Safari Pants

[Shaw]

If you have an Academy Sports in your area, I normally wear shorts when hunting but they have the convertible pants. The pant legs zip off so early morning when its cool you can wear pants, it gets warm bam you have shorts. Works great on the flight over too, sometime plane cold as shit and sometime not so much. Not a fan of the material but hey $25 is hard to beat.

 

[Tucketed]

Duluth firehouse are great for me. The flex cotton is comfortable and plenty of pockets.

 

[Rare Breed]

I know you said cotton and I only wear cotton shirts in Africa I still wear my Kuiu pants. Nothing fits or wears better than them and I love their light weight yet toughness

 

[steve white]

I get a lightweight quick dry pant through our work uniform company called Mocean. I had no idea a pant could be so light, dry so fast, or be so durable. I have some that have been my weekly rotation, all year long, for over a decade and show minimal wear. They are vented and seem impervious to abrasions. I bought a couple and wore them to Africa my first time. I highly recommend them as a lightweight option.

More info Please! Model #, contact, etc. Sounds great.

 

[Russ16]

I love Kuhl pants. They come in several different weights based on the expected temperatures. The lightweight ones are fantastic for warmer weather.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have one pair of Wrangler ATG synthetic and don't care for them. Too light. Stickers and thorns go right through them. Also quite expensive.

I DO NOT like cargo pants of any variety. Hate having stuff flopping around on my legs. Also they cut down on breathability = unnecessarily hot. Also, the flaps get caught on brush.

Dickies green work pants have been best for me but I'm not sure they're still in business. Seems Walmart has suddenly stopped carrying that brand. Waist sizes are small so always bump up one. Hand pockets are almost bottomless. Your loose change will never fall out! I found a brand called Nobel Outfitters at a farm supply store in Montana and really like them. All cotton with very wide belt loops (excellent!) and a cell phone pocket high on left leg just below the conventional hand pocket. Easy to grab my phone when doing things with my right hand (like driving ... oops ... or fishing). They can be ordered online I think. Available in gray, green, brown, black. Made of canvas material but smaller/tighter weave than Carhartt. I find Carhartt very overpriced and their stuff wears out FAST, especially for such heavy fabric. Actually, I think it's because the weave is so thick. Their pants chaff me in the crotch. Carhartt orange is also not an ideal color for where I hunt either here or in Africa. Bought a pair of their camo pants once ($$$!) and they were rags by season's end.

 

[uplander01]

Rab Radius or Livsn flex canvas, both tree hugger brands but very good. I mostly wear shorts, and those are usually Toad & Co, another good brand.

 

[Safari Dave]

I wear 5.11 TacLite Pro Ripstop Cargo Pants nearly every day. I've worn them in Africa.

They are tough, but not hot.

 

[Ryan]

+1

As a Vet of the 80's-2000's I love the Lightweight BDU pants. Plenty of pockets on the side of the thigh, not on the front where I despise pockets. Adjustable drawstring waist and leg cuff, plus plenty of belt loops and button fly, so no broken zippers in the field.

The same contractors make OD, brown, and other colors. The easiest to get are TRU-SPEC, Rothco and Propper, with Propper being my favorite. Problem is, in the Olive Drab and other hunting colors, they are often out of stock, so if you see them in your size don't hesitate.

Just make sure to find the Lightweight BDU's. The regular BDU's wear like iron, but are hot and take forever to dry. Even in the winter months in Korea, I wore the Lightweights.

Funny, I am of the opposite view. Never liked the lightweight ripstop ones. The regular weight ones were my preference, summer or winter, Korea, Alaska and three months in Saudi Arabia. No too hot to me. Too each their own I guess.

 

[Inkgardener]

I really was impressed with the Duluth Flexpadition pants this Spring in Limpopo. It rained quite a bit and they didn't weigh on me like my khakis did. Also, when I read the title, "Safari Pants" the first thing I could think of was a super baggy pair of jogging pants with palm leaf print all over them. I will let you know when I find my pair...

How did these hold up in the thick bush? Would briars tear them up?

 

[Kurt Swanson]

This probably isn't helpful, since these pants are no doubt long discontinued, but I have hunted in Tavik Westport Pants exclusively since 2019. They're cotton, comfortable, and conservative. No baggy pockets or extraneous zippers or flaps to get in the way. They're plain and functional, and I believe the marketing was something surf related.

Unfortunately I bought them from Sierra Trading Post in 2018, so no doubt they've been off the market for years.

 

[degoins]

Wrangler stretch rip stop cargos from Walmart.

 

[RIGBY]

I wore these on my last trip and loved them:

Robin Hurt Expedition Pants - John Rigby & Co.

Robin Hurt is one of the most storied Professional Hunters in history, a man who has walked thousands of miles across the wild and untamed heart of Africa. His legacy is one of grit, skill and an unyielding connection to the land. These pants are built for those who share that same spirit...

www.johnrigbyandco.com

 

[Russ16]

For those of you who wear cargo pants, do you actually use the cargo pockets? I've never been able to stand having anything in them so I shy away from that style. Anything more than a facemask or light set of gloves that I put in them always feels like it is flopping around.

 

[deewayne2003]

After having brand new Carhart pants split wide open on me in Australia, I switched to Hawx work wear pants and their the best pants I've found.

Men's Xtreme Double Front Ripstop Work Pants

Shell: 99% cotton / 1% elastane ; Pocketing: 100% cotton 6 pocket construction Zip-fly with button closure Straight leg Finished hems Solid brown design Double front knee Imported New Fit: true to size Model is 6'2"

hawxwork.com

 

[skydiver386]

For those of you who wear cargo pants, do you actually use the cargo pockets? I've never been able to stand having anything in them so I shy away from that style. Anything more than a facemask or light set of gloves that I put in them always feels like it is flopping around.

It depends on the size and location of the pockets.

Small pockets on the front of the thigh are worthless in my opinion. Every step you get slapped by the objects in those pockets. That is unless you wear your pants Tom Jones tight!

BDU pockets on the side of the thigh are much better. They have button flaps that keep things secure. I still use them for lightweight things like gloves, and would never use them for binoculars or rangefinders.

 

[RSL]

I bought a pair of 5.11 cotton canvas cargo pants. They were made in China, thus ending my use of 5.11 gear. I refuse to support China in any fashion. YMMV

 

[degoins]

For those of you who wear cargo pants, do you actually use the cargo pockets? I've never been able to stand having anything in them so I shy away from that style. Anything more than a facemask or light set of gloves that I put in them always feels like it is flopping around.

I seldom use the cargo pockets and wish they made that same style of pants without them, but they don't.

 

[Hunt anything]

For those of you who wear cargo pants, do you actually use the cargo pockets? I've never been able to stand having anything in them so I shy away from that style. Anything more than a facemask or light set of gloves that I put in them always feels like it is flopping around.

I put non-intrusive stuff in cargo pockets, surgical gloves for gutting game, face masks and light cotton gloves. Like you I can’t stand anything flopping around.

 

[Safari Dave]

I wear cargo pants/shorts nearly all the time.

Phone in lower left. Tactical folder in lower right.