All posts tagged Blackhawk Pants

The diffferences between 5.11, TruSpec and Blackhawk Poly/Cotton Ripstop

We’ve been in this business for so long we’ve seen Companies come and go, products have come and gone and in the end, only the best product lines hold up in this tough market.   We know our customers and the differences between their needs and that not all of our customers are going to want the same thing.   I found  out the hard way after trying on several 5.11 tactical pants and finding out that the stories about shrinkage we’re true.   Some tactical pants don’t hold your wallet as well as others and I’ve had some pants fail on the firing line where as soon as I knelt down my wallet immediately would fall out.   Tactical clothing like the Woolrich Elite and the Eotac lines were very similiar but the differences between getting your wallet out while pulling into a toll booth with one over the other, were considerable.  I hated those times I couldn’t get my wallet out and got tired of wearing them on the road.

Some tactical pants come with knee pad inserts but not everyone feels these are practical.  They don’t necessarily work on all tactical pants but Blackhawk tactical pants have a special teflon coating that makes them more water resistant that the TruSpec or 5.11 tac lite pro pants.   I have heard from numerous customers that there is a big difference between the breathability of these pants in hot weather.   Some of our 3 gun customers only want the 100% ripstop pants because the slight differences between polyester cotton blends and 100% cotton ripstop are considerable if you are running and jumping.

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Tactical pants that keep you dry

If you are looking for something that keep your dry and gives you moisture resistance, you’ll probable want to try out the 5.11 taclite pro pants, Blackhawk lightweight tactical pants or the Tru Spec 24/7 pants.  There are plenty of other options out there, but for those shopping online that don’t want to have to go through a fiasco to find a stocking dealer in the Country where you can stop by and try something out, those are probable your best options.   We sell a lot of tactical clothing to people that are hunters and recently sold several pairs of Blackhawk lightweight tactical pants to some guys heading out for hunting season.  They liked the Blackhawk pants because they gave a level of moisture resistance but not rain gear.

For someone that knows what its like to wear tactical pants in warm climates, you know that it’s still going to be hot wearing pants, but you still may need some protection from bugs, sun or shrubs and sticks.  Our newest product line are the Tru spec tactical pants and they are also a poly cotton ripstop material.  The Tru Spec 24/7 pants our Atlanco’s number one selling tactical pant and from what we are seeing their claims of being tru to sizing is accurate.  The pocket designs on these pants are very unique compared to Woolrich, 5.11 and Blackhawk.  Some of those tactical pants are hard to tell the difference between because the pocket designs are so similar.

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Big News about upcoming Promo from TruSpec

Rumor has it that Tru-Spec has something big in the works in the next couple months and those looking to find something in the tactical clothing market for a good price.  I think it’s smart for clothing companies to get smart and work with dealers to promote their products.   We’ve sold millions of dollars of gun accessories and tactical apparel in the last couple years and it’s rare for us to hear from a company about marketing to advertising promos that actually help us.   Things like pants, boots, gloves and shirts all wear or fade over time and need to be replaced.  Sometimes different changes in weather mean changing our clothings.

Everyone know what 5.11 pants are and everyone and their dog wore them at one point, but 80% of our customer base are disgrunted 5.11 clothing customers looking for something else.  5.11 has the EMS and Uniform business by the balls but keep any eye out on Tru-Spec.  TruSpec tactical pants have a very good fit and have a similar poly cotton ripstop design but does not shrink like the 5.11 stuff.  Now that Gunny has signed on to be the official Spokesperson for their product line I’d call that stability.   There tactical and EMS line is growing and expanding and we are looking forward to working with Tru-Spec in 2012

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There is a difference between lightweight tactical pants

Not all lightweight clothing is as lightweight as you think.  When it comes to tactical clothing that we sell the most of, the Woolrich Elite 100% cotton ripstop shirts and pants are the biggest sellers to those serving in Iraq.  The need for clothing that protects you from the sun, but does breath and give you some level of comfort is important.   When you consider that needing to drink 5 or 6 gallons of water a day to keep hydrated in those climates that wearing clothing that cuts that down to 2-3 gallons just by wearing different clothing really means something for any group of soldiers.  If your unit can eliminate 1 gallon of water consumption per soldier that’s a big deal.

Many people seem to not realize that we have as many contractors over in Iraq protecting Government officials and Oil rigs ect that there has been a huge demand for things other  than BDU’s.   Lightweight tactical pants like the Woolrich Elite 44447 pants are as tactical as you can get, but 100% cotton rip stop is the lightest weight that you can have.   Some of the 65/35 polyester pants from Tru-Spec and 5.11 seem to fend off stains and water better but they do not feel as lightweight weight.   Also, the pocket designs aren’t as Carbine friendly.

