Kuiu’s PRO Brush Pant are a tough piece of hunting kit. Their made for rough, thorny terrain. The pants weigh around 19.6 ounces (556 grams). That’s fairly light for pants with this much protection. They use a dense four way stretch polyester fabric. Reinforced panels on the knees, thighs and lower legs help block thorns sticking in. The result is a set of pants that stands up to scrapes yet still lets you move. I’ve used these in heavy brush and found them strong where it counts.
Kuiu @ PrecisionRifle
Range Essentials
5.11 Rush 24
Pelican iM3100
The pants are made from a dense Primeflex polyester, one layer throughout, with a DWR water repellent finish. The fabric feels stiff and tough rather than soft. In key zones such as the knees, thighs and lower legs, Kuiu have added thick reinforced panels. These panels wrap from the knee to behind the calf and up the thigh. The rest of the leg is just a single layer of stretchy fabric. The overall design is simple and heavy duty.
It also has solid pocket and waist details. You get two open front pockets and two zippered rear pockets. Each thigh has a large cargo pocket with a zippered closure. The zippers on those cargo pockets are under small flaps so they don’t snag on brush. Inside the waistband there are clips for the removable elastic suspenders that come with the pant. I mostly found that I skip the suspenders and use a belt, but they do help keep the pant up if needed.
From the rear you can see how the cuffs and vents work. The cuffs wrap around your boot and are reinforced with extra fabric. Each cuff has a small metal hook that attaches to your boot laces, this keeps the hem down in thick cover. For cooling, each leg has two zip vents, one at the hip on the outside and one along the inner thigh. Both vents are lined with fine mesh. Unzipping them lets air flow right through the leg on warm days or when you are overheating from movement.
Fit wise, I found them to have an athletic but roomy cut. I tried my normal size (32R) and they fit well. The waistband is comfortable with enough give, and Kuiu includes a belt loop if you prefer a belt. The articulated knees and gusseted crotch give great mobility, no issues climbing, squatting and bending without restriction. The fabric is stretchy, so the pant moves with you. They do run a little tiny bit large, I had room to layer a thin base layer underneath. On cooler mornings I could wear a thermal and still move easily. I found them comfortable for all day wear. One thing to be aware of is they don’t have built in knee pad pockets (unlike Kuiu’s PRO Pant). If you want knee pads you might want to consider a different set of pants. Also, the fabric does make some rustling noise when brushing past leaves, not as quiet as softer pants, but not terrible for how durable they are.
So far I these pants really deliver on toughness. I took them through thick scrub and thorny branches, and the fabric shrugged it off. Sharp sticks and briars simply slid along the reinforced panels. After days in the field I had no tears or rips at all. They didn’t pick up burrs. The vents are helpful, when I unzipped the thigh or hip vents, a good breeze flowed right down the legs. In light rain or dew the DWR coating will cause any drops to bead up and roll off. However, they are not fully waterproof, in heavy rain the fabric will eventually soak through and hold water. They dry out fairly quickly once hanging, since it’s just one layer of fabric. There is no insulation in these, so they feel cool even if damp. Overall they breathe much better than old multi layer brush pants. Even when closed up, the Primeflex weave lets a bit of air through and dries faster than cotton or nylon canvas.
Compared to other Kuiu pants, the PRO Brush have some unique qualities. The Attack Pant (Kuiu’s midweight pant) is lighter, softer and quieter for general hunting, but it would rip more easily in thick cover than these. The PRO Brush is noticeably tougher, it sacrifices some comfort for protection. Kuiu’s regular PRO Pant (with knee pad pockets) is about the same weight and has similar fabric on the top half, but it has built in knee pad pockets and no extra panels below the knee. In other words, the PRO Pant will stop some thorns and give knee support, but the PRO Brush Pant is more heavily armed for briars. Kuiu also makes lighter options like the Encounter LT Pant, which are super quiet and quick drying, but those have zero thorn protection. All are good products, but only the PRO Brush Pant is made for nasty undergrowth. It costs around $199 USD (roughly $300 AUD), so it’s in line with Kuiu’s other premium pants.
Overall, the Kuiu PRO Brush Pant is a specialist tool. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do, protect your legs in thick, scratchy bush. If you spend a lot of time pushing through scrub or chasing game in jungle like terrain, these pants can save your skin. If you mostly hunt in open forest or mountain meadows, a lighter pant will likely be more comfortable. They are a bit heavy for summer hunts, but the vents help. I found them durable and dependable in rough conditions, no panic when brambles closed in. They aren’t perfect (no kneepad pocket and a bit noisy), but they live up to the tough promises. If your looking at these, think about your hunting terrain. If those thorns are a real threat, the PRO Brush Pant is a good choice. If not, Kuiu’s other pants (Attack, Encounter, etc.) might suit you better. Either way, these pants give confidence in brush country.
PRECISIONRIFLE