Caribou Gear

Tactical Pants

I have a pair of the 5.11 Stryke pants with Flextac. They are hands down one of my favorite pair of pants to wear for hunting and just day to day wear. I do like the Cabelas Microtex stuff too, I've had no problem with their durability but the 5.11 is a little heavier material.
 
I have hunted for years in denim material. I got chafed bad on a archery elk hunt one year. I started wearing a silk tech baselayer and that took care of it. I still felt clammy and they would stink after a few days. I swore there was no need for the high end tech clothing until I tried it. I won't mention the name because it will start a string of opinions that aren't needed. Anyway they are worth it. Weight savings, moisture control, water repellentcey, quick drying, and they don't stink as bad after a week plus in the bush. There are many good brands out there. Like anything else get them on sale or closeout. Buy them over time. If it means having good hunting clothes or a tag by all means go hunt in a loin cloth and get your tag!
 
You don't need sitka gear to hunt out west, but they are really nice. I'd just get what ever you can afford and just do it. Sooner you get out the longer you will be able to do it... I didn't start heading out west until my mid-20's and now with family and work commitments, its just plain harder to do... although I still get to 2-3 states for 3-4 weeks of hunting....
 
You definitely don’t need expensive pants, but if you are backpacking having light weight and synthetic or wool clothing is a must. My buddy got a pair of khakis from JC pennies last year for a bear hunt... we definitely gave him a hard time but they cost $25 had some sort of coating that shed water and held up decent. Also keep check eBay, backcountry, Amazon, etc and watch for deals. I don’t think I have ever paid over 70% of retail for hunting clothing.
 
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I wore jeans and a t-shirt for first few years hunting with a rifle and filled most tags. Now that i learned a thing or two, started bow hunting and plan on backpack camping im treating clothing like gear so getting the fancy stuff. Don't worry about it for the first few years and wear whatever is comfortable and cheap. Try to pick quiet stuff but with a rifle that doesn't even matter most of the time.
 
I wear 5.11 pants a lot. The Apex pants are super comfortable and would make a good warm weather hunting pant. Personally, for what they cost, I would look at other options though.

If you shop around, you can find used First Lite, Sitka, etc for pretty decent prices that would be comparable to the 5.11 pants.

I think a lot of it depends on how you want to use them. I've worn the whole gamut from Carhartt doubles, to Milsurp wool, to jeans, to Sitka. No way in hell I'd wear Carhartts on a backpack archery hunt, but for a truck camping hunt in balmy weather they would be fine.

You don't have to spend a lot of money in order to hunt, but I've found by buying good gear my comfort level and fun meter stay a little higher.
 
I've worn most everything mentioned,except DT for hunting. Jeans are out unless I am bird or bunny hunting. Too noisy & suck when wet.
I have been wearing Cabella's Micro-tex,Kings & some bdu's. Wool if it's going to be cold.
Took 15 yrs to wear out my 1st pair of Micro-tex,besides some minor repairs. Was given a pair of Kings hunting pants last fall. Have not used them yet.
I am toying with getting some on sale Sitka or 1st lite type pants. Half the folks I see are wearing sitka mtn pants now. The serious folks with some $....& if BF & folks I know swear by them,no brainer.
 
Josh24 said:
Have you tried these pants? Do you think they would hold up well and be durable?
Click to expand...

Yes, I grabbed a couple. I haven't given them any serious field time yet but I will give my opinion on them.

First, I'm hard to fit, no one in America is tall and thin anymore so finding pants with an inseam larger than the waist is tough. LAPG had these in my size and they actually fit very well. The material is similar to the ripstop water repellent material that 5.11 uses. I like the elastic waist, it has just a little give if you need to tuck in a shirt and won't bind when moving. I think these will hold up really well for hunting/hiking/camping.

There are a few issues that make these pants not perfect, but for $20 I don't expect perfect.

I'd like just a little heavier fabric. These are warm weather pants unless you wear something under them.

The pockets are a little small. I like deep pockets in my hunting gear, something I can drop my .45 into and walk around comfortably. The front and cargo pockets could use another inch or two in them.

They fit a little tight across the thighs. Not a big deal just not used to it.
 
I’ve successfully hunted elk in 5.11s. If you’re quiet, pay attention to wind, movement and noise, you can wear just about anything. High end clothing is more comfortable and works better for changing weather but isn’t necessary to be successful. Good luck.
 
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