Harkila trousers which?

User00003

Well-Known Member
Going to be buying a new pair soon, which ones do you recommend. I want waterproof, not too thick, comfy, not too warm and durable....tons to choose from on they line up...me old pro hunters I loved but just curious about what is currently seen as the best
 
Looked at all of them prior to replacing my old pro hunters. Was going to get a pair of the pro hunter x trousers. after trying them on I went back to the basic pro hunters. Cant be beaten in my opinion. Same with the jackets.


Brian
 
I like the new pro hunter X trousers better as they have thigh ventilation zips.

Opposite for the jackets -- the pro hunters have underarm zips, the pro hunter X do not.

Harkila seem to be going in circles?

Cheers,
Jeff.
 
It is hard to judge what is best for someone else.

I usually destroy waterproof trousers in a fortnight however since I moved to Harkila that hasn't been happening and I currently have 3 pairs on the go, though one pair are basically destroyed now. The most recent addition was a pair of Pro Hunter X trousers and I've been impressed with them. The ventilation zips work well for me and despite 3 warm weeks in the hebrides there were only a few days when it was too warm for them. They seem relatively robust and are comfortable and they have survived more than 2 weeks which is quite an achievement.

Given all this I would recommend the Pro Hunter X trousers but, clearly, I haven't tried every trouser made and I also don't know your exact requirements. If you are just walking around a farm somewhere down south then they are way over engineered for your needs for example.
 
thanks for your input guys, yes I was looking through their magazine and was overwhelmed by the different lines and series they do.

I liked my old ones because there were light and airy enough for summer stalking and esp. when there's still dew they stay dry. however, for woodland stalking they were not too loud on the thicket as you walked through and on the hill in torrential rain and mud and sleet they were waterproof but I would still be able to layer up with merino wool or fleece under them to turn them into winter trousers.

I liked the reinforced knees, I don't like pockets and zips and buttons on the belt line or buttons around the ankles..

might have a look at the X but I think there's maybe one too many feature for me...suss
 
having just had another look, I think it's going to be the Extreme X with the nubuck on the front legs..looks good :)
 
Standard pro hunter trousers sound like what you want. Quite hard wearing, not hot, quite waterproof. They are quite cold when wet however and are also rather loud. Unless it's warm and ****ing down I prefer a pair of ancient deerhunter ram trousers which are more comfortable even though less waterproof.
 
I find the pro hunters very hot in even the most snail like activities
great for sitting around or being out on really nasty cold days but I am seriously considering having some zips added
I use them for woodland walking around
but I couldn't imagine doing hill walking in them!

don't find them noisy at all
 
Hi PKL
Pro Hunter is the best all round trouser.

Be aware that the 1/2 full leather /Suede trousers need aftercare from the get go, the leather must be fed as wet dry wet dry will harden the leather. Use a saddle soap to clean it, avoid dry cleaning, and be aware of the aftercare regime.

Pro Hunter Trousers with all Gore-Tex has a waterproof coating on the outer face of the cloth, this rubs off and will need replenishing with a Tex wash. This is 100% normal and you will know it will need to be done as soon as wet-out starts to occur. see our blog about this. Re-proofing Clothing FAQ | Rugged s Blog

If you are still undecided, call the store and we can talk you through the ranges and as each has a different purpose, it is easy to get confused with which Harkila range to chose from, Endurance Performance or Classic. Our store number is 01525 211488 and we are open 7 days. Ask for Andrew or Brendan

All the best
Andrew
 
Hi PKL
Pro Hunter is the best all round trouser.

Be aware that the 1/2 full leather /Suede trousers need aftercare from the get go, the leather must be fed as wet dry wet dry will harden the leather. Use a saddle soap to clean it, avoid dry cleaning, and be aware of the aftercare regime.

Pro Hunter Trousers with all Gore-Tex has a waterproof coating on the outer face of the cloth, this rubs off and will need replenishing with a Tex wash. This is 100% normal and you will know it will need to be done as soon as wet-out starts to occur. see our blog about this. Re-proofing Clothing FAQ | Rugged s Blog

If you are still undecided, call the store and we can talk you through the ranges and as each has a different purpose, it is easy to get confused with which Harkila range to chose from, Endurance Performance or Classic. Our store number is 01525 211488 and we are open 7 days. Ask for Andrew or Brendan

All the best
Andrew

Brililant info, thanks Andrew. good chance we will speak!

Peter
 
Hi PKL
Pro Hunter is the best all round trouser.

Be aware that the 1/2 full leather /Suede trousers need aftercare from the get go, the leather must be fed as wet dry wet dry will harden the leather. Use a saddle soap to clean it, avoid dry cleaning, and be aware of the aftercare regime.

Pro Hunter Trousers with all Gore-Tex has a waterproof coating on the outer face of the cloth, this rubs off and will need replenishing with a Tex wash. This is 100% normal and you will know it will need to be done as soon as wet-out starts to occur. see our blog about this. Re-proofing Clothing FAQ | Rugged s Blog

If you are still undecided, call the store and we can talk you through the ranges and as each has a different purpose, it is easy to get confused with which Harkila range to chose from, Endurance Performance or Classic. Our store number is 01525 211488 and we are open 7 days. Ask for Andrew or Brendan

All the best
Andrew

Fantastic advice.

