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Jesse's Hunting > Hunting Articles > The Diana Factor (Women in the Field) > Field Testing Women's Hunting Pants
Field Testing Women's Hunting Pants
Holly Heyser - JHO ProStaff
- Sacramento, CA
April 02, 2008
STOP!
Huntresses, don’t even think about pulling on another pair of men’s pants next time you go hunting. You have options. Good options.
This spring, I tested four different types of pants offered by SHE Safari, Prois Hunting Apparel, Foxy Huntress and Filson. In addition to field testing, I did something even more harsh: I showed all of these pants to my mother, who spent many years as a seamstress and is hypercritical about workmanship and fit. Seriously, she’ll tell me when I look like crap in something. You’ll hear her voice in here as well.
Detailed reviews are below, but the short version of the story is that all four companies make pants that fit well and feel comfortable, giving me plenty of room where I need it in the hips and thighs. They’re sturdy too, built to withstand rigorous movement.
As someone who routinely wears men’s jeans because women’s pants usually look and feel awful on me, I can honestly say I really like all of these pants. I expect I’ll continue to give them plenty of use long after this review is published. The real test, though, is whether I’d buy another pair when these wear out. You’ll see what I have to say about that below.
Filson Safari Cloth Pants
Mom says: Well built, but not the most flattering for my body type – I’m long in the waist, so the low rise isn’t kind to me. |
http://www.filson.com/home/index.jsp”>Filson Website
Made with 6-ounce 100 percent cotton that comes in olive green or desert tan, Filson’s safari pants are lightweight and perfect for hot weather. They had the lowest waistline of the four pants I tested. Their most distinctive feature is front darts that give you a little more room if you have a bit of a poochy belly, and if not, they certainly make it easy to get your hands in the pockets. The pants can be machine-washed and –dried.
Likes: These pants passed the comfort test, allowing a wide range of movement without constraint. Nothing about them says, “I’m a hunter!” so you could wear them out and about in public without looking ridiculous.
Dislikes: I’m really not fond of low waistlines. These aren’t so low or tight that they’d produce the muffin-top effect on your waistline, but even wearing low-cut underwear, I had to hitch these pants up occasionally to keep the undies from showing.
Mom says: Well built, but not the most flattering for my body type – I’m long in the waist, so the low rise isn’t kind to me.
Would I get them again? For the reason Mom mentioned, I probably would not buy a new pair when these wear out, though I could be persuaded to do so if Filson raises the waistline a bit.
Filson Tin Cloth Chaps
Mom says: Well-built, and sewn with a durable heavy thread. To avoid the crinkling, “any seamstress of average ability could take them up for you.” |
Finally there’s a women’s equivalent for Filson’s famous tin cloth chaps. The chaps are made of 12.5-ounce 100 percent cotton that is soaked in a paraffin-based oil finish to create a stiff cloth that is moisture-repellant and wind-resistant. Don’t even think about putting these in the washer though – you’re stuck with brushing or wiping off dirt and dust.
Likes: A friend who’s settled for the men’s version tells me they never quite fit her right in the thighs, but I’m happy to report the women’s version is made for, well, women. I’ve got pretty serious thighs, and these chaps fit me just fine. And boy, I could’ve used them on my first pheasant hunt two years ago: A constant drizzle kept the grass – and therefore my pants – soaked that day.
Dislikes: The chaps attach to your belt with a strap that has two snaps, making the length adjustable. But I’d prefer to see four snaps – while the chaps hung at a perfect length with my regular blue jeans, they were a bit low with my low-waisted Filson safari pants. Also, the fact that these aren’t washable means I can’t use them to tromp through poison oak because I can’t remove the oils completely.
Word to the wise: Filson warned me against wearing these chaps too long in the leg, because repeated crinkling over the front of my boots could lead to fabric breakage.
Mom says: Well-built, and sewn with a durable heavy thread. To avoid the crinkling, “any seamstress of average ability could take them up for you.”
