For the past two seasons I’ve been wearing the Orvis Pro LT Hunting Pants. I’ve worn them from opening day through the end of the season. Aside from a tiny hole on the seat of one of them, from getting hung up on some barbed wire fencing, they still look new.
I love these pants.
They’re made of a fairly thin, “stretch-woven Cordura® fabric with advanced hydrophobic fibers woven in for better moisture control,” and are easily the most durable and comfortable pants I’ve ever hunted in. I wouldn’t say they’re “stretchy,” but they don’t bind when hiking up 45% slopes for an hour, as we did a couple of days ago. Despite how thin they are, I don’t get cold in them, but then my legs never get cold (I wish I could say the same for the rest of me).
They’ve got some functionality I don’t use, but it’s not a detriment to the pants (but might add some unnecessary cost): hidden drawstrings in the pant cuffs, and a “quick-release tab” for a cell phone. I don’t carry my phone in my pants when hunting because it’d shatter in the first mile. Oh well.
My previous favorite pants, L.L. Bean’s Technical Upland Pants, seem to weigh at least twice the Orvis pants, and aren’t nearly as durable. I’ve busted through extensive hawthorn thickets, brushed against coarse basalt, and taken copious soil samples with the Orvis Pro LT pants, and — as mentioned — they honestly still look new. The Bean pants’ soft-shell and Cordura fabric pilled up before the end of their first season, but the Orvis pants just keep taking it.
They’re a bit pricy ($149 as of today, although I just noticed they’re on sale for $119), but given how comfortable and tough they are, I’m okay with that.
Finally, in case you wondered, I bought these pants at full price with my own money, and even paid shipping (the same goes for all other gear I’ve reviewed). I wouldn’t say no to a “pro deal” with Orvis (or any other gear company, in case someone who matters is reading), but I don’t spend my time pursuing that sort of thing. Birds, books, bagpipes, and beer are way more interesting.
I pass an Orvis shop everyday coming home from work. It pains me to not own everything that would fit me or all the items I could use fishing or hunting. Did I mention that LL Bean is next next door? Such good quality is hard to resist. They do need real field testers that can recognize and articulate to us poor folks who don’t have time or access to proof gear. I read the online reviews of products before I make a purchase and find most are still in the honeymoon faze of ownership and may be unreliable.
Your review is the second reliable source on the Orvis Pro LT Hunting Pants I received. I hope they fit me.
I doubt you’ll be disappointed, Ron. If you are, I’ll buy ’em off you!
Thanks Bob! I have been looking for an alternative to the 511 nylon pants I got at Scheels three years ago. They are light and quite durable and cost less than $50, but they are not designed specifically for upland hunting. I got three of them and they are showing wear. I will check these out.
Well, Larry, if you end up with a pair, I’d be surprised if it didn’t last as long as the three 511’s you bought 3 years ago! Good luck!
Real chukar hunters have all gone thru a process of finding the ideal hunting pants. I would guess a majority of upland bird hunting wear field testers are not walking, climbing, falling, stumbling, etc. on rocky and steep slopes covered with cheat grass or star thistles. Chukar pants also have to withstand briers and thorns while staying comfortable when the temperature is hot or cold. Bob, I would highly recommend that you buy several more pairs of the Orvis pants ASAP because clothing outlets rarely carry the same items for very long.
Thanks, Cliff. You just cost me a bunch of money! Merry Christmas!
Did you try Cabela’s Instinct hunting pants? Think they are worth a try. Love my Instinct shirt also.
Merry Christmas
Thanks, Kent. I’ll take a look next time I’m in Cabela’s.
Thanks for the tip, Bob. I followed your advice on the Bean pant last year…really like them but not as durable as expected, as you say.
While we’re on the topic of “full-price hunting gear we like”, I’ll sound off for the Bemidji Woolen Mills Heavy Weight Hunting Shirt, https://www.bemidjiwoolenmills.com/app.php?nav=details&itemid=bm07_135. I bought an orange one to increase my chances of passing for a local from a distance while grouse hunting in Minnesota this year. I really enjoy the shirt. Has stood up well to briers, light rain, about 12 hunting days so far. After washing it (gentle cycle, hang dry) it shrunk about an inch, and blocks wind even better. (Comes in tall/long sizes.) Very water repellent; better to say “not water absorbent.”
With much of our “technical hunting clothing” made overseas, I found it refreshing to find the Bemidji shirt, made in Bemidji MN, useful enough I’ll keep one in my hunting gear.
Thanks for your comment, Kerry. That’s a sweet looking shirt. Never heard of Bemidji Mills, but now it’s on my list. Happy holidays!
Thank you for this review. I just wore mine on a multi-day dog training trip to the Nevada desert. If they work as well hunting, I will be well pleased.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much the tiny darts at the knee reduced binding when climbing. They dried quickly, even when thoroughly soaked by enthusiastic shaking after exiting a watering trough. Though I wouldn’t wear them alone when thrashing through thick cover, they did shed the occasional small thorn and bur.
I’m undecided about the utility of the cuff draw strings but, if nothing else, they don’t get in the way.
My only complaint was the cell phone pocket. Like the other pockets, it is made of a light-weight perforated fabric that I associate with water sports. As intended, the strap helps to remove the phone, but using it almost inverts the pocket . After that, getting my phone (iPhone 6s Plus) back in that pocket takes two hands.
OK, don’t walk into a blackberry cane wearing these pants. Otherwise, I love them.
Back at it..Have fun with the dog you thought might not make the grade. These dogs have a way of proving us wrong.
I was looking for reviews on these pants and came across your post. Before I order a pair, I’m curious how the sizing is. Seems like a lot of these upland pants run a little small around the waist.
These pants fit me true-to-size. They’re still the best I’ve gotten.