tactical pants

[LittleRedToyota]

If they have your size these http://www.lapolicegear.com/5tanypa.html are 100% nylon. Damn cheap, too.

dangit...they do not have them in my size. those would be perfect for summer, though, assuming the material really is durable.

i guess 5.11 has stopped making them or something? argh. maybe i can still find some somewhere else.

thanks for the link.

[Broncitis]

I've ordered several pairs of "trousers" from LA Police Gear and of all of them, I liked the "Operator" model the best for range use. You can get it with or without the ankle pockets. I found these to be quite handy when I was in a training course and needed to take all my mags + a box of ammo to the line to reload between relays. A box of .40 fit perfect in them.

The Operator model also comes in an elastic adjustable wasitband ($22) or standard that had velcro size adjusters on each side which seem to work better then the traditional metal clasps on BDU's which always seemed to work loose for me. I like the velcro, but just got in a pair with the eleastic to try, but have not even opened them yet. I also just received a few pairs of "Operator" shorts ($10) for summer use as well since I generally wear cargo shorts when I'm not at work.

A couple of the feature I like about the Operator line:
Front (as in right on the front of your thighs) pockets that are great for mags, cell phones, etc.
Mag drop slots on the top of each side cargo pocket so you do not have to lift up the flap to stow a mag.
The Trousers have interal dividers in each cargo to keep mags or other gear seperated and have plastic D-rings in each cargo pocket and on the front to attach a carabiner or whatever. The shorts do not have cargo dividers or any D-rings.

I also got a pair if 5.11 "Covert Khakis" which looks more like a pair of dockers but has a small vertical zipper along the seam which opend to an internal cargo pocket on each leg. Could easily wear in a casual business setting unoticed. I may wear these to the rally in Harrisburg tomorrow.

LA Police Gear has some very good closeout sales and I find their gear to be very well priced normally.

[bmarchese]

dangit...they do not have them in my size. those would be perfect for summer, though, assuming the material really is durable.

i guess 5.11 has stopped making them or something? argh. maybe i can still find some somewhere else.

thanks for the link.

Sounds like your looking for something that might be geared more towards hiking. Something like these maybe:http://www.rei.com/product/794405

I personally have taken a liking to 5.11 Tactical Tac-Lite Pro Pants. When I take a look around my neighborhood I don't think anyone notices that the pants I wear are "tactical". I do notice when someone else is wearing 5.11s or similar products, but unless they knew what they were looking at, I don't think the average person would notice. For example, how often do you notice when someone is wearing prada shoes (or whatever). Now how often has your girlfriend pointed it out to you (like you really care). I hope that illustrates my point.

[LittleRedToyota]

Sounds like your looking for something that might be geared more towards hiking. Something like these maybe:http://www.rei.com/product/794405

those look like several pair of REI pants i have (i think they are the same ones). they are good for some things, but they aren't actually all that durable, have really small cargo pockets, and don't have belt loops (they have a built in "belt" with just two loops in the front...the rest is inside the waistband.)

they are close, though. if they were a little heavier, had bigger cargo pockets, and had belt loops, they would be about perfect.

[bmarchese]

those look like several pair of REI pants i have (i think they are the same ones). they are good for some things, but they aren't actually all that durable, have really small cargo pockets, and don't have belt loops (they have a built in "belt" with just two loops in the front...the rest is inside the waistband.)

they are close, though. if they were a little heavier, had bigger cargo pockets, and had belt loops, they would be about perfect.

In my never ending quest to find more gear that is produced in the US I just came across these: TAD Gear Force 10 Cargo Utilities, Nylon AC. If you order these be sure to let me know what your impression is.

[625]

those look like several pair of REI pants i have (i think they are the same ones). they are good for some things, but they aren't actually all that durable, have really small cargo pockets, and don't have belt loops (they have a built in "belt" with just two loops in the front...the rest is inside the waistband.)

they are close, though. if they were a little heavier, had bigger cargo pockets, and had belt loops, they would be about perfect.

Not sure why I am so curious about this, but why is cotton no good? It doesn't dry out quickly enough? What exactly are you doing that you would be getting your pants wet on a regular basis?

[theshadow]

Add another voice to the TrueSpec 24/7 I used to like the Woolrich but the cargo pockets were too small, and looked very bulgy with just a wallet in it. The TrueSpec I wear in a business casual environment with no double looks or comments. They look pressed, and are very comfortable and durable. I like the cell phone and knives pockets. I will be buying more.

[Andrew17019]

I'll +1 the 5.11 suggestions. I wear light tan 5.11's and love them. They don't stick out in a crowd, and there aren't SO many pockets on them that you look like an amateur photographer.

I would suggest staying away from Propper gear, though...I've had bad experiences with them in the past with the quality and sizing of their stuff....Massif is a good company I don't believe was mentioned yet, I haven't used their pants, but everything else I've used was pretty good quality.

[LittleRedToyota]

Not sure why I am so curious about this, but why is cotton no good? It doesn't dry out quickly enough? What exactly are you doing that you would be getting your pants wet on a regular basis?

cotton absorbs water and holds onto it like a sponge. it becomes very heavy (and uncomfortable) and takes a long time to dry. it also loses all of its insulation properties when wet. (in the mountaineering world, the mantra is "cotton kills"--meaning you may freeze to death if you have to rely on it to keep you warm in cold, wet conditions.)

for just everyday life, it doesn't matter. i wear cotton pants on a daily basis (though i do keep a pair of non-cotton pants--along with an entire outfit of non-cotton clothing--in the pack i carry around with me all the time).

for training though, i prefer non-cotton for a few reasons. if it rains, non-cotton pants do not absorb and hold onto the rain as much. they do not get all heavy and uncomfortable. depending on the material and weave, some of them will even cause most of the water to bead and run off rather than being absorbed or making it through to your skin at all.

if it's cool out in addition to raining, you also end up cold as the cotton loses practically all of its insulation properties. (in fact, one way to stay cool on hot days is to wear cotton and keep it soaked in water...it pulls heat out of your body like a personal AC unit.)

also, i sweat a lot...just always have (it runs in my family). when outside on hot days and moving around much at all, i look like i just got out of the shower in about 5 minutes. cotton clothes absorb that sweat and holds onto it. they hold it against my skin and sometimes cause chaffing, etc. (sweat is worse than regular water because of the salt content.)

for survival situations or just backpacking, cotton is bad, too...just because, again, if you get wet while it is cool out, you lose all your body heat quickly--and it holds water/sweat next to your skin can cause chaffing...which really sucks when you have a long way to hike.

[LittleRedToyota]

In my never ending quest to find more gear that is produced in the US I just came across these: TAD Gear Force 10 Cargo Utilities, Nylon AC. If you order these be sure to let me know what your impression is.

those look very promising.

if i can somehow convince myself to spend $90+ on a pair of pants, i might try them out. not sure if i will be able to convince myself to do that, though...but maybe.