Review: Kuiu Guide Pant
Often, late-season hunting is as much an exercise in staying warm as it is the pursuit of an animal. Only after warmth is obtained can you focus on listening, tracking, and hunting. Kuiu took that to heart with their Guide Pant—a warm, versatile garment that can take you from archery season into the depths of winter. The entire pant is made from a softshell fabric bonded to a micro-fleece lining, making for a sleek, comfortable design. A pair of zippered, mesh side panels provide ventilation when hiking uphill, or when the temps warm up midday. With the vents closed, however, the trousers are warm enough to hunt in all day without long underwear underneath.
Recently, I wore these pants for three days straight on the last weekend of Montana rifle season, when the temperatures hardly rose above ten degrees, and went well into the negatives at night. In addition to the warmth of the pants, the multitude of pockets stood out as well. Six of 'em, all zippered, make the pants extremely functional while afield. Altogether, there’s enough storage space to tuck away a headlamp, wool hat, firestarter, lighters, glove liners, snacks, ammo, diaphragm calls, knives, and whatever other odds & ends need to be readily available. Finally, the fabric has a little bit of stretch, so hiking is quite comfortable, especially for a softshell pant. For hunters demanding do-it-all, cold-weather clothing, the Guide Pant is tough to beat.
Size note: Consult the Kuiu size guide carefully before ordering, and consider sizing up from your normal waist measurement. I typically wear 33 x 34 pants, but Kuiu’s size 32 was far too tight, despite having an advertised 33-inch waist (according to the size chart). Fortunately, the company has an easy exchange process, so I traded them in for a size 34 (which actually has a 35-inch inseam), and the bigger size fit well without restricting mobility.
Available at kuiu.com; $179.
