KUIU Attack Pants Review

The KUIU Attack Pant is KUIU’s bestselling pant — and has been for years. In fact, about six years ago, I ordered the KUIU Attack Pant . . . but I had to send it back due to the inseam length. It was too short.

Of course, at 6’3″ I’m a bit of a tough fit — I have long legs, which generally means I need a 36″ inseam. Back then, KUIU didn’t have a Tall version with longer inseams . . . but now they do. When KUIU reached out last fall to see if Man Makes Fire was interested in a review unit, I was game to give KUIU another shot. After wearing the KUIU Attack Pant during Idaho’s whitetail deer season last year, this is what I learned — and it might be helpful as you gear up for your next hunting season:

Excellent Comfort

The first thing you need to know is that the KUIU Attack Pants are comfortable. Like most competitive high-quality hunting pants these days, they have articulated knees and a gusseted crotch. But the KUIU Attack Pants take the comfort farther with built-in 4-way stretch. The fabric is Toray’s Primflex polyester, and it works well. The exterior face is tightly woven with a DWR finish while the interior has a sort of brushed texture that is soft on bare skin.

 

Slightly Trim Fit

The KUIU Attack Pant fit is slightly trimmer than most competing hunting pants — but it’s also roomy enough for guys who have big thighs. More specifically compared to other hunting pants I’ve tested recently — like the Sitka Mountain Pant and the newer Under Armour Ridge Reaper Raider HD Pants — the Attack Pant fit is similar but slightly trimmer throughout.

For reference, I weigh about 220 lbs and I wear a 38/36 in most every pant — including my favorite everyday KÜHL pants and the more recent Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants that have earned a spot in my rotation. The KUIU Attack Pant fits similarly well when compared to non-hunting pants that also have articulated knees and gusseted crotch designs.

The overall fit effect is that the KUIU Attack Pants have a slightly more athletic fit profile to them — at least on my body. It’s so good that I’m considering buying a black or gray pair for everyday wear.

On the other hand, I have slightly less room for layering a base layer underneath and can only comfortably fit a light base layer, not a medium or heavy layer. If you want easy room for layering or appreciate a roomier fit, size up.

Awesome Hip Vents

Before I get into the pockets, I have to say, the built-in hip vents are excellent. I’m a huge fan. For the kind of big game hunting I do, I cover a lot of ground on foot, usually with some decent elevation gain and loss. If you hunt like I do, you likely experience wild temperature swings as you work hard then stop to rest or stop to glass or stop to eat. The hip vents are fantastic. You can dump a lot of excess heat and stay on the move — then zip them back up when it gets chilly. So good.

The KUIU Attack Pant’s hip vents are a key differentiating factor compared to most competitive hunting pants.

In terms of warmth, I can wear the Attack Pants on most days in September, most every day in October, and generally well into November . . . for typical Idaho weather, that is. They wouldn’t be my first choice for hot August days. For snowy winter hunts, I almost always wear a merino wool base layer underneath.

 

Attack Pant Pockets

The front hand pockets and thigh pockets are lined with mesh on the inside. This design helps ensure breathability in the pants. Personally, I wish the front hand pockets were just a bit deeper . . . but I also recognize that changing the front hand pockets would have trickle down effects. The low-profile thigh cargo pockets would need to be set lower to accommodate deeper hand pockets. I’m not sure that would be significantly better.

As it is now, the thigh cargo pockets start right where the hand pockets end. The positioning is useful and effective — and the contents of these pockets stay out of the way of leg and knee flex as you scramble over deadfalls and rocks and steep ground. The design of the cargo pockets is also very secure.

The cargo pockets aren’t as roomy as the Sitka Mountain Pant cargo pockets . . . but there’s a reason for that, too: The KUIU Attack Pants have hip vents while Sitka Mountain Pants don’t have hip vents. The hip vent and cargo pocket orientation comes into play here with the design . . . and ultimately, the KUIU Attack Pant pockets work pretty well.