Glendine.
 
R&T.. I have a pair of Harkila leather trousers and a pair of Kodiak with leather patches, what is the best treatment to keep them good?
 
I use a pair of Harkila Trial trousers for my summer and dry winter stalking (with tracksuit trousers underneath if its a really cold crisp Foxing night) and have been delighted with them since purchasing 12-months ago. My mentor remarked they are slightly noisy, although I can't tell as my hearing's shot and I have constant tinnitus. However, they are very comfortable and seemingly hard wearing, with no rips or pulls from the undergrowth apparent thus far. However, they are not at all water (or stinging nettle) resistant and having lost over 2 1/2 stone this summer, I wanted to use the opportunity to obtain a decent set of winter/wet trousers. Reading this thread and not wanting to make the scale of investment required by the new Pro Hunter X, I purchased a set of standard Pro Hunter Trousers for £215. Based soley on the first outing today, I'm delighted. It was only a pure walk, but covered 7.5-miles in the pouring rain across country, across stiles and gates and through hedges/woodland. My top half underneath a basic cycling base layer and Barbour 3in1 Sporting Jacket (minus the inner waistcoat) was hot and eventually "wet". My legs, remained completely dry and snug, the Gortex clearly doing it's job far better than the proper sports base layer and Barbour, wicking the sweat away and through the fabric. It was 10-degrees and I can imagine if it were any warmer they could prove a little too warm for some, but for wet and cold weather, they fit the bill for me perfectly. Sadly as I really like the design, given the extremely poor "wet" performance (and perhaps why they have discontinued this year), the Barbour is almost certainly going to have to be replaced at some point. Since I've just noticed the seam has already torn (despite only around half a dozen outings) around one of the armpits, that may well be sooner than later. Based on my experience with the trousers, probably by a Pro Hunter Jacket. So, thanks for raising this thread PKL and so all the contributors for your comments, much appreciated :tiphat:
 
R&T.. I have a pair of Harkila leather trousers and a pair of Kodiak with leather patches, what is the best treatment to keep them good?

Hi Red Dot
Depends on where they are smooth leather or suede. Both need to be treated differently as suede is the more unforgiving of the leathers.

For both, prevention is better than the cure for drying out. Always apply a protector quite soon after purchase to ensure that neither smooth leather or suede gets saturated. Nikwax or Mink Oil work well, but Mink oil which is the prefered option stays oily for a long time, so be careful around other textiles and soft furnishings as it will rub off onto them

If the smooth leather has started to go hard and stiff, use Saddlesoap, which also contains oils to nourish the leather and will help return the natural oils to make the leather softer. For Suede its a bit more of a challenge, as Saddlesoap and Mink Oil flatten the nap of suede so it appears more like an oiled waxy leather.

Check our care guide here for alot more information Washing and Aftercare for Clothing Leather and Suede Clothing

Any questions, give us a call on 01525 211488. If I am not in the store, I will call you back
All the best
Andrew
 
thanks for all your input gents.

based on the aftercare and pre-care of the leather fronted ones, I am now back to thinking about a more simple design like the original pro-hunter again..however, I do not like the tightening system around the ankles as I fold the trouser legs and stick inside my stalking boots, and any such gimmicks tend to become painful on the ankles and legs. I also despise the suspender buttons as they tend to get stuck under my belt, and then hurt like hell when sitting or crawling....if only they could ditch these features..suss
 
Good points PKL. A shame the brace fixings aren't removable. A simple screw fit would surely have done. I too am not a fan of the leg tightening. Today I wore my ~7" high walking boots and couldn't seal the trousers properly over them. I consequently found myself subconsciously thinking that either my 8" stalking boots would have given that bit more water protection ....... or that I should have used gaiters. Perhaps the poor design is intentional, since Harkila conveniently also provide the matching gaiters :-|
 
thanks for all your input gents.

based on the aftercare and pre-care of the leather fronted ones, I am now back to thinking about a more simple design like the original pro-hunter again..however, I do not like the tightening system around the ankles as I fold the trouser legs and stick inside my stalking boots, and any such gimmicks tend to become painful on the ankles and legs. I also despise the suspender buttons as they tend to get stuck under my belt, and then hurt like hell when sitting or crawling....if only they could ditch these features..suss

Don't write off the leather fronted ones as they have their place and if the water-repellency is kept up, then the problems with the leather drying out will not be a huge issue, but yes they need aftercare. Leather & Suede are great for scrub & thorns etc where membrane trousers might be in danger of a thorn to two piercing the membrane.
Good points on the Brace Buttons, I have the same on my Lingfields, I will pass this onto Harkila as the Tjms, screw on sounds like a really good idea. The snow snap at the bottom, again great comments and we will pass these on too as we are not often needing to wade through deep snow, so something removeable could work too.
Thanks for your comments & this kind of feeback is always welcome.
Andrew
 
Hi Tim
We have passed on both yours and PKLs comments to Harkila. Good points. I don't think it was intentional to try to push a gaiter sale, more to stop snow going up inside the trouser leg.
Thanks for your comments, really good
Andrew
 
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