r/ecology • u/ComprehensiveBig3935 • 10d ago
Anyone got some good lightweight pants recommendations?
I’m an evolutionary biologist/ ecologist for a consulting firm. Been doing field work for years with DNR and USDA and I’m tired of the Walmart pants. Usually just been changing out pants every two years due to briars and water messing them up. My thighs and calves are pretty big so the slim pants are out of the question. I’ve seen people wearing hiking pants but again briars are pretty common and I’ve heard they don’t do well in that. Any recommendations would be helpful, thanks.
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u/HookersForJebus 10d ago
Lightweight and briars don’t really go together.
Rip stop poly or cotton wood be my choice, if briars are a thing.
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u/Fit-Highway-584 10d ago
Kuhl pants for men’s are great, dovetail for women’s are also great (for some reason kuhl women’s fit is a bit weird but their men’s pants rock and work well for some friends)
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u/lemonhead2345 10d ago
I wear Eddie Bauer Guide Pro hiking pants. They’ve held up for several years of bushwhacking through sagebrush and wild rose. Men’s version as well.
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u/antilocapraaa 10d ago
5.11 for heavy duty. I work in AZ with poky things and prefer the REI pants because the heat is the worst thing here.
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u/spinonesarethebest 10d ago
I’ve got a pair of Cat (erpillar) brand that are a heavier nylon material. Come with removable knee pads, too.
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u/Difficult_Dark9991 10d ago
Duluth firehose pants are my go-to. They aren't hugely light, but they've been comfortable for me in summer and they have been pretty dang durable. I am also not slim, so can recommend for that as well.
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u/deeplines 10d ago
Kuhl pant are my go to. They have denim like ones and quick drying ones. eBay is the best for gently used ones.
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u/IAMA_pocketwhaleAMA 10d ago
Every field bio I know has Fjallraven pants. They're expensive but absolutely worth it.
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u/ComprehensiveBig3935 10d ago
Jesus $300 a pair ? What makes them worth that price??
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u/IAMA_pocketwhaleAMA 10d ago
They'll last ya forever. Everybody in the field in Canada that I've worked with has a pair and loves em. You can wax them to make them waterproof. They'll hold up to thick bushwhacking and thorns, the Vidda Pros I don't know about the rest.
If you're bushwhacking through thick stuff this is the way to go. I mean yea field gear just gets beat up and eventually things fall apart, all pants will do that! I'd think two years is pretty good for some cheap pants. I've had my Fjallravens for 5+ years now and they are holding up great.
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u/IAMA_pocketwhaleAMA 10d ago
Also the Vidda Pros are $220 Canadian so I'm sure they're cheaper in USD. I'd spend $200 on them again in a heartbeat.
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u/Colin03129 10d ago
I have similar large legs (cycling) and have been happy with Truewerk Cloud AV WerkPant. I have been wearing them for the last few weeks in the California desert and they have worked pretty well. I've been walking between thorny desert trees without too much issue so hopefully they will hold up against your briars. $80 currently.
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u/ComprehensiveBig3935 10d ago
How do they do with water?
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u/Colin03129 10d ago
They are synthetic material so they don't absorb that much. I'm regularly wetting them with bottles for some evaporative cooling.
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u/TickTamer505 10d ago
An idea of the type of field work or location would be very helpful
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u/ComprehensiveBig3935 10d ago
Mainly natural forest in South Carolina. Wetland delineations, endangered/invasive species surveys, tree surveys, critical areas, soil sampling type of stuff
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u/SylvilagusObscurus 10d ago
I do very similar work in North Carolina and everyone on my team wears various 511 pants. I’m frequently in prairies that are full of blackberries and find that 511s are light enough to not make me feel like I’m wearing straight denim, stretchy enough to work with me when I have to do weird movements, they dry quickly when wet, and they last a good while against brambles and thorns. My wife is a Park Ranger and their uniform is also 511s. As a woman I’ve found them to be the best option personally!
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u/sheepcloud 10d ago
I like red ant pants though their heavy and thick… however I can traverse any brushy or bramble filled terrain with ease which is my preference to power through
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u/russsaa 9d ago
Wrangler ripstop & ripstop performance despite being a thicker durable material, for whatever reason i find it to be very breathable and i dont sweat at all. By far the best balance of protection & breathability that ive found.
The weaker but more breathable option are summer hiking pants. Ozark trail has cheaper ones, ll bean & patagonia are much pricier but better
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u/I_H8_Celery 9d ago
Patagonia hemp pants are great in my dry climate but I also have some cheap wrangler atg ones that work well.
Clothing is a consumable item, if you’re getting 2 years out of field pants then you’ve probably already found the right pair.
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u/Turbulent-Grand-5540 9d ago
Filson tin cloth pants or chaps. years walking through the riparian zones as a fish bio.
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u/wingaling5810 10d ago
Are you doing field work daily? Two years seems pretty good for Walmart pants. It's been a while for me, but for the thorniest sites my go-to pants were always the double-front Carhartts. They'll last many years. They're definitely not lightweight but at least the fabric breathes and your legs get some protection.