The best by a length

A good pair of comfortable and waterproof stalking trousers can seriously improve your day out in the field, says Chris Dalton

- Chris Dalton

As we move from spring into summer, the warmer weather beckons, but I’m in Scotland. With the next season just around the corner, I start to make some changes to the stalking kit that hangs in my utility room. Early morning starts are not conducive to domestic harmony, especially if I am thudding around at 4 am looking through cupboards for my gear.

Therefore a selection of any kit I might need is hanging or stored there with the added bonus that, as it is also the boiler room, anything damp or wet from the previous evening will be warm and dry.

It occurs to me that one of the least written about, and possibly least thought about, items of stalking gear are trousers. When you think about it that seems strange — if you head out with the wrong coat or your gloves are a bit thin when you get to the ground, most of us have a change or spares in the truck. However, who carries a spare pair of trousers?

Primarily, what I want from my stalking trousers is comfort and to achieve this they must fit well. I don’t want them to be heavy and they should be breathable, along with having sufficient and sensibly located pockets. They must be silent and made of material strong enough to withstand the brambles and thorns I invariably have to negotiate on most of my stalks.

Waterproofing also helps, as kneeling and crawling over wet grass — an early morning dew or the vagaries of the Scottish weather — will feature on most days. Finally, I’m not a massive fan of camo and much prefer one of the subtle shades of green, but that is just my choice.