I like to think of the clothing I wear into the woods as pieces of gear (or "kit" for you Bushcrafters!) So in this first discussion/review I would like to talk about... pants.

For the past two years I have worn (almost exclusively) Riggs Rangers.



These are heavy cotton rip-stop pants with reinforcements in the knees and a cool leather patch to protect your pocket from a tape measure or more specific to us, a knife.



They have worked great, but of course cotton is the death cloth in a wet situation so I am looking for alternatives at the moment. If Riggs (ie. Wrangler) made a rip-stop nylon version of the Ranger pant I would buy a dozen pairs of them.

I just ordered a pair of Overland Guide pants from LL Bean.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/6083...p;amp;feat=504251-tn&cat4=504250

I'm hoping they'll work well, the reviews seem good, but I'll let you know once I've tried them out.

Another pair I was directed to are the Craghopper Bear Survivor Trousers. Don't laugh, I thought it was a joke too until I saw this review from Joe Flowers over at Woods Monkey.

Anyway, I wanted to get any other thoughts about pants that you've found to work great in the woods for backpacking and such.

Aaaaand... discuss!

I am new to all of this (never been hiking or really camping before). I am thinking about getting a pair of Blackhawk Warrior Wear Tactical Pants. Do you think these would be good?

I think the concern would be the same as the pants I currently wear... they're cotton.

Cotton will take forever to dry if (more like "when") they get wet.

Try to find a pair that is made of a synthetic material or at the very least a blend of some sort.

I have very little experience with synthetic trousers though, so I'm hoping to try a few different pairs out to see how I like them myself.

Yeah, the pants that I have been looking at are the lightweight version. they are 65% Poly/35% Cotton and are water-resistant.

Nice! I've heard good things about Blackhwak pants. Plus they seem much more affordable than what I've been looking at. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" />

I wear these 2.5 seasons (late fall, winter and early spring) out of the year. In late fall and early spring, they can be worn without any "long underwear" and they breath fine. If it gets in the 60's and I'm active I tend to sweat faster than they can release the moisture. In winter I wear a pair of long underwear and I stay warm unless I am completely inactive for a long while.



I've spent a day hunting in a Pacific Northwest down pour and I stayed pretty toasty and dry.

In the winter, I do a lot of Coyote hunting and go from warm truck to hiking and then sitting and calling. The breathability is a plus in this type of activity. If you work up a sweat while hiking and then sit down in sub-freezing temps, things get really cold really fast. So, these pants are perfect for that type of hunting.

They have double material on the front that makes them tough and help if I need to lay in prone or on a knee while hunting.

So, warm, water-resistant, good breathing and tough. A little on the expensive side, but to me they have been worth it.

Here's a link. There are about 70 Reviews for these pants.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...=0033515942879a

What a great thread! I've been looking for some new pants as well. My only concern with most nylon is how loud it is when you walk around.

Some trail time with different pants should do the trick. Like I said, non-cotton is a new venture for me as well.

And thanks for the review, K! I'll check them out next time I'm at Cabelas. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

The Gortex pants are louder than cotton pants. Not twice as loud, but a bit louder. They don't make the high pitch "zip...zip...zip..." that some nylon products make. It's more of a raspy sound. For the type of hunting I do, I don't think they hinder my stealth.

I had a pair of GAP wool trousers that I wore for years. I loved them because they were light, quiet, warm, yet breathed well and SUPER comfortable. I did get them wet a couple of times, but they dried quickly and did not lose their insulating properties while damp.

They finally bit the dust on a pretty gnarly hunt. I had to fix them with duct tape. I tried to salvage them, but they were too worn. They served me well.

I am considering getting a pair of wool from a local military surplus store.

I wear wool socks when I kayak even in the summer. They are great in a pair of jungle boots. Wool would be too hot for me in the summer.

Great thread. I like USGI ripstop nylon because A) they work with the reinforcements, pockets, and material and B) they are cheap. During cooler weather the cotton version works well for me too.

Great thread, I've been thinking of getting a good pair of lightweight ripstops. I wasn't sure where to start looking, thanks. I could always try my 13 year old Marine Corps issue ripstop woodland cammies, probably won't fit though.