Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 Pants Review

After a long fishing guide season of setting my alarm ridiculously early, I was finally excited when the nauseating ringtone of my iPhone woke me up before the sun. I wasn’t fishing today. It was time to start scouting for hunting season. I threw on a sun shirt, the Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 pants, grabbed a backpack, and headed out the door.

On the drive out to the woods, I couldn’t help but smile and feel anticipation for opening day. Fishing and family vacations hit the back burner. My headspace is entirely consumed by hunting. That, of course, includes obsessively tinkering with gear and dialing in my exact setup for my upcoming hunts.

That’s why I selected the pants I was wearing. I happen to have a Western archery elk tag sitting in my office and a free pass from my wife to spend as much time as I need to fill it. It could be a long trip, so I got my hands on a few sets of spare pants to take. But I wanted to put some of my new clothing through the paces near home before trusting it on a hunt 1,500 miles away.

In short: At 80 bucks, the Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 pants have wowed me in the few outings I’ve worn them. They look, feel, and for the most part, perform just like their more expensive counterparts. Of course, at the price, there are a few minor drawbacks. But if you’re just plain sick of paying ridiculous prices for hunting apparel, these are the answer. They’ve passed the test and will be going to Montana with me.

See how the Hunter 2.0 Pants stack up in our Best Hunting Pants for Men Buyer’s Guide.

Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 Pants Review

Are the Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 Pants the Best Budget Pants Ever?

I’ve worn my fair share of budget hunting pants. Almost all of them have been heavy, poor-fitting, and don’t breathe in any sort of fashion. But, at the time, it was what I could afford.

Now, at a retail price of 70 bucks, the Hunter 2.0s certainly aren’t the cheapest pair of hunting britches I’ve worn. But they are significantly cheaper than the vast majority of popular hunting apparel on the market today. All that is to say that while I didn’t think the Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 pants would be quite as bad as the old Walmart britches I used to wear, I didn’t have very high expectations.

Hunter 2.0 Pants: Material

However, upon unboxing, I was pleasantly surprised by how high-tech and modern the material felt. The 2.0s don’t feel like cheap hunting pants of old. Honestly, the material feels very similar to my higher-dollar SITKA Traverse pants and KUIU Kutana Hybrid pants.

The pants are made from a 97% polyester, 3% spandex blend. The result is a hunting pant that is lightweight and durable-feeling, with a very slight stretch. Most of my favorite high-end hunting pants have a similar blend of polyester and some sort of stretch fabric, so it’s really awesome to see such a similar material in a product nearly half the price.

Hunter 2.0 Pants: Fit

Just like the material itself, these hunting pants are a paradigm shift in the fit of budget hunting apparel. The pants have a very athletic cut. In fact, almost a bit too athletic.

The Hunter 2.0 pants run small. I’m not basing that comparison on everyday clothes. I currently have hunting pants from five other well-known manufacturers; at 6’0″ and 190 pounds, all of those in a size 32 fit me perfectly with a comfortable space in the waistband. These pants in the same size just barely fit in the waist.

I almost went to another size because of it, but opted against it because they’re not so tight that I can’t do them up. However, I would recommend going up one size, especially if you plan on layering underneath them in the late season.

If you do that, I think the fit will be phenomenal. They’re perfect in length, articulated, and have just the right amount of looseness to them for freedom of movement without excess bagginess.

Field Performance of the Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 Pant

So far, I’ve worn these pants on three of my four preseason scouting missions. During my field testing, I wanted to see just how good they were, so I stacked them against my current favorite hunting pants, the SITKA Traverse, which cost $90 more. Both sets of pants seem to be built for similar uses: an all-around pant that can handle archery season through rifle season.

On the first day, I only wore the SITKA Traverse. On my second day, I wore the Kings Camo Hunter 2.0. During my final two scouting trips, I wore both, swapping halfway through the day to compare them in identical conditions.

Water Repellency

The water repellency of the Kings Camo 2.0 Pant is phenomenal. One day, I went through belly-button–high soaked brush multiple times in both the Traverse and the Hunter 2.0. To be honest, I think the Hunter 2.0 beat out the Traverse. Water beads up well on the fabric and rolls off in light precipitation.

Of course, they’re not waterproof, and on a particularly stormy day, water began to soak into the material. However, it took longer for that to happen with the Hunter 2.0 than it did with the Traverse.

What’s even more impressive, though, is how quickly the Hunter 2.0 dried out. They seemed dry in the blink of an eye. The Traverse was slightly slower to dry. I’m shocked to say it, but when water is involved, I think the budget pants are better.

