Put on These Pants

I’m not about to go all GQ on you here, but for a few minutes let’s talk pants. Treestand-hangin’, trail-cam-checkin’, food-plot-plantin’ pants. Work pants for hunters. Here are three pants that can handle your pre-season chores while saving the camo for when it counts. Nothing wrong with jeans, but these are lighter, have better pockets and come in colors that blend with the terrain. They’re also great for hunting and nice enough to wear to the office so when you cut out early to hunt you don’t waste time changing pants.

Carhartt Force Rugged Flex Pant
This isn’t the classic cotton-duck dungaree. For warm weather, it’s better. Material is a 6-ounce cotton-polyester blend that’s much lighter than Carhartt’s standard 12-ounce duck. It stretches, wicks sweat and is stain-resistant. The stuff is tough, too; I’ve been crawling over rocks and blowdowns while wearing the Force Rugged all summer, and there’s no abrasion yet. Cargo pockets are large enough to hold rachet straps, and the zippered side pocket is perfect for keeping your cell phone handy without worrying about dropping it. MSRP: $69.99.

Kühl Rydr
Get beyond the funky Euro spelling, and you’ll find a pant that’s designed not to bind when you squat to cut a shooting lane or stretch to jump a creek. A gusseted crotch provides comfort where you need it most, and articulated knees prevent the skin-tight feeling you get with jeans when you kneel. The 10.8-ounce brushed twill makes the Ryder almost as easy to wear as sweats. Reinforced pocket edges won’t wear out from your knife’s clip. There’s also a dedicated cell phone pocket on the side of the right leg that works just as well for pruners or pliers. MSRP: $79.

Mountain Khakis Original Mountain Pant
Made from 10.4-ounce cotton canvas, this pant just gets better with age. Triple-stitched seams, reinforced heel cuffs and a diamond-gusset crotch prevent blow-outs and frays. The double pocket on the right side separates your knife from keys and change. It also works well for pocket-carrying a small pistol. Back pockets are large enough to slip in a water bottle or an e-collar remote. If you must, you can get away with pairing the Mountain Pant with a tie—it’s “dressy” enough—but it’s even better as a light upland pant. MSRP: $84.95.