Field Test: The Field Pant Special Edition
Words by Bill Roden
Photos by Sinuhe Xavier
My talented friend, photographer and filmmaker, Sinuhe Xavier, asked if I was scratching at the walls like he was for some overdue time in the blank parts of the map. And I replied with a hard yes. We packed the adventure rig last minute and hit the road. We dropped over the Continental Divide. Then slow-crawled into the Sawatch Range for hours across 4x4-only trails, rutted backcountry service roads and tire-shredding boulder gardens. The plan called for a quick overnight after chasing trout in the remote high alpine water.
Peter recently sent me his latest field pants to beat the tar out of them in the Rockies. No press kit or handwritten anything. Just the pants. I got the message: do your worst and tell me what you honestly think. So they came along.
Quick note: I work in the menswear, luxury and outdoor worlds. And I’ve seen everything in gear and apparel over the decades. Workwear is a tough category where audiences respond with applause or crowbars.
I’ve worn the Field Pants every day since they arrived. They feel sorted out in a way workwear pants just don’t. They don’t shout “workwear” that’s deemed performative or cosplay in most circles. You feel the intentional thought behind these pants. More than you see it. That’s the first kicker for me.
Make no mistake, these are designed for hard work that punches above its textile weight. Like all things Peter and his team make, you pay for what they strip away. Not just their heirloom-grade quality. Gone are the overbuilt rivets and zippers. No heavy tool loops that scream overcompensating. But the pants pull their weight when freezing your ass off in hard toes on a job site.
Paneling is muted. Tight bar tacks form a subtle fortification that extends the life of these pants. And the lone steel shank feels like a submarine hull. Generous front pockets go up to the watch. So you won’t dump all their contents onto the ground every time you remove your front wallet. You can even snake a tin of General out of them while driving, too. So I hear. The straight leg falls over a pair of beefy ropers or Russell’s Joe’s PH with the same ease as an Alden Indy or their 622’s. No binding in the crotch or sagging under a loaded belt. And these pants slip into any semi-formal gathering when paired with your one good chambray.
The Field Pants are perfect for those laying cedar shakes in Maine summers. Hand-sanding wooden drift boats for hours. Location photography in backcountry terrain where ounces become pounds. Repairing sails and wrenching on cars where crouching is an Olympic sport. Or shop guides jumping in and out of trucks and waders all day.
The second kicker for me is the shade of green. It wins the category arms race with the Goldilocks zone for “Olive Drab.” It can’t be mistaken for military poseur. Yarn-dyed all the way through and woven in Japan. Cut and sewn in NYC. They adopt a nice patina that refuses to look like you wrapped canvas sails around your legs.
I’d go up a size and hot-rod them out with suspender buttons if you’re carrying a pack and plan to walk out heavy. For me, they’ll be on weekly rotation. If you’re in the market, add these Field Pants to your dance card. Not affiliated. No commission. Just a big, big fan of Peter and his crew. And a rabid believer in buying less, but better, as we’re all too poor to buy cheap these days.
Bill Roden is a writer, creative director, and strategist
Sinuhe Xavier is a photographer and filmmaker
Special thanks to Truckhouse for the wheels
