Poor Mans Puffy Pants

180ls1

180ls1

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Nov 2, 2020
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I figured I would share these. I picked up a pair off ebay last year and they have been great. They are no where near as light or packable as my zip off Kuiu long johns but they are warmer and are unbeatable for the price. Easy on/off without taking off your boots.

PL.PNG
 
Those are liners, right?

I was supposed to join in a lake season cow Elk hunt in Utah last year but the plans fell apart a couple of days prior. It was going to be cold with plenty of snow on the ground.
I don't own cold-weather gear so I started to look into it.

Among all options, it looked to me at the time, that the most practical approach was to stay with the heavier grain Merino wool underpants and the regular synthetic top-layer hunting pants. I could always remove them if it was too warm.

My point is, I am yet to understand the use of the puffy pants. They probably get wet easily, they don't seem to be durable and they look clumsy. I suppose if it is very windy dry and cold up in the mountains when you are glassing...like a mountain goat hunt might be, then they might make sense...but what do I know.
 
Wildgame said:
Those are liners, right?

I was supposed to join in a lake season cow Elk hunt in Utah last year but the plans fell apart a couple of days prior. It was going to be cold with plenty of snow on the ground.
I don't own cold-weather gear so I started to look into it.

Among all options, it looked to me at the time, that the most practical approach was to stay with the heavier grain Merino wool underpants and the regular synthetic top-layer hunting pants. I could always remove them if it was too warm.

My point is, I am yet to understand the use of the puffy pants. They probably get wet easily, they don't seem to be durable and they look clumsy. I suppose if it is very windy dry and cold up in the mountains when you are glassing...like a mountain goat hunt might be, then they might make sense...but what do I know.
Click to expand...

Yeah, liners.

The problem with regular longjohns + pants is they will leave you hot/sweaty when hiking and are cumbersome to take on/off. Having something you can quickly pop on and off is a HUGE plus if you are the type of guy who hikes and glasses. If you are cool spending about 10x as much then absolutely buy the Kuiu zip-off bottoms. I have pants with zippered side vents as well, they are great for temperature control too.
 
Wildgame said:
Those are liners, right?

I was supposed to join in a lake season cow Elk hunt in Utah last year but the plans fell apart a couple of days prior. It was going to be cold with plenty of snow on the ground.
I don't own cold-weather gear so I started to look into it.

Among all options, it looked to me at the time, that the most practical approach was to stay with the heavier grain Merino wool underpants and the regular synthetic top-layer hunting pants. I could always remove them if it was too warm.

My point is, I am yet to understand the use of the puffy pants. They probably get wet easily, they don't seem to be durable and they look clumsy. I suppose if it is very windy dry and cold up in the mountains when you are glassing...like a mountain goat hunt might be, then they might make sense...but what do I know.
Click to expand...

The only practical use/justification for puffy pants, is to slip them on when your sitting on a pad, glassing in the cold for hours....they take the edge off. Like raingear tho, if your hunting buddy doesn't have 'em, and you do, your likely head back to camp anyways.

I found a Packable, 1lb pair of 800 fill down pants on Black Ovis for $150, and the 1lb hooded Jacket was $185. They are not as great as the $250 Stone Glacier or $290 Western Mountaineering pants, but close enough. They are very lightweight, not as bulky as the Cold Weather Pants, but still one more thing to carry, so it needs to be Cold and I pack them in an ultralight dry bag.
 
ilovesprig said:
Speaking of pants....:blush:

Wal -Mart Wrangler Outdoor stretch zip cargo pants are great...I own both Sitka and Kuiu attack pants...They feel almost identical, loose fit, similar colors (no camo), they both have air vents on the legs, but the big difference is,....... $26.98 vs $149.99.......;)

View attachment 59504
Click to expand...
You ever look into being a model for an outdoor Co. Maybe Bass Pro. :) Or Wall-Mart maybe????
 
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KennyQuacker said:
The only practical use/justification for puffy pants, is to slip them on when your sitting on a pad, glassing in the cold for hours....they take the edge off. Like raingear tho, if your hunting buddy doesn't have 'em, and you do, your likely head back to camp anyways.

I found a Packable, 1lb pair of 800 fill down pants on Black Ovis for $150, and the 1lb hooded Jacket was $185. They are not as great as the $250 Stone Glacier or $290 Western Mountaineering pants, but close enough. They are very lightweight, not as bulky as the Cold Weather Pants, but still one more thing to carry, so it needs to be Cold and I pack them in an ultralight dry bag.
Click to expand...
That's what I figured...since It is highly unlikely I will get a tag that will put me in extreme cold windy situations those pants are not practical for me.
 
ilovesprig said:
Speaking of pants....:blush:

Wal -Mart Wrangler Outdoor stretch zip cargo pants are great...I own both Sitka and Kuiu attack pants...They feel almost identical, loose fit, similar colors (no camo), they both have air vents on the legs, but the big difference is,....... $26.98 vs $149.99.......;)

View attachment 59504
Click to expand...
Been running walmart dickie jeans in that color for 5 yrs..they work great but maybe I'll pick up a pair of those wranglers for this season..maybe they'll change my streak of not killing shit!
 
Lungpopper said:
Real friends let their freezing friends wear their puffy jacket and puffy pants.
Click to expand...
180ls1 said:
Share sleeping bags?
Click to expand...
Saw Both these things happen on the last elk hunt I was on in January . Was almost to camp when I realized I left my bag at home. Fessed up and asked to slip by Wally world on the way in a and pick up a cheapy. The boys stepped foeward ( LP and Skinny hunter) and offered spare wise what they had (saved me from a cold week, (Thanks guys) . Out hunting the next day and we were over looking a windy point and the conversation went around to over layers and LP offered up his KUIU zip on down to NBK who was getting cold, everybody there shared in these moments and it made the hunt and the brotherhood better in the world we live in these days . I remember these moments better than the animals that fell. Just sayin it's not about the meat....
 
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HortoTheSlayer said:
Been running walmart dickie jeans in that color for 5 yrs..they work great but maybe I'll pick up a pair of those wranglers for this season..maybe they'll change my streak of not killing shit!
Click to expand...

George,

You may remember me hyping those Dickies pants and I still like them, but these are even better...The light weight is awesome....... :heart:

bandtail w mike '22 2.JPG
 
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Wildgame said:
That's what I figured...since It is highly unlikely I will get a tag that will put me in extreme cold windy situations those pants are not practical for me.
Click to expand...

Sometimes it's easy to overthink things. Just think of these as a jacket for your legs.

UT can be brutal. I've been caught in storms there in September and Oct. The October one in the Uintas killed a few horses. It definitely taught me some lessons.
 
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ilovesprig said:
George,

You may remember me hyping those Dickies pants and I still like them, but these are even better...The light weight is awesome....... :heart:

View attachment 59505
Click to expand...
Fine lookin' Dawg you have there! I have the same model at home....he's not brilliant, but he's waterproof, floats and better than me at finding birds ;) We both can't wait for hunting season! Thanks for posting that pic....Good times!
 
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