paramount to me and I sweat a shit Load so stretch and ventilation is the name
Of the game. My rain gear choice is the Kuiu Kutana system. I have the M5 as well but the Kutana is stretchier and it packs smaller and just all around feels lighter too.

At the end of the day, it’s all up to personal preference, something that works amazingly for you might not work for me and wise versa. I’d say if you got a feeling something may work, see it through, ride that wave!

 

[jbwright]

Others could confirm this too, but I called SG wanting more info on the m7’s and some other stuff. The Sg rep that helped me pointed out 2 features about rain pants that pushed him to the m5 pant (he runs it and the m7 jacket, and noted a lot of guys that he speaks with are running that setup, with the full zipper being the key factor) - packability and full zip off legs. I picked up the m7 jacket and I can see the thin fleece lining on the interior will obviously not make it as compact as a rain jacket (m5) that doesn’t have the fleece lining.
Also, I guess there’s circumstances where you’re going to live in the pant (like @ncederholm moose hunt he references) for a hunt, but for 99% of the hunts I go on a standard rain pant I can keep stuffed into an exterior pack pocket and throw on easily if precip picks up…that’s a game changer. Ain’t no way I’m pulling my boots off and sitting down to put on / take off my rain gear…so I would not have the appreciation for a rain pant that doesn’t zip off in most of my hunting situations.

 

[Colinfarre5]

I think what I’ll end up doing is running my M7 pants late season and not packing my Chugach pants. This negates the need to bring two outerwear pants like my catalyst foundry and packable rain pants. Then keep my M5 jacket packed away if I need it.

This setup means late season the only outerwear piece besides my insulation I have to pack is my M5 jacket.

 

[ncederholm]

Sounds like a solid plan @Colinfarre5, if you are in the market for a size Large M7 pant, mine are listed in classifieds for $250 Shipped.

 

[Colinfarre5]

Sounds like a solid plan @Colinfarre5, if you are in the market for a size Large M7 pant, mine are listed in classifieds for $250 Shipped.

I would take you up on that offer If they woulda fit me. I’m a tall lanky bastard and wear Medium tall in SG pants

 

[Overlandascent]

Hi - I’m new here, but I have used the SG M7 in a few different places the past year or so. Full transparency, I have no clue about the FL pants, so this may be a bit bias. I’ve used the M7’s at home here in AK on a 10 day Moose hunt (which was a wet one), an October Caribou hunt up in Atigun Pass area (Snowy, cold, windy, lots of on foot movements), and then I used them in Arizona on a mule/cous deer hunt in which I rained a ton and dropped below freezing a few nights out in desert. — below are my findings, all personal preference of course:

The pros: They are waterproof, they are decently warm for the fleece backer (not as warm as a puffy pant though), the large hip vents are amazing when you need them, they seemed to naturally ventilate better than expected for a waterproof pant.

The cons: full transparency - I’m an MMA athlete, I have big claves/legs/glutes with a 32” waist, finding proper fit is a nightmare for me, I always size up, SG has typically been the only company to actually accommodate my fit dilemma - I wear a size large in the de havilland pants (which are the best imo) and I bought the M7’s in the same size since SG advertises that their gear is pre-fit for layering accommodations, I found that to be 50% true, the belt line on the M7’s is larger, however the quads/glutes area is not at all larger, in fact they feel even tighter than the de havillands …… I think that’s given that the M7’s have a “mechanical stretch”. This made the break-in process a little bit annoying. “Mechanical stretch” is not my favorite, the de havillands have a great stretchy fabric, the M7’s are much more ridged and less mobile, and as such I realized that wearing a belt is the only way to keep them from falling down if I bend over/kneeling/etc. Something to bear in mind is that the M7’s are meant to be worn as a primary pant (not like the M5’s) so, if you prefer more stretch in your primary pants, the M7 might not be the right choice.

Bottom line: Do they work? Yes. - Are they comfy? Maybe like a 6/10 - Should you go a size up if you’re needing to layer? YES. - Are they worth the $300+ price tag? I don’t think so. - Will I use mine again in hunts this season? Likely No, I’d rather layer comfortably and pack my rain gear/puffy pants.

All in all, too me, the M7’s are a little disappointing in comparison to other SG gear. Maybe I received a pair that were janky on the assembly line, but given the price tag, that should NEVER be the case.

Thank you for the review. Do you run the M5 bottoms too? If so, what are your thoughts of using those with a base layer in place of the M7? I feel like you have more versatility going with the M5 and more layering options.