All posts tagged EMS pants

Off duty and training clothing for women, and we’ve seen them try to do it!

I’ve been in this industry for the better part of a decade and there was not much out there other than 5.11 clothing 10yrs ago.   I knew several people that knew the potential of the market and wanted to get something new out there.  Now the tactical clothing is flooded but some of the same problems are there.   Quality control, and the lack of a decent line of products for women.  Today i had a female police officer come in looking for Ladies duty gear, last week it was ladies pants.  We never saw the Eotac product line go out there for women, but recently only Tru-Spec tactical pants have had a 98% approval from our female customers.  Many women get stuck wearing mens tactical pants but the crotch and waist fit can get very annoying.

Poly cotton ripstop tends to be the best option since it does not need to be ironed and is a low maintenance material.   The best tactical pants we’ve seen are the 24/7 Series Tru-Spec womens pants that we always stock in our store.   There are several departments stopping in with female co-workers that need pants for when they have to leave the office and go out in the field.  The womens EMS pants have a 90% approval raiting and we rarely hear criticism about fit.  There are big differences in the pocket patterns because fitting pepper sprays, mace, batons, flashlights and a firearm can vary from person to person.  You really have to kind of know what you are looking for and then fit into the tactical clothing.  Some medical supplies fit very easily into the EