All posts tagged 5.11 Pants

5.11 tactical bags and accessory pouches

It seems that everyone and their dog has making nylon gear but there is a very big difference  in the quality.   We’ve sold a ton of clothing over the years and it often amazes me about the customers that have pointed out product defects.   There have been stitching issues with just about every clothing manufacturer and sometimes missing buttons.  Nobody is perfect but there are definitely customer service issues and consistency differences.  5.11 tactical is King of the tactical accessories and clothing, but there are several smaller companies that do things better and have their own niche.

As an internet based business we don’t stock everything in our Pennsylvania location and we ship from multiple locations.   When it comes to stocking gun cases and rifle cases  we have chosen to stock the Elite Survival Systems product line because it just seems more interesting.  Don’t get me wrong the 5.11 gun cases we sell are very nice and to each his own when it comes to choosing a gun bag.   The 5.11 rush messenger bag is a very popular gun bag and it might just be the right size for what you need.

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Conceald Carry pants tend not to be….

We get the same phone calls every week and lately it’s been a great training tool for some of our new employees.  Many customers call out of curiosity but sometimes we have to display a lot of restraint about telling people which clothing they should be wearing and what size.   It is a hard thing to order clothing online because there are sizing variations between product lines as well as inconsistencies.   Sometimes people are just plain lazy and don’t want to research a product or ask their wives about sizing and we end up dealing with cranky people want us to exchange products because something didn’t fit right.

Along with sizing issues we get asked all the time about guns printing on shirts, pants and vests.   The only realy concealed carry pant that is out there  that are not tactical pants  is the Woolrich Elite Chino.   The Youtube video by Brian Miller gives you ideas on gun placements and how to prevent printing.  There are lots of variables and research and trial and error is something you will not be able to avoid if you want to reduce your chances on getting a wrong size.   We’ve been told by many of our customers that wore Woolrich Elite pants in the past, moved on to Eotac, and now are lost in the Wilderness and back to looking for something new.   We are now selling Tru-Spec, Blackhawk and 5.11 tactical pants, but the Woolrich Elite Chino is  our opinion is really the only real concealed carry pant.

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Always a trend towards lightweight clothing

Some of the biggest sellers this year have been the new Woolrich Elite lightweight tactical shirts and the Blackhawk lightweight pants.   The reasons people want clothing like this aren’t always apparent.   We noticed that the majority of the lightweight tactical shirts we have been selling from Woolrich were the long sleeve shirts.  It seems that many of the troops or contractors in Iraq were wanted the long sleeve shirts to give them  sun protection but be 100% cotton rip stop, which is pretty much the only thing other than a t-shirt that does the job.

We’ve also noticed that Blackhawk tactical pants have gotten a lot of traction in the last year and seem to have moved into the top 3 selling tactical pants.   The reasons people want lightweight tactical pants are pretty much the same as the reasoning for long sleeve.   Bugs and vegetation can become just as much of a problem as sunburn and there are many environments were wearing shorts is absolutely not in consideration.   The Woolrich Elite lightweight pants are the lightest weight, but sometimes people want something that resists stains and does not wrinkle which gives Tru-Spec and Blackhawk the edge.

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All of those .380 pistols might help you keep your clothes on

I started out carrying a 1911 a very, very long time ago and at the time, the last thing I wanted to have to worry about was getting more clothes to wear just so they could accommodate my firearm.  You’d think it wouldn’t be that much of a problem, unless you’ve already got experience in carrying a gun.   Many Cops were paddle holsters, or Desantis pancake style holsters which work very well for medium or full size semi-auto guns.    Most individuals in that line of work aren’t looking for small and concealable, they are carrying what they have been issued or what they are best at using.

Recently we had a customer tell us that he hates elastic waistband pants, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard a customer that was CCW a firearm say that.   If you understand how often tactical pants have varying sizing and fit differences from brand to brand.  You’ll have to try them on to find out if they fit.   Everyone does not come in even sizes and when you put a firearm IWB you’ll have even more troubles if you aren’t wearing pants with an elastic waistband.

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Blowout pants report

There seems to be a shift in the tactical pants market now to going for the gusseted crotch on all of the new tactical pants.  While this is old news to some people certain tactical clothing companies have been really slow at keeping up with what’s  new.   While several clothing makers are looking to get out of China for making apparel,  we are hoping that 2012 means making better clothing without crazy skyrocketing prices.   We’ve been selling Woolrich Elite Series Tactical clothing for several years and got hit with a few price increase recently, but compared to some clothing makers, not all that bad.

Trying to find a good  pair of pants for less than $40 dollars pretty much means shopping on Ebay, Tru-Spec, 5.11 tactical or Woolrich Elite.   While there are always preferences to consider when people tell you which tactical pants are best for them.   We have known for a very long time that the patns going for under $30 are not going to last unless they are discontinued or clearance items.  The best deal in recent months were the Woolrich Elite Style 444904 pants which were a very sturdy cotton canvas material that were identical to to the 44429 pant but with a lower ankle pocket.   They were a little heavy for some people’s tastes but they  did not shrink like some of the competitors did.

