Adding Hip Vents to Pants

[Chuck44]

For those that have added Hip Vents to First Lite, Sitka or other brands of pants, where were you able to find the zippers and what modifications were necessary?
Thanks

 

[Jebuwh]

For those that have added Hip Vents to First Lite, Sitka or other brands of pants, where were you able to find the zippers and what modifications were necessary?
Thanks

I was just thinking about doing something like this. I wonder if Pods8 might be interested in doing that. I'm gonna PM him.

 

[ChrisAU]

Thinking about buying a few of these and taking my FL Guide pants to a local seamstress.

https://www.seattlefabrics.com/YKKreg-Water-Resistant-7-Non-Separating-Zipper-5-Coil_p_465.html

 

[Squirrels]

Thinking about buying a few of these and taking my FL Guide pants to a local seamstress.

https://www.seattlefabrics.com/YKKreg-Water-Resistant-7-Non-Separating-Zipper-5-Coil_p_465.html

#5 is pretty large zipper for hip vents in my opinon

 

[ChrisAU]

Ah, I don't know what the sizes really mean ha

 

[ChrisAU]

Just ordered these in dark brown...got 9" for hip vents...and 7" for crotch vents. Now to find a seamstress...

https://www.zipperstop.com/product/...pa_legacy-length=7&attribute_pa_ykk-color=570

 

[Chuck44]

Please post pics and any lessons learned afterwards!

 

[ChrisAU]

Btw, turkey season starts here Saturday so it may be a while before I take them to have them altered.

 

[ChrisAU]

Got to thinking last night. So, I'm pretty excited about the Sawbuck pants coming this summer, as I trudge through briar thickets ALL the time down here, whatever I'm hunting. But the Sawbucks don't have cargo pockets and don't appear to be suspender compatible. The Corrugates aren't exactly thorn proof. So, If I'm taking my two pair of Corrugates to a seamstress to add hip vents and crotch vents, why not take a yard of 1000d dark brown Cordura to put on the front of one pair up to the knees and the back of the same pair halfway up the calf.

The good news for anyone reading, both my pairs are Large. I hope to need mediums by September ha.

 

[Chuck44]

Well, I finally got around to adding hip vents to my Timberline pants. I ordered both 8 in and 10 in YKK #3 Coil invisible zippers for the modifications.. I ended up using the 10 in zippers since the 8 in did not actually have 8 inches of usable zipper and would not have fully utilized the space between the Waist and Cargo pockets along the hip seam. After my tailor used her machine to sew on the zippers, there was a few inches of tail left over with the longer zipper but I ended up (crudely) hand sewing the tail down to the backside of the cargo pocket; the zipper did not want to close properly with the tail loose, but now works great. I added zipper pulls with Type-1 Paracord. I did not worry about mesh backing because these would not be worn except in the field and I wanted maximum air flow when unzipped. If I had to do it again, I may add mesh backing as the vents open up pretty wide.

I have only worn the pants around the house (hell hot in Texas right now) but they seem to work great and I will give an update after testing them in the field in early October.

 

[Chuck44]

I wore these as my Scouting pants on a recent waterfowl trip. The daytime temps were in the 40s and 50s so I did not get warm enough to need to use the vents, but I did unzip them several times as a test and noticed a significant cooling effect. As stated earlier, I did not bother to install mesh but would probably do so next time as the vents open pretty wide...especially when sitting. Also, I did not feel or notice the zippers on the inside of the pants at all. I think they open/close and vent as well as the KUIU vents (I have Attack and Tiburon pants to compare to).

 

[stump06]

@Chuck44 Any updates on durability or changes after a year? Ive thought about adding hip vents to some of my pants as I hunt in S Georgia and it can't get pretty hot

 

[bozeman]

Zippers ordered........if I can get these to work in my Wrangler Mountain pants......I'd be all in for around $35 with the seamstress paid. I got the Wranglers on sale for $18, zippers were $2 for the pair (included shipping) and the seamstress is around $15/pair of pants..........can't beat that!!!

 

[cronsman]

Would love it if Sitka just added side zippers to their pants in the first place....but may consider doing it myself. Thanks for the idea

 

[LCsmith]

Anyone have a field update on their hip-vent modified timberlines? I am thinking of doing the same.

 

[Poser]

Anyone have a field update on their hip-vent modified timberlines? I am thinking of doing the same.

I had some added by San Juan Sewing. Works great.

 

[CR78]

Anyone know of a place to buy mesh, similar to what's in Kuiu's pants, that could be added during this process?