Saturday, 1 August 2009
Cargo Pants - cycling, 511
Having semi-retired, I realized that I could start wearing what I want to wear instead of worrying about what looks right. After several false starts, I discovered these pants, and when I need to wear pants (about 4 months a year), I will be wearing these. The rest of the year I will wear the lightweight tactical shorts. They have all the pockets I need (and useful pockets). The pocket-inside-the-pocket is not a gimmick. It keeps my wallet secure. The hook and look fasteners all work well. The tough but light cloth is a joy to be in (you could run in them quite comfortably). They come with an excellent nylon belt that is better than the polyester D-ring belts I previously used. Sizing is true, but there is some elastic in the waist that allows a little cheating. I am now a Propper customer for life. Lightweight Tactical Pants - Khaki - 40 x 30
I don't use the belt. However the pants are comfortable. I actually use the "cell" pocket for a 3d magazine for my Taurus 24/7. Although light weight they feel sturdy. My biggest gripe about pants is pockets wearing out and things falling through. I don't think that is going to be a problem with these but if it is I'll update. Also they arrived sooner than projected, which was great.
First, the bad:
The first time I wore these pants, but fly snap came apart (the two pieces of the male part of the snap came apart). I retrieved the pieces and reassembled them by hammering on the flange (not on top of the snap). The second time I wore these pants, the snap came apart again, so I used superglue to assist in the reassembly. The 3rd time I wore them, they stayed together. I'll update this review if they come apart again.
The ugly:
The hip pockets are a pocket-in-a-pocket thing which may be useful, but they look weird. Since I'm wearing these as business-casual office clothes, I'd prefer a more conventional appearance.
The good:
I do like the extra knife and cell phone pockets. There's a D-ring on the front-right beltloop which is good for hanging my car keys on, but I'd prefer it if the D-ring were around to the side. The fabric is fine in a business-casual setting - the ripstop isn't obvious and it doesn't scream "tactical". The belt that comes with it is nice, seems strong and utilitarian, but I'm not using it - I use a normal leather one.
I wanted some pants that I could wear to the office that would last a long time and provide a bit more utility than the normal khakis or slacks and these pants fit that mold. The snap issue should be easily QC-able, but because of it, I won't be buying any more Propper items. I'll have to try the Tru-Spec, 5.11 and Blackhawk items next.
These pants are great, water runs right off of them and they are easy to keep crisp and ironed. I own the 5.11's as well these are better. They are light and very easy to get around in. The side pockets don't open up like BDU's and are on the small side but they still work great. Could use a couple more belt loops on the sides as well. These are the only complaints I have and its not even a big deal. Buy these pants and you will not be let down.
I got both the standard tactical pants and the lightweight ones. Both are excellent and durable pants, I slightly prefer the lightweight version, partially because they came with a free belt (which I never use) and partially because they have an extra coin pocket that happens to work great for reining in my keys (which are attached to my belt with a retractable lanyard). The cell phone pocket is great and a good fit for my Blackberry Storm or my Nokia E51 or my Nokia N900, whichever I prefer to have in the pocket at the time. It actually holds the Storm and E51 simultaneously if I so desire, though I usually have one in a belt holster.
The elastic portions of the waistband make them comfortable for extended wear, and the velcro pocket closures work great for keeping items in the front cargo pockets. - Cycling - Sap Gloves - 511 - Primal Play Shirt Outdoor Clothi'
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