Would I get them again? That may be a moot question because I hear they never wear out. They come with a tin of Filson’s oil finish wax to keep them supple forever. But I suspect I would buy them again. I don’t normally spend a lot of time parading around in poison oak, and my concern with the adjustability of the straps is minor.
FOXY HUNTRESS ZIP-OFF HUNTING PANTS - $80
Foxy Huntress
Mom says: Sturdy pants made with excellent workmanship. She noticed the little touches, like the fact that the webbing belt is sewn down at the ends, not just heated to prevent fraying. |
http://www.foxyhuntress.com/”>Foxy Huntress
I tested a pair of pants made of water-repellant ripstop fabric that’s 98 percent cotton and 2 percent Spandex. The pants, which will be added to the company’s catalog soon, are made in Foxy Huntress’s beautiful exclusive camo pattern. They also convert to shorts, with the zippers placed about a quarter of the way up from my knees. Worn as pants, you can cinch up the bottom hem with a built-in rip cord. The pants must be hand-washed and air-dried.
Likes: First, I love this camo pattern. The design is based on feather patterns and features greens and yellows that are abundant in the springtime, so it’s really making me itch for turkey season to start. The fit is fantastic and flattering – something about the placement of the cargo pockets makes it look like I don’t have big thighs. The fabric is sturdy, and that 2 percent Spandex goes a long way in adding to the comfort. Small darts at the knees improve comfort when kneeling. I also appreciate the built-in belt made of nylon webbing. Bonus points: Because this isn’t a standard camo pattern, you can wear it out in public without looking like you’ve just gone out and slain something.
Dislikes: The pockets have Velcro closures, and while that’s good for someone like me who has arthritis in my hands, it also puts your pockets off limits when silence is vital. Also, the cargo pocket is flat, meaning there’s not a lot of room in it.
Mom says: Sturdy pants made with excellent workmanship. She noticed the little touches, like the fact that the webbing belt is sewn down at the ends, not just heated to prevent fraying. She thought the hand-wash requirement was a drag, but I’ve met Foxy Huntress owner Shelah Zmigrosky, and I know she’s targeting women who really enjoy designer clothing. I’m guessing her customers are used to plenty of hand washing.
Would I get them again? Yes, without a doubt. Of the four pants I tried, they’d look the best out in public while still being really functional out in the field. I can live with the Velcro pockets.
Prois Apparel
Mom says: “Made in the USA – yay!” That was the first thing she noticed, as these were the only clothes I tested that were made domestically. |
http://www.proishunting.com/”>Próis Hunting Apparel
Próis is a new company founded by Kirstie Pike in Gunnison, Colo. Her fitted pants are super functional, made with a 100 percent polyester brushed tricot that is soft, quiet and moisture-wicking. They come in Realtree AP HD and Advantage Max-1 HD. Pleated cargo pockets use magnetic snap closures. There’s an elasticized cinch in the cuff, and there are sizable darts at the knees to create plenty of room there, preventing binding. These pants can be machine-washed and –dried.
Likes: These pants were way comfortable. It took a little while to get used to the pleated knees, but the feeling of kneeling without getting that uncomfortable pressure on my kneecaps was really nice. While the brushed fabric looks like it would attract burrs, I rolled around in dried weeds repeatedly and stood up to find very little mess on my pants. And when I walked a little too close to a wild rose bush that snagged a cotton shirt I was wearing, these pants emerged undamaged. Finally, I love the magnetic snap closures – they’re my favorite pocket closures among all the pants I tried, because they’re quiet and easy to use.
Dislikes: These pants seem to run a little on the short side – not so short that I wouldn’t wear them, but definitely a little shorter than the other pants I tested. Also, I think there should be belt loops on the sides of the waistbands. I have a waist that’s absurdly small in relation to my hips and butt, and these pants had the biggest waist of all I tried, so I needed to cinch them in quite a bit. I don’t mind having to do that, but when you have to do it, you need plenty of belt loops so your belt doesn’t ride up. (For you ladies with more of a straight or boyish figure, these pants will be perfect.)
