KUIU Kutana Hybrid Pants are mid-weight stretch woven pants made with a waterproof seat and lower legs. They’re made for ultralight hunting but also make great hiking pants, especially if you hike off-trail in dense brush or across wet terrain. KUIU makes a lot of gear that is appropriate for what I term “wilderness hiking and backpacking” where you leave the security of well-blazed and signed trails and need to live by your navigational wits instead. That describes a lot of my hikes, particularly those where I’m in search of fishable sections of small rivers and streams, in search of wild trout. That level of detail is not visible on maps or even satellite imagery, so you have to scout them by bushwhacking on foot.

• Size Tested: Men’s 36″ x 32″ (women’s also available)
• Weight: 13.6 oz
• Pockets: 4
• Features: waterproof seat and lower legs, gaiter hooks, thigh vents
• Closure: Button/zipper
• Belt: Not included
• Upper: Toray Primeflex 100% Stretch Nylon – 180 g/m²
• Seat & lower leg: Hydroweb Electrospun Primeflex 100% Stretch Nylon – 161 g/m²
• Waterproofness: 11,000 mm
• Breathability (A1 test): 10,000 g/m²/24hrs
• Breathability (B1 test): 25,000 g/m²/24hrs

The Kutana Hybrid Pants are great for these forays because they’re lightweight but tough as nails, which is a plus when you have to bash though dense vegetation or high, and often wet, grass.  The upper part of the pants are made with a durable stretch nylon while the seat and lower legs are waterproof. The waterproofing is made using an electrospun nanofiber membrane and seam-taped to block out water and is thankfully, not dependent on a DWR coating. In addition, the pants have 6″ zippered thigh vents for ventilation that helps vent excess heat and reduced perspiration. I keep these open almost all the time and find that they help keep me noticeably drier own under.

Closeup of the side thigh vents

The Kutana Hybrid Pants have four front pockets. The top two pockets on each leg quite deep and open, with a small change pocket on the right. There are an additional two zippered pockets further down the thigh that are covered with protective flaps, and the right one also has a phone sleeve inside. There are no pockets on the seat.

These pants are comfortable to wear up to about 70F and are good to wear in the spring or autumn when temperatures are still relatively cool. They are true-to-size in the waist and not bulky. Unfortunately, they’re only available in a 34″ inseam, no matter what waist size you choose(see size chart). I hitch up my waist and belt when I wear them, but I’d really prefer a 32″ or 30″ inseam.

I’ve been wearing these pants on my stream scouting trips in recent weeks and they performed marvelously. They’re great for bashing around in muddy spring conditions, for tramping through the high grass that grows in beaver meadows, and for standing in shallow stream beds. I can definitely recommend them if they fit you.

More KUIU Reviews

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Disclosure: KUIU donated pants for review.

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