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More feedback about the Woolrich Elite Chinos

Just got off the phone with a customer that was looking for “discreet pants”  I know what he was looking for, but I asked him “Woolrich or Eotac?”   He said the Eotac discreet denim pants.   I told him that the product line is no longer being made and that all we have left are a few sizes.   The conversation went on about how hard it is to find pants that aren’t tactical.  So many companies are marketing to the concealed carry crowd, but 90 percent of them are not doing a good job.   There have been obvious fit improvements for some of them, but they still are way too tactical looking and that absolutely might get you killed in some situations.

Since the Woolrich Elite 44910 and 44909 pants have been discontinued and now that Eotac is out of business, the Eotac style 204 and 205 pants are going to be gone for good it seems.   Now what, the only answer we have for customers when they ask us about pants for concealed carry are, do you want tactical pants or the Woolrich Elite Chinos?   There are preferences in pocket locations, and Tru-Spec does a good job on their fit and durability, but all of these look tactical to us except the Woolrich Elite Chinos.  Check out the Youtube clip on our website.

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SHOT SHOW is around the corner

I guess because we’re already so busy at this time of the year the last thing we want to have to think about right after Christmas is learning about all of the new stuff coming in in 2012 that we’ll have to consider buying.   SHOT SHOW is the post Christmas shopping season for people like us and at first it’s fun and eventually it just becomes a business trip.   Out of the hundreds of new products that we’ll be looking at, it’s rare for us to find more than a half a dozen new products that really spark interest.

This year we do  have a wish list, we’d like to see more concealed carry clothing come out and not another clothing company making knock off 5.11 tactical pants.   We’re down to about 4 companies that we carry products for and although each has it’s strong points, we’re overloaded on tactical pants and listening to  our customers frustrations about the constant shortages or lack of product improvements has caused people to keep shopping.  We’ve had products that had good designs but the fit was not very good and people moved on, other designs were good for weekend warriors but for those that jump over fences, the products were failing.  Slight production changes would have sealed the deal, but did anyone listen in 2011?

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Why does the industry think Concealed Carry Pants need tons of pockets?

That really is one of those big questions that doesn’t get answered by the big clothing makers because they don’t really want to answer it.   Concealed Carry pants are really from most people that ask about the stuff we sell, all about being able to wear them at work and pocket carry.   It often amazes me that what is marketed by a few companies always has supposedly hidden leg pockets with tabs that flap in the wind when you walk and tell everyone you have a pocket there.   Was Michael Jacksons famous leather jacket a ccw coat?   Probable according to what we’ve seen show up here.

What everyone really wants is something with big hand pockets and if it has extra pockets, they should be shapped to look like normal pockets.  To date, the only real pant that we have sold that wasn’t in the tactical pants category are the new Woolrich Elite Series Chinos.   Other than that everyone else has something that we would consider to be tactical.  If the rear wallet pocket has big pockets around it, it looks like rock climbing gear.   It’s all about what you want, but if you want CCW pants, you’ll have a hard time finding it in the tactical clothing world.

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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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Changes in weather changes in clothing

In 2012 you can be sure there will be some pretty big changes in the tactical clothing market.   I expect there will be a few people fall to the way side because there are still production issues with making clothing in China and the economy isn’t getting any better.   Lots of police and government workers are losing their jobs and that will eventually affect the people that supply them.   Locally there were huge layoffs in the Trenton and Camden area and for the first time we saw unemployed cops.

Now that things are really getting tight, if you are looking for some really good deals please take a look at some of the great deals we have on clothing.   There are some really good Tru-Spec, Woolrich Elite and Eotac tactical pants on clearance and on sale.  We have a significant amount of the Eotac style 202 OD greens left.   For $34.99 you are saving on money and getting a better quality product.

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All those tactical pants and what to choose from?

We recently got in another shipment of Blackhawk Warrior Wear and some of the Tru-Spec 24/7 in limited quantities.  Like many companies out there we have been trying to monitor what is going on with the clothing manufacturers because there are plenty of credible rumors going around about people leaving China and looking elsewhere.  Much of the 5.11 tactical products are geared to Law Enforcement and EMS, and they do a great job of keeping that market, but there is plenty of room for competition for comfort and quality control.   We’ve done a few movement tests with the tactical clothing that we got in and Tru-Spec was the hands down winner.

The 24/7 line from Tru-Spec would not pass as concealed carry pants  in my opinion because real concealed carry means not looking like you are packing a gun.  Most of the 5.11 tactical, Blackhawk tactical pants and even Woolrich Elite and the defunct Eotac line look very similiar from a few feet away.   The big difference is the fit in my opinion.   Guys with different body sizes mostly guys that are body builders.   Sometimes people forget this and that is why there are so many tactical clothing companies because none of them can accommodate everyone.

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