lightweight wool pants

300wtby · Aug 17, 2006

Was just wondering if anyone has any experience with Lightweight Wool Pants. I have a pair from Filson but they are to heavy for weather that could be 25 to 30 in morning and 60 in the afternoon.

I was wondering if there is anything out there that would possibly be a lighter weight and possibly made of the Merino Wool, you know the wool that isn't scratchy.

I have searched Cabelas catalog and the only thing I see are heavy weight like Filson, King of the Mountain. Columbia and Sleeping Indian.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

300 Wtby
Dave

Bob D. · Aug 17, 2006

How about the Filson whipcords? I don't have a pair but they're on my list. I've heard Cabelas also has wool whipcord pants, about half the price of the Filsons. Here they are if you want to see what they look like: http://www.filson.com/sm-whipcord-wool-pant--pi-2092345.html

300wtby · Aug 18, 2006

Thanks for the reply Bob, I will check into the Whipcord Pants. Wonder what they will feel like on bare skin?

Take Care

300 Wtby
Dave

wallhanger · Sep 15, 2006

300WTBY,

Cabelas also has military surplus for sale at times. I've seen it in their specialty clearance catalogs, and I think maybe even on their website in the Bargain Cave.

I've seen three different weights of wool pants offered. I also have a pair of military surplus pants I found at an ARMY/NAVY store in my home town. Not sure how they compare in weight to the Filsons, but I would call mine fairly heavy. As you stated, they are itchy, though. My solution has always been to wear lightweight long johns under them, and I don't have to worry about it.

Hope this helps,

WH

alsatian · Sep 25, 2006

I wear polypropolene long underwear and long sleeved shirt under my wool shirt and wool pants. I'm sorry, but if I get too hot the pants and shirt are coming off and bermuda shorts will go on over the polypropolene when I am elk hunting. I do this backpacking and it seems to work out very well. This is just basic layering -- take off layers when you get hot, put on layers when you get cold. Of course, it may be some hunting area have a lot of brush or thorn bushes that you need the protection of a tightly woven fabric, but I didn't notice this much in the woods where I will be elk hunting in mid-October in the San Juans in Colorado.

COGriz · Oct 13, 2006

I've owned several pair of Filson whipcords. No probs with wearing against skin. Very versatile when you add long underwear. I only have to go to the heavy Filson wool for late season elk hunts. Use them from early September high-country muzz elk hunts to early November mule deer rifle hunts. Great product.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation, INCREASED and NOT IMPAIRED in value."

alsatian · Oct 24, 2006

I used army surplus wool pants during my 2006 elk hunt in Colorado GMU 75 and found them to do superb service for me. I wore them without any under layer one or two days and they did well. I wore them with an under layer of polypropylene on a couple of days and that worked out well also. They dried out overnight when wet. They were warm when wet. I was very pleased with these things and only paid $19.95 for the pair (another $8 for shipping costs on top of that). The URL is below:

http://www.fatiguesarmynavy.com/store/item/US1012

The weather I was in was very variable and even my wearing conditions changed a lot. I got plastered with wet snow one day during driving snow. I sat under a tree on a warm afternoon and had melting snow dripping onto these pants making them wet. I hiked quickly up steep hills till sweat was dripping off my brow. Later that same day temperatures dropped to 23 degrees and I sat still for several hours on ambush waiting for elk to show (they didn't). I was really happy with these pants and have since ordered a second pair.

Blank · Nov 10, 2006

Go for the Army surplus. M-51's are the only way to go out here in Idaho. Mid weight, warm and windproof, and cut large enough you can have a lot of leg movementin downfall, or rock climbing. I think they have been anywhere from 12.95 to 18.95 at our local store. Deep pockets, don't lose thing out of them, and button down rears. Also have suspender buttons inside, if you hang a lot of bullets, knives, Leatherman, etc. on your belt.

Slide · Nov 15, 2006

I have tried wool pants and wool is hard to beat, however when the weather is bad I wear Browning Hydro Fleece and soon will be trying Rivers West products. Hydro Fleece doesent leak, get wet, wind proof and warm.

alsatian · Nov 29, 2006

LAST EDITED ON Nov-29-06 AT 08:13AM (MST)[p]I wore my M-51 Army Surplus medium weight wool field pants during the Oklahoma deer hunting season last week. Several days it was in the low 70's in the afternoon walking out to my stand about 3 PM. Those wool pants were still comfortable and not too hot at that temperature. I recall that they were also comfortable (with no long underwear beneath them) in mid-October sitting under an Englemann Spruce for three hours as water drops from melting snow dripped on my pants from the tree I was hiding under waiting for an elk to show up in Colorado (the elk did NOT show up). I'm guessing the air temperature was in the upper 30's. I love these pants. You can typically get them for less than $20 a pair.

HiMtnHntr · Nov 29, 2006

I have found Columia wool to be sufficient. It is cheaper than just about anything else, save for military surplus, and is relatively lightweight. I have cut some pockets off of mine to lighten them up a little. I have no problem with wearing wool against my skin, so I wear these often in warmer weather. For me, they are very versatile and hard to beat for the price.

HuntNevada · Dec 1, 2006

I have the cabelas wooltimate pants, and coat they aren't to heavy and they keep you warm anytime or cool. thats what i would look at but, i also would look at the sleeping indian more that is some good stuff.