The most difficult thing about wearing pants is that I can’t wear Sitka Gear’s Timberline Pants all the time.
I expect most of my gear to be able to pull double duty. If I like something, it’s getting used. And I’m probably gonna put it through paces that it shouldn’t go through. I ride my horse in merino yoga pants. I wear my Dovetail work pants to fancy dinners. And I sometimes wear my Wranglers when I hunt.
The same can be said for Sitka Gear’s Timberline Pant. It’s a hunting-specific pant, sure. But I’ve worn it on cold, windy days on my horse, long hikes in which nothing was being pursued, snowboarding the Montana corduroy, and those moments when a durable, can’t-beat-it-up, windproof, and semiwaterproof pant is necessary. But, where it truly shines is most definitely in the realm of hunting.
Of course, you don’t have to own hunting-specific pants to hunt. You can hunt in anything you’re comfortable in. In any color. At any point. Comfort is certainly key. But, if you’re gonna go for a pair of hunting pants, you can’t do much better than the Timberline pant from Sitka Gear.
Let’s get into the deets of our Best Overall Pants for Women, recently chosen in our Best Women’s Hunting Pants of 2020.
The Sitka Gear Timberline Pant Review
Breaking Down the Sitka Gear Timberline Pant
Made for both women and men, the similarities across the pants are pretty dang equal. Each performance fit offering is made in a wide range of sizes. For men, it ranges from a waist size of 30 to 42, with both regular and tall options. For women, a range of 25–40 is offered in regular lengths.
Really, where the Timberline shines is in its burly build. Both your booty and articulated knees are reinforced and waterproofed using nylon ripstop fabric. Removable knee pads offer extra protection.
A plethora of both zippered and flapped pockets allow for ease of access to more space than you’ll likely use. And polyester four-way stretch woven fabric throughout leaves a very forgiving feel in a pant that is still going to get you from rugged point A to B.
The fit is athletic, with tapered legs and boot-cut bottoms. A low-profile waist allows for easy packing. And three camo and color options — including a gray solid for you minimalist types — are available.
In the Field
The first time I wore Timberlines, it was a windy day in 2017. Like, legit wind. A friend of mine had left them in my car, and the pants I was about to hunt deer in just didn’t cut the mustard or the wind. So, I threw on the Tims, belted them up, and hit the high ridges of Montana in search of mule deer.
I walked six miles that day in the biting cold wind and blowing snow. I sat on the wet ground to break down a deer after taking a lethal shot on my first successful solo hunt. And for a few of those miles, I packed my muley buck off the mountain in those borrowed Timberlines.
I stayed dry thanks to the waterproof knees and seat. I stayed warm thanks to the thickness of the four-way stretch polyester. And I was able to fill my tag because I could stay out in the elements without compromising my comfort.
Since then, I’ve owned two pairs of Timberlines — one solid, one camo. And they’re both like new after a few years of use and breaking down many of my own animals as well as the animals of hunting pals.
The fabric not only repels water, but it also repels bloodstains and holds up to both battering and washing, with no special attention. This is a true workhorse of a pant. Throw whatever you want at it — it’s simply gonna perform.
A Few Points to Consider
Anytime I talk about Sitka Gear, money comes up. These pants aren’t cheap. Drop $250 and you’re in it to win it, no matter your gender. That’s a common theme with Sitka; it’s just expensive. My suggestion for frugal folks is to wait for a few of their yearly sales — Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Black Friday among them.
That said, if you drop $100 here and there on a few pairs of hunting or hiking pants a year, then you’re in the market anyway. These are going to be in your closet for a long, long time. They’re well worth the cash if you consider longevity and durability.
And if I were to get super nitpicky, I’d love it if the women’s pants were maybe a little less boot cut at the bottom. They run fairly wide.
My last point on the Tims is this. If you’re a treestand hunter, these aren’t gonna cut it on very cold days when insulation is necessary for a long sit. I sat in 4 degrees for 90 minutes on a final-day-of-the-season elk hunt and was borderline hypothermic when I got back to the truck. Lesson learned.
Final Thoughts
Listen, I love my Sitka Gear Timberline pants. I won’t hesitate to say it. They’re dang near perfect as both mountain pants and field pants. They’re comfortable. And they’re the kind of pant you don’t have to worry about ruining in the field.
With five big game tags in my pocket this fall, the Timberlines are sure to get even more miles and stains added to their repertoire. If you choose to head out with tags awaiting notches in your own pair of Timberlines, man or woman, expect to stay extremely comfortable and mobile in the field.
