A Soft Shell Jacket for Your Legs: Kifaru Torlander Pant Review

My eyes snapped open as I heard crashing all around me and beams of light shot through my bedroom window. The expected ice storm had arrived, wreaking havoc. Trees were bursting and falling everywhere, taking the power grid down with them. The constant hum of a powered home stopped, and an eerie silence took its place. Great.

As the sun rose, it was time to get outside and assess the damage. With single-digit temps, I layered up and put on the Kifaru Torlander pants as the outermost layer on my lower body. After hunting in them in Wyoming a few weeks prior, I knew they could be trusted in a harsh environment.

That day turned out to be a long one, spent removing downed trees from neighbors’ driveways, moving vehicles to safety, and making sure no trees would come crashing through my living room. In the cold, wet, icy conditions, the pants performed flawlessly.

In short: I love a good softshell jacket, and that’s why I love the Kifaru Torlander pants ($310). They’re a softshell jacket turned into hunting pants, which is less common than you’d think. Thanks to a tri-layer build, they’re basically waterproof, have micro-grid fleece insulation for cold days, and breathe fantastically, thanks to giant hip vents that extend down to the calves. With a base layer, they are the hunting pants for late-season hunts, but they aren’t overbearing for warmer or active fall hunts. From October on, these will be the pants I wear in the upcoming season. They’re possibly the best set of hunting and general outdoor pants I’ve ever worn.

See how they stack up against the Best Hunting Pants for Men in 2025.

What Makes the Kifaru Torlander Pants So Awesome

Tri-Layer Build

Many hunting pants are pretty simple. Often, they’re a chunk of polyester fabric with or without an insulating liner. Sure, there are different blends of polyester and more to it than that, but in simple terms, that pretty much sums it up.

With the Torlander pant, Kifaru went above and beyond, giving hunters’ legs as much love as many brands give to tops. The pants are constructed of three layers, and the resemblance to one of my favorite hunting jackets, the SITKA Jetstream, is striking.

The layers start off with a microgrid fleece backer. It’s not super-thick, but it does provide light insulation that I’ve found is perfect on its own in temperatures in the upper 30s and 40s. If it’s colder than that, I throw a base layer bottom on underneath, and the insulation keeps me perfectly comfortable in single-digit temperatures.

On top of that layer is a monolithic laminate membrane (more on that in a bit) and a hydrophobic outer shell, treated with PFAS-Free DWR. After a day of scraping the pants against downed trees, they’ve held up great. The external shell is certainly durable.

Hip Vents

The hip vents on the Kifaru Torlander pants move them nicely from the dedicated late-season pant category into the general all-around pant category. They aren’t standard vented hip vents on your thighs. Rather, they’re gargantuan and extend from just below the hip, all the way down to the mid-calf.

When temperatures rise in the middle of the day, you can unzip them all the way, and boy, do your legs get to breathe. I don’t have a single set of insulated hunting pants that are anywhere near as comfortable in temperatures in the 50s, which I faced during a warming front in Wyoming.

Additionally, the vents solve an age-old problem of mine. I’ve always avoided wearing base layer bottoms whenever possible. That’s because as temperatures warm up, I know they’ll get too hot and I’ll be dying to rip them off in the field. I’d rather suffer through a little chill first thing in the morning.

I can wear base layer bottoms with these pants, though. One morning in Wyoming was frigid, and I didn’t want to suffer through the cold. I figured I would wear them and put the vents to the test.

As we sat glassing and calling for coyotes, I was nice and warm in my base layers. But by midday, we started hiking around, and the temperatures rose. I peeled off my insulating jackets and unzipped the hip vents. Without a mesh backer, my legs cooled off quickly, and I never once felt the need to take my leggings off. They stayed on all day. Even in warmer temps, these pants perform.

Waterproofness

Like leggings, I avoid waterproof hunting pants unless absolutely necessary. They’re loud and don’t breathe. The Kifaru Torlander is the answer. These pants technically aren’t waterproof on paper. But they pretty much are.

That monolithic laminate membrane beneath the DWR-finished shell provides a water- and windtight seal that keeps you dry. The only reason the pants aren’t technically waterproof is that the seams aren’t taped.

While working in snow and ice, I got the Torlanders nice and wet. Even after water stopped beading up on the exterior and began soaking through, my legs stayed dry. The middle layer prevents precipitation from reaching the inner insulation.

I’m sure that in excessive downpours, water will penetrate, but I have yet to experience it. And they’re certainly windproof. One could say, Wyoming-proof.

Pockets on the Kifaru Torlander Pants

The pockets on the Kifaru Torlander pants get an A+ from me as well. There’s a back pocket, two hip pockets, and four total pockets on the thighs.

I find myself using the thigh pockets most because they’re well-designed. The flap over the top covers a large, completely open pocket with no buttons or zipper. I store most of my possessions in there because it’s really easy to access, and the flap keeps the pocket plenty secure.

On top of that pocket is a smaller zip-close pocket. It’s great if there’s anything valuable that you need extra security for.

Fit

I don’t think these pants could fit any better. They run true to size, aren’t unnecessarily baggy, but leave enough room for layering. There’s inlaid silicone on the waistband, which keeps the pants riding high. If that’s not enough for you, the pants come with removable suspenders, if that’s your jam. It happens to be my jam, and the suspenders are supportive but discreet.

The legs move well, and the knees’ articulation provides freedom of movement. No matter what I’m doing, I don’t feel restricted by the insulated Torlanders.

What Could Be Better

My only complaint with these near-perfect hunting pants comes down to the removable knee pads. It’s not the knee pads themselves or their removable-ness, but rather the sleeve they fit into.

The upper panel that they tuck into is made of a silk-like material. If I’m not wearing a base layer underneath the pants and it’s chilly, that little square panel just above the knee is cold against the skin. The rest of the pant is insulated, and the cool-to-the-touch sensation of that silky fabric is very noticeable.

I’d love to see it replaced with a polyester mesh sleeve or something similar. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a big deal, but it’s the only thing keeping me from calling these pants perfect.

Final Thoughts on the Kifaru Torlander Pants: Who They’re For

I absolutely love these pants. Since they’re insulated, they are not for early-season archery hunters. But they’re great for everyone else.

In my opinion, if you had the Kifaru Torlander pants as well as a lightweight, early-season pant, you’d be set for almost any hunt in the lower 48. These pants are able to breathe better than any insulating pants I own, allowing for wear in warmer climates. But, they can be buttoned up for use in extreme cold.

Rain and snow are pretty much a non-issue, and outside of extreme coastal situations, where you’ll face constant rain, they’ll provide all of the waterproofness you need. To top it off, they’re relatively quiet for a soft shell. They aren’t as quiet as a brushed pant, so archery hunters may shy away, but I’m still going to be wearing them while bow hunting.

That’s because the performance and versatility are unmatched, in my opinion. They’re too good not to wear. From mid-October onward, I know the Kifaru Torlander pants will keep me comfortable and protected in the field.