By: Liz Lynch
As an archaeologist and a hunter living in Wyoming, I’m always looking for solid gear that I can trust to stand up to the rigors of fieldwork and chasing birds and mule deer around steep slopes, through ankle-grabbing brush, and while experiencing four seasons’ worth of weather in a day.
This is complicated, of course, by the fact I am 5-foot-3, narrow in the shoulders, short in the inseam, and wide in the hips. Ask any woman you know who hunts anything she can get a tag for, and she’ll tell you the same: although things have greatly improved over the years, women tend to get the short end of the hunting gear stick. Take, for example, boots: at a women’s size 6.5, my options for leather boots with a moderate amount of flex in the sole, sitting at least 8 inches high, were so limited that I spent nearly a decade tolerating painfully bad fits in the field before I found my perfect do-it-all boot (it’s the Schnee’s Women’s Timberline, if you’re curious). Camo clothing is much the same, if you need gear that’s appropriate for being in the backcountry and extreme weather conditions: many companies offer fewer products in the women’s versions of their designs, and new concepts are sometimes rolled out later for women than they are for men.
It's a balm to the soul (and the body) whenever I find a product that is designed with both my body and my pursuits in mind. Enter the KUIU women’s Attack pant. I spent a season trying these out for fieldwork, as well as hunting mule and whitetail deer, elk, bison (really!)— and, of course, sage grouse, ruffed grouse, huns, chukar, and pheasants. These pants definitely live up to their description as a do-it-all pick, but they absolutely shine as a partridge and grouse pant.
The first green flag for me was the fit. I wear a size 6 in pants, but I prefer a slightly looser cut in the hip and leg, which puts me on the cusp between a small or medium in many brands, and I typically size up. I nonetheless followed KUIU’s size guide and opted for a 6, and they fit like a glove: flattering, but not to the point of being dysfunctional. The taper from hip to waist and mid-rise cut keeps the pants sitting well above my cheeks and right below my belly button, which means I can skip using a belt while keeping everything covered and in the right place. The straight leg allows the cuff to easily get over my bulky boots, but isn’t so generous that gaiters become difficult to get on, nor does it easily pile up to catch on vegetation. I was worried the 32-inch inseam would be too long for me, and although it is a little bit baggy at the cuff end, it’s just right when I’m in boots with a thicker sole.
The second green flag was how clear it was, within just a couple days of use, that these pants are absolutely built to move with you, no matter how rugged the terrain. The stretch of the fabric is sufficient to allow for all kinds of movement – squatting? Splits? Steps and jumps? No problem. – without compromising its strength or its fit. The thoughtful variety of pocket designs allows you to stash essentials like your phone, carb-rich snacks, license pouch, and hearing protection containers wherever you feel is comfortable, without having to worry whether they’ll pop out as you hurl yourself over a band of rimrock or surf down a hill on some bentonite-rich mud. Beyond the functionality of these design features, it’s really nice to see a hunting apparel company quietly deliver a message of recognition and respect to women: “we know you’re every bit as serious about this pursuit as the men in the room, and we’re serious about building gear specifically for you that will keep you getting after it with all the time and intensity they do, too.”
The third green flag was the durability of the fabric and design. I take good care of my gear, but ultimately, there’s no getting around the effects of putting on hundreds of miles with favorite bits of gear year in and year out. Boots that hold up for three seasons without re-soling or a seam blowout are legendary, as are insulated jackets that make it through a couple multi-day trips into granite-rich alpine with no snags or tears. If I had a dollar for every pair of pants whose right knee disintegrated after 6 to 12 months, I could hire a tailor to mend them all for me. But after dozens of days and hundreds of miles, there is no sign that the gusseting, knee articulation, or any other seam on these pants – including my own personal usual suspects, the exterior hip seams and rear pocket corners – will be quitting on me any time soon.
Frankly, it’s hard to think of much negative to say about these pants. About my only quibble is that the length of the design between the gusseted crotch and the top of the belt loops is a little bit long for how I’m shaped, so the appearance of the zipper area is a bit goofy when I’m standing still, but I don’t notice this causing any chafing or other discomfort when I’m hunting, so the concern is purely aesthetic. If you want to add a base layer under these pants, you’ll want to order a size up, or consider the Guide PRO pant instead for greater insulation. If you have a shorter inseam than 30 inches, these pants would be easy to hem; however, for those with long inseams, KUIU notes these can be let out to a 33.5-inch length, so those on the taller side may be out of luck. I did find one small fabric/thread snag on the knee of my “lead foot” after a hunt in tougher, denser cover, so If you find yourself in tight, sharp covers often – think southwestern quail, for example – you would be better served by a pair of the PRO brush pants.
I’m thrilled to have found another piece of gear that will remain a staple in my hunting apparel rotation for years to come. The KUIU women’s Attack pant is an ideal choice for any women who, like me, spend a lot of time between September and January on the move, pursuing upland birds in primarily open country, like sage steppe or shortgrass prairies, as well as aspen glades and granite hills.
*The Grit was supplied with a testing sample, but was not otherwise compensated for this review.