Mom says: “Made in the USA – yay!” That was the first thing she noticed, as these were the only clothes I tested that were made domestically. She also noticed that the stitching wasn’t quite as good as on the other pants, with some lines that weren’t as straight as they should be. It was nothing that would affect sturdiness - “It’s OK,” she said, “but not ideal.” We did have one other pair of Próis pants, which I ended up returning because they were the wrong size, and we didn’t see any issues there, so the stitching problem may have been an anomaly.
Would I get them again? Unequivocally, yes. These aren’t pants I’d wear out in public – aside from the obvious “I’m a hunter” camo pattern, they just weren’t the most flattering for my figure. But I was so comfortable in them that my vanity evaporated. They’re literally a joy to wear.
She Safari
Mom says: She noticed right off that on the outside of one of the pockets, there’s another smaller square pocket. “What would be the purpose of that?” she asked. “Condoms?” Gotta love my mom. |
http://www.shesafari.com/”>SHE Safari
When I met SHE Safari President Pam Zaitz at the 2008 SHOT Show, I took one look at her and thought, “Well, of course this looks good on you – you’re thin and gorgeous – your thighs are probably smaller than my calves.” I seriously questioned whether SHE Safari would work for someone like me. But I went ahead and ordered a pair of upland/brush cargo pants made from an 8-ounce chino twill with tightly woven 8.5-ounce waxed cotton facing halfway up the thigh in front and all the way around the pant legs from the knees down. Like all of SHE Safari’s pants, these come un-hemmed at 36 inches, which means you get a custom fit – but you have to work for it. Pants are machine washable but must be air-dried because of the waxed cotton.
Likes: OK, I was stunned at how good these looked – and how well they worked. Folks at SHE Safari assured me they’d be roomy in the leg (code for, “Oh, we can fit your fat thighs, girlfriend,”) and they were right. There are no belt loops, but there’s a hidden drawstring in the waistband that I LOVE because it tightens the waist uniformly. I tested the waxed cotton by lumbering headlong into some blackberry vines, and while I did get poked by thorns a bit, these actually performed better than the Filson chaps in that test – something I did not expect. Either way, I don’t recommend going full-steam ahead into blackberries – these may shield you from the brush of a thorn, but not the full-on assault.
Dislikes: None. These are good. OK, as a person with arthritis, button closures on the cargo pockets aren’t my favorite, but boo hoo – it’s just not that big of a deal.
Word to the wise: I ordered a large because my butt is, well, large. But I ended up exchanging them for mediums that fit perfectly. There is no way I’m a medium, so I’d take that as a sign that there’s a bit of vanity sizing going on here. But don’t worry – if you think you’re on the borderline size-wise, ask them to send out two different sizes and let you return the one that doesn’t work. They actually do that.
Mom says: She noticed right off that on the outside of one of the pockets, there’s another smaller square pocket. “What would be the purpose of that?” she asked. “Condoms?” Gotta love my mom. In all seriousness, though, she was really impressed with the sturdiness of the pants, the quality if the workmanship, and the nice accents, such as the trim on the pockets. I told her the waistband tie was a bit bulky, and you know what she said? “You know, you don’t have to tie it in a bow.” Don’t feel badly for me, though – she did tell me that these looked good on me.
Would I get them again? Absolutely. Good fit and good customer service are worth a lot.
For a chart from last month’s JHO Journal comparing the products of Próis Hunting Apparel, SHE Safari and Foxy Huntress, click http://bp3.blogger.com/_QiFk4pFXG4k/R-ALC4bKqQI/AAAAAAAAAfA/EdDvpMdBwqU/s1600-h/Women%27s+hunting+clothing+comparison_compact+II.jpg”> here .
Disclosure: I received pants free for review from Filson and Foxy Huntress; I paid for pants from Próis and SHE Safari.
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