Sitka ascent vs 90% pants

Bullcanyon · Aug 9, 2009

Looking for a good all around early season bowhunting pant. What is going to be the better pant. It is likely to rain in our elk season. Meadows will definetly be covered with dew in the morning. We pack in and bivy hunt so I don't like packing a bunch of extra clothing. I thought about the storm lite pants but not sure if they will be cool enough in the middle of the day. Any thoughs appreciated.

MULEYSTALKER · Aug 9, 2009

I have the ascent pants and I think they are perfect early season pants. If you get a little cold throw some base layer bottoms on under them. They are supposed to be able to handle a little morning dew and light rain.
I have read on other sites that the 90% are a little too warm for early season hunts. I have never tried them myself.

Prism · Aug 9, 2009

Probably the most comfortable hunting pant ever made. A little on the light side so they're great for early season hunts with lots of movement.

They're fair in cooler temps with the right baselayers.

Cleanshot · Aug 9, 2009

Had the same question so I tried them both. Ascent pants are way better for warmer weather in my opinion. I think they would be good if you are active down in the 30's. Plus for me they are just as water resistant. I sprayed water on the ascent pants in the back yard for several minutes and they just repelled the water. If you get a really dew covered morning, throw on some gators but based on my testing, they do as good of job of repelling water as the 90%. I wore them this weekend scouting and they are very comfortable as mentioned in the other posts. I just ordered another pair. My only problem was they kept falling off as I removed the suspenders and forgot a belt.

Good luck.

dryflyelk · Aug 10, 2009

Another option to think about is the cabelas microtex light pants. I saw them at cabelas the other day and they looked like they'd be great. I have a pair of the regular microtex that I really like, and these were even lighter and looked to be a great synthetic material. The other bonus is that they are 1/2 the price or less.

Bullcanyon · Aug 14, 2009

How well do these pants hold up to light rain?

Cleanshot · Aug 17, 2009

Gave them the first good workout on Sat. Rained and hailed all morning. The undergrowth was soaking wet and is about waist high. The pants didn't hold the water out but they felt warm the entire time and when I got home my legs were dry. These pants dry really fast. Light rain will not be a problem at all. I ran a hose on them in the back yard and they repelled all the water.

jims · Aug 25, 2009

I originally bought Ascents from Cabelas and ended up returning them because they were to large and I really didn't like the fact that things could easily fall out of the pockets (loose pockets without zippers). I also heard that some guys had problems with the crotch going out in them.

I used and abused a couple pair of 90s on a recent Alaska dall sheep hunt. I never got hot in them, they breathed very well, and dried out very quickly. I don't sweat much so bigger guys may be a little warmer in them than me? It snowed several times as well as rained about 3/4 of the time. I wore Sitka Stormlite over them when it rained and never sweated nor got wet underneith. I took off the suspenders because I didn't want the extra weight and stress on my shoulders...but my pants did slide down from time to time (probably because I lost 6 lbs!). I will likely try the suspenders on my next trip and see how they work.

I bought a pair of Cabelas heavier micro-tex pants for this trip and returned them immediately. They had cargo pocket as well as a regular pocket over the front of the legs that seemed super stiff and tough to lift my legs. If I put anything in the pockets I'd have to lift it every time I lifted my leg...doesn't make sense and they should either move these pockets to the side of the leg or totally remove these pockets! The 90's were way lighter and I am a lot more flexible in them.

I used a Cabelas heavier micro-tex shirt and boy was it ever warm and comfy on the colder days...although a little bulky and heavy. It dried quickly. As mentioned earlier micro-tex is a fraction of the price of Sitka! If Cabelas came out with a medium weight micro-tex between the ultra-light and heavier one it would be about perfect for everyday use! Hopefully they wake up and make a few changes!

rradams · Aug 26, 2009

I used 90s last year on a Utah ML hunt in September and was quite pleased with them. I had a pair of the Ascent Pants at the same time, but opted to go with the 90s. What I found interesting is the weight of the two was nearly identical (with an ounce of each other). Overall, the 90s just seem to be a little more robust to me.

I would agree that in hot temps the Ascent would probably be more comfortable. But on those chilly early September mornings and late evenings, the 90s were perfect. I agree 100% with Jims that the 90s breath and handle moisture very well.