Gone are the days of $30 pants and checkered flannels for hunting. Nowadays, high end hunting clothing is being utilized by hunters all across the country. Whether you’re in a treestand waiting out a cagey whitetail buck or pounding the backcountry in search of bugling bulls, the benefits of this stuff is undeniable. It’s warmer, more lightweight, teeming with efficiency, and it’s form fitting. We recently had the pleasure of getting our hands on Stone Glacier’s new pants the De Havilland Lite. The original De Havilland was a crowd pleaser, so we had high hopes for the Lite. Let’s take a closer look at the De Havilland Lite to see if it lives up to the name that is Stone Glacier.
Overview
Stone Glacier wanted to make an early season pant that excelled on physically demanding backpack style hunts. Something that squashed issues that they’ve personally experienced in the field with other models of pants. Issues like being uncomfortable under a heavy pack. After the successful release of their original De Havilland, it just made sense to create an even more lightweight version. Their answer is the De Havilland Lite. An ultralight highly technical pant that was made for backcountry hunters, by backcountry hunters.
The De Havilland Lite has all of the fixins the original De Havilland had with an extra twist. This 1 pound 3 oz. athletic cut pant is now made from a Nylon double weave textile. The reason being is because it makes the pant 25% lighter than it’s all season big brother. And with the Nylon it screams range of motion. This pant won’t be holding up hunters that need ultimate flexibility in the field. That fabric is also treated with a DWR coating to help keep you dry, as well as help with wind resistance. The De Havilland Lite is offered in one solid color option being tarmac. And unlike most hunting pants out there, these have front facing cargo pockets, for much easier accessibility.
Features
These pants have a few notable features that are sure to steal the attention of hunters. The first being the heat dumps. For high excursion hunts in the early season, heat dumps are an absolute no brainer. They are zippers located on the side of the pants that allow one to simply unzip them to let heat escape when pounding the hills. A huge benefit when making those early morning hikes or crushing a long push to get in position of that cunning velvet muley. Of course these coincide with Stone Glacier’s Stratum Layering Zipper System. All Stone Glacier pants come with these side zippers to allow heat to escape, no matter how many layers the hunter is wearing.
Another plus of the De Havilland Lite pant is the ability to add kneepads to the inside of the pant. For spot and stalk hunting and crawling your way towards a bedded buck, this will save your knees. More than a few bowhunters accidentally take a sharp rock to the knee when doing this. Kneepads are the ticket. They’re also beneficial just taking care of camp chores when having to take a knee. And if one doesn’t want to use a pair, simply take them out via the heat dump zippers. All without having to drop your pants.
In order to address pants that never quite fit right, Stone Glacier equipped the De Havilland Lite with their new patent pending Contour Waist System. This slick adjustment allows a hunter to adjust the fit of their waist, no matter their body type. It’s also a nifty feature when it comes to tucking layers in and out of your pants to make room. They also wanted to address when pants tend to bunch up underneath a waist belt of a backpack. This can cause hot spots and just be plain uncomfortable. With the contour waist system, that is a worry of the past. An easy adjustment by way of a Velcro strip on the zipper is all that’s needed.
Our Experience
Living here in the deserts of Arizona, we are no strangers to hot weather. So, when we heard about an even more lightweight version of the original De Havilland coming out, naturally our ears perked up.
First and foremost, we’ve been very impressed with the comfort of these pants. Having clothing that is comfortable goes such a long way in the field and ultimately will result in one staying out even longer. The range of motion is incredible. These pants will excel when it comes time to climb a bluff or dance your way through a sea of deadfall.
Another pleasant surprise of the De Havilland Lite was the durability. The desert is a pokey place that is always looking for a chance to scratch us or ruin our clothing. A pant like the De Havilland Lite handles this unforgiving environment we call home.
And lastly, the ability to unzip the sides and let heat escape is an absolute game changer for us down here. Many of our hunts sky rocket north of 100 degrees in the early season. So, being able to utilize the heat vents is a more than welcomed feature.
Final Thoughts
While those days of checkered flannels hold a heavy set of nostalgia for more than a few of us, we can’t argue how much more efficient and functional gear items like the De Havilland Lite are. If you’re looking for an absolute beast of an early season hunting pant, give these a look. They can do it all and then some. All the while, looking great in the process. For more information on the Stone Glacier De Havilland Lite or other Stone Glacier products, feel free to email us and we’ll get you squared away. The early season will be here sooner than later. Be ready for your next adventure!
Written by: Ross Outdoors
