I’ve burned through over a dozen pairs of upland bird-hunting pants over the last 6 years. You really ask a lot from a set of chap-style pants like the Kings Camo XKG Field Pants.
They need to be the most durable pants in your closet, capable of withstanding miles of briar patches, taking a beating from cattail sloughs, and protecting your legs from getting stabbed by thorns. Yet, because of the amount of hiking you’ll do in them, they also need to be breathable and comfortable for long days in the field.
It’s such a tall order that I think it’s impossible to make the perfect set of upland bird hunting pants. An increase in durability inherently results in a loss of breathability and comfort, and vice versa. It’s a game of give and take.
Every set I’ve owned either chases one quality while completely disregarding the other or imperfectly attempts to walk the thin line between them. None has succeeded in the balance game.
In short: After a few hunts, I’ve determined that the Kings Camo XKG Field Pants ($160) strike the perfect balance. Hip vents, in conjunction with polyester-weave chap panels, keep things breezy as you work through thick cover. The fit is absolutely perfect, and the little bit of spandex in the pants completely eliminates the stiff sensation associated with brush pants. Though not as hefty as the burliest pants on the market, they still keep you protected from most, although not all, brush and thorns. They’re perfect for any upland hunt.
See how the Kings Camo XKG Field Pants compare to the Best Hunting Pants for Men.
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Warmth
7.0
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Breathability
8.0
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Waterproofness
7.9
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Durability
8.4
- Fabric: 95% polyester, 5% spandex, nylon weave chap panels
- DWR: Yes
- Odor control: Polygiene Odor Control
Pros
- Chap panels that actually breathe
- Hip vents
- Superior fit for field pants
- Water resistance
- Solid protection, despite breathable build
Cons
- Things will stick to them
- Can still get stabbed
Breathable Upland Pants?!
Breathable upland hunting pants are hardly a new concept. Many brands have attempted to make them, but in my experience, they’re little more than a set of lightweight hikers with an additional layer added to the lower leg. They hardly qualify as brush pants.
The Kings XKG Pinnacle pants are substantial and thick. They look, feel, and have the heft of true chap style pants.
Yet, Kings made them surprisingly breathable. There are hip vents on each leg, which I found myself using even in freezing temperatures in South Dakota. Busting through cattail sloughs is sweaty business, and the addition of this feature, often found on standard hunting pants, just makes sense on an upland pant.
In addition to the vents, the entire pant is made from polyester and spandex, including the chap panels. Most pants have chap panels made from canvas or a similar material, which don’t breathe at all. On the Field Pant, the chap panels are constructed with a unique woven nylon. It creates a burly layer while allowing your legs to breathe much better.
Water Resistance of the XKG Field Pant
Thanks to recent South Dakota snows, I had ample opportunity to test the water resistance of these pants. In some fields, the snow was waist-high, and I spent a week post-holing in pursuit of roosters.
Because of that, I will admit I wore gaiters with the pants, which obviously helped in the water-resistance department. However, I was often in snow well past the gaiters, and the pants got exposed to plenty of moisture.
At the end of a hunting day, I was never soaked — in fact, I was hardly wet at all. The only place moisture seeped through was where snow got jammed at the junction with the top of my gaiters. The DWR finish works effectively.
To top it off, I found the pants dry very quickly. I’d hang them to dry in my travel trailer every night, and they’d be bone dry the next morning, ready to hunt. I hunted in snowy conditions for 5 days straight with no moisture issues.
Protection From Brush
If you’ve ever hunted in South Dakota, you know how thick the brush can be. I’ve upland bird hunted in seven different states, and nothing can touch it. In some places, the cover forms a wall that is quite literally impenetrable.
I beat the heck out of the XKG field pants in that brush for a week. The chap panels that go up to the groin on the front, up to the knee on the back, and along the seat, kept me protected. What’s more, at the end of the ordeal, the pants looked no worse for wear. With a quick wash at home, they looked good as new.
There was only one occasion when I felt the sharp jab of a thorn into my thigh. Since the nylon chaps are more breathable, they aren’t impenetrable. I’m not going to lie and say that these can keep you protected from every thorn. They can’t.
But only getting stabbed once in a week of hunting in breathable pants? I’ll take it.
A Minor Annoyance
Aside from not being entirely impenetrable, there is one other downside of the Kings Camo XKG field pants. Small briars stick to the woven nylon chap panels.
It only happened to me in one field. They clung to my leg like Velcro, and I had to stop and pull them off, which was annoying, given how many there were. Still, it didn’t happen often, and when it did, the briars didn’t penetrate and stab my legs, despite ample opportunity.
Final Thoughts on the Kings Camo XKG Field Pants
For me, an upland bird hunting season is a long one. It may start with triple-digit temperatures hunting mountain grouse, include walking cheat grass plains for sharptail, hiking ridge lines for chukar, and trudging through cattail sloughs for roosters in the dead of winter.
There hasn’t been a pant I’ve owned that I could comfortably wear in all of those pursuits. Some are too hot and burly for early season, and others don’t provide enough protection for thick cover.
The Kings Camo XKG Field Pants cover all the bases. They’re breathable, yet shield from brush and thorns. To top it off, they have the best fit of any upland pants I’ve worn. They moved with me as I hiked my legs over snow and brush, and had enough stretch to prevent any restriction of movement. That’s not normal for chap-style pants.
The durability is impressive, and I will be packing them on all of my Upland hunting trips. If you’re like me and chase all manner of birds, grab a pair. You won’t be disappointed.