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The overwelmed tactical clothing market?

I’m really not so sure about that if you are talking about the quality of the products.   I use to hear good things about Vertx pants but recently heard an awful lot of flak about the pants being too tight.   Sizing variations between brands is a given and although customers are constantly asking us “if I wear a 38/32 in 5.11 pants what size am I in Woolrich Elite?” and we always tell them we can’t tell you that, and it’s the truth.   One of the problems that all of the smaller clothing companies have had in getting their foot in the door and competing with 5.11 has been all about production.   If you’re department needs clothing in a certain color and you have to wait 6 months to get it, you aren’t going to wait.

One thing our customers have asked us to do is to stock the clothing that they love, that’s a really hard thing to do since so many people are really  happy with their 5.11 tactical pants or their Woolrich Elite pants.   One thing that has hit many manufacturers is the pricing.   Many people have a hard time spending $50 or more for a pair of pants and will gladly wear 5.11 pants if they can get them for $30 or less.   Sometimes its about price margins and not how good you look in them.    When you’re sitting in an office it’s hard to think you need to worry about movement and jumping over fences with them.

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Summer Tactical Operator Pants

Tactical PantsIf you haven’t heard them called that yet, maybe we should coin the phrase.    Eotac’s Lightweight Operator Grade tactical pants are the pants you should be wearing if you are taking a Carbine class this summer.   I was watching the Magpul Art of the Tactical Carbine and noticed just about every operator we saw on the DVD was pulling mags from a vest, chest rig or belt.   There were several shooting postions we noticed where and Operator was laying on their side and reloading mags.

The Style 201 lightweight operator grade pants are made of 100% cotton ripstop.   Ripstop material came about after WWII in the Pacific War.   These pants are capable of holding  up to 6 loaded 30rd AR magazines in the pants and make accessing mags and reloading on the ground easier that pulling from a chest rig.  Style 201 pants are available in Black, Khaki, OD Green, Navy and now the Digital Camo pattern.   These pants also accept knee pad inserts and use the same pads as the style 202 and 202 pants do.

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Lightweight pants customer response

Tactical PantsMany of you may think that spending $60 for a pair of pants is too high, but for a lightweight material,  the design is extremely important.   Eotac lightweight pants have a gusseted crotch that will drastically increase your ability to manuever without wearing about ripping your crotch out if you’re running and jumping.    We had a user mention that another manufacturers pants tore in the crotch when he went from prone to standing up on a firing line.    I guess we’ve all torn pants at some point in life, but tactical pants are not meant to be worn like Levi’s jeans.

There are a operator type pants on the market now.   I’ve seen more than a few that were knock offs of the ACU Army Combat Uniform or Paratrooper pants.    Some of them are selling for $20-$100.    That is a pretty big price variances.    I got to try on a few from a distributor that was selling them for $20 and they were worth about $5 after they went through the wash machine.  People don’t really want to spend a lot of money on tactical clothing with this economy, but just like all of the junk AR15, SKS, AK accessories, there are some pretty big differences in clothing durability.   The 2nd thing is the fit and mobility.    True operators are not going to want to feel a crotch ride up on in their pants when they sit down in a car and are carrying 60lbs of weapons and gear.   We had a number of agencies and customers change over to the new Eotac Style 201 Operator Pants and one of the customers stated that in the last 6 months this is the only lightweight cotton ripstop pant that he owned that did not tear at the crotch.   All of the previous pants he wore tore at the same spot.

 

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Great Alternative to 5.11 Tactical Pants

5.11 Tactical PantsThe pant is made from our 8.5 ounce Bomb-Proof all-cotton canvas. It is fade resistant and features DuPont Teflon� fabric protector. This provides a breathable, durable barrier that repels both water and oil based spills.All critical seams are double-needle stitched and bar-tacked at stress points. The Action Waist has side elastic panels for freedom of movement and easily accommodates an inside the waistband holster. There is a concealed YKK brass zipper front fly along with a metal tack-button closure for strength and reliability.
The Operator Grade Tactical Pant is one of the most versatile and durable mission ready pants you will come across. The overall design and features are derived from the demands from the field while our cut delivers unmatched comfort and fit. Eotac Pants are a great alternative to 5.11 Tactical Pants. The 1 inch wide reinforced belt loops are strategically placed and accommodate belts up to 1 3/4 inches wide. The gusseted crotch allows for a greater range of mobility while reducing the stress around the crotch area of the pant.

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Eotac Pants

Eotac PantsThe Details
The Operator Pant draws on features found on the military issue ACU (Army Combat Uniform) pant while utilizing our own superior cut and features.

The Eotac Pants are made from our lightweight yet extremely durable and fade resistant 7 ounce all-cotton ripstop. The DuPont Teflon� fabric protector provides a breathable, durable barrier that repels both water and oil based spills.

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