Check out the ‘Attack-fit’ KUIU Pro Pant with built-in knee pads!

Durability

I don’t yet have multiple seasons of testing on the KUIU Attack Pants, but so far, I’m pleased. After fighting through brush and the occasional brambles and burrs, I don’t have any serious abrasions or tears. My impression is that the KUIU Attack Pant is more durable than the (admittedly lighter) UA Ridge Reaper HD Pants and maybe slightly less durable than the Sitka Mountain Pant. It should be noted that the Sitka Mountain Pant costs $60 more than the KUIU Attack Pant. I’m a Sitka fan and wear a lot of Sitka — for reasons I’ll get into below — but I’m not sure the 25% or so extra cost delivers 25% extra performance.

So, based on fit and finish, I have no concerns about durability. (I’ll update this review if anything changes over time.)

Noise

The KUIU has a fairly dense face fabric weave that’s very quiet. It’s not as quiet as merino wool, but it’s very good. Burrs will still stick to it, but they come off relatively easily — at least the burrs I run into in Idaho most often.

KUIU includes a DWR coating to help shed light moisture, but I keep my expectations of DWR low while hunting. Once I bail off the trail or bare ridges to plow through tall wet brush or grass, no DWR has ever kept me dry for long. (For serious wet-weather situations, you should get some truly waterproof rain hunting pants.)

If you need to refresh your DWR, which I do for most of my hunting clothes every hunting season, try the Gear Aid Revivex Durable Water Repellant (DWR) Spray.

 

Attack Pant Competition & Alternative Options

Hunters are lucky these days because we have so many truly great brands and versions of hunting pants. Instead of old-school wool pants that fit like a couple of upside down Vs sewn together, most every competitive hunting pant now features comfy gusseted crotches, articulated knees, and synthetic stretch fabrics. The performance differences among the best hunting pants are relatively small. The biggest differences for most hunters will be choosing which camo patterns they want to wear for the kinds of hunting they do. You don’t have to match the camo pattern with the rest of your hunting clothing and packs, but you can: KUIU has a complete hunting lineup. Personally, I started with Sitka first because Sitka had the longest inseams and biggest product lineup years ago. No matter where you start, if you haven’t invested in a high-quality hunting pant yet, do it soon. When you find the right fit for your body type, you won’t regret it.

Meanwhile, here are some competitive hunting pants to also consider:

Sitka Mountain Pant — The Sitka Mountain Pant is widely considered to be Sitka’s most versatile hunting pant. The biggest benefit and difference from the KUIU Attack Pant is the inclusion of removable knee pads. The biggest drawback is the higher price point.

First Lite Obsidian Merino Pants — First Lite’s Obsidian Merino Pants use a different fabric you might be interested in: They blend merino wool with ballistic ripstop nylon, polyester fiber, and spandex for stretch. The primary benefit of the fabric blend is the merino wool, which is very quiet in the brush.

Under Armour Ridge Reaper Raider HD Pants — The UA Ridge Reaper Raider HD Pants are just as comfortable as the KUIU Attack Pants, if not a bit more comfortable, but they are a lighter weave, which makes them more suitable to warmer, early season hunts. They are not as warm as the KUIU Attack Pants. Both pants have hip vents, though, which help with temperature regulation.

KUIU Pro Pant — The KUIU Pro Pant has the same fit-and-feel as the Attack Pant. The most important difference is the Pro Pant has built-in knee pads while the Attack Pant does not.

The Bottom Line

All-in-all, the KUIU Attack Pant is a super comfortable do-it-all, can’t-go-wrong hunting pant. Plus, KUIU now offers the Attack Pant in three inseam length options to fit most everyone. As for color, KUIU offers three camo pattern choices as well as a whopping eight solid color options for everyday wear. Very highly recommended.

Get the Gear:

• KUIU Attack Pants – men’s
• KUIU Attack Pants – women’s