Durability

Obviously with such a short testing period, I haven’t been able to really beat up on these pants. But I tried my hardest. A lot of the grounds I hunt in Middle Tennessee are thick, snarly briar and thorn patches. On my scouting trips, I walked through a fair share of those sticky hell holes.

Again, the Hunter 2.0 surprised me. The material feels more akin to brush pants than regular hunting pants. It’s slick (which unfortunately makes them noisier than I’d like), and thorns seem to roll right off of them.

As of now, the material hasn’t started picking out at all. Believe me, if you saw the stuff I walked through, you’d be shocked that they didn’t get damaged. The seams are also double-stitched, which adds a bit of insurance. The Traverse didn’t fare quite as well. I do have a few pick spots on those pants. Again, color me surprised.

Breathability

I tested these pants in July and August in Tennessee. It’s hot and ridiculously humid. You couldn’t find much better conditions for testing breathability.

In my opinion, the Hunter 2.0 breathes exceptionally well. Now, these aren’t dedicated hot-weather hunting pants like the First Lite Trace, which have perforated holes, so don’t expect to feel a breeze through them. But for an all-around hunting pant, they’re solid. They never got too hot, and I would have no qualms wearing these during archery elk season, even in the highest temps.

When compared to the Traverse, they perform almost as well. I wouldn’t say the Hunter 2.0 is far behind in breathability, but the more expensive Traverse is a touch better in hot weather. After steep hikes, I felt a bit sweatier, stickier, and stankier in the 2.0s. But overall, they exceeded my expectations.

Mobility

While the Hunter 2.0s offer way more mobility than any other budget pants I’ve worn, they can’t hold a torch to the SITKA Traverse. Now, some of the difference could come down to the slightly smaller fit I discussed, but that’s not the only culprit. The material of the Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 isn’t nearly as stretchy as the Traverse.

That isn’t to say the Kings Hunter 2.0 pants have poor mobility. They’re quite good, thanks to the articulation and the little bit of spandex built in. On their own, I never felt all that restricted by them.

However, on the days when I switched between the pants, it was quite clear. The extra mobility the ultra-stretchy material of the Traverse provides was abundantly noticeable when climbing up trees to set stands. Of course, that’s why they’re more expensive and also why they’re some of my favorite hunting pants. For the price, though, the mobility of the Hunter 2.0 pants gets a solid A+ rating from me.

Little Details Explain the Price Difference

So, if the Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 pants can outperform the more expensive SITKA Traverse in some performance categories, and only be slightly worse in others, what explains the price difference? It all comes down to little details that you simply can’t cram into a set of pants that cost 35–50% less than the competition.

One such detail is pockets. It’s slim pickings on the Hunter 2.0s, quite literally. Both thigh pockets are very low-profile and can realistically only fit an iPhone. Since they’re so tight, I wouldn’t recommend putting anything you’d need quick access to, like a diaphragm call, in them.

Those pockets also don’t have zippers or buttons. They’re only held closed by a flap over the top of the opening. The pants also have the standard hip and back pockets, but again, I wouldn’t call them roomy by any stretch.

The Hunter 2.0s also lack side hip vents. I love hip vents on hunting pants, especially during early archery seasons. I’d love to see them on these pants, but completely understand that, at $80, the margin probably just ain’t there.

Which brings me to my main point: none of these negatives are real negatives. These negatives are me comparing these pants to the highest-dollar, best-on-the-market offerings. The Hunter 2.0 pants bring the same protection from the elements and field performance as higher-dollar hunting pants, while only sacrificing small details.

Final Thoughts: Best Uses for the Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 Pants

The only final thing to consider is the seasons you plan to hunt in, to see if they’re a good fit for you. In my opinion, the Kings Camo Hunter 2.0 pants are versatile, do-all hunting pants that lean toward the early season.

During archery season, you won’t need anything else. If you hunt fair weather in October, they’ll also do fine on their own. But since they don’t have any insulation, if you plan to hunt in colder conditions, I’d be prepared to pair them with a solid base layer. The only time I’d consider something else would be truly frigid conditions where insulated pants become a necessity.

Outside of that situation, I couldn’t recommend these hunting pants enough. For the price, I think you’d be very, very hard-pressed to find something better. That’s especially true when you can find them on sale, which is often.

The point is, whether you’re just getting into hunting and are on a budget, a serious hunter buying multiple pairs of pants, or someone who’s just flat sick and tired of paying insane prices for hunting stuff, these should be on your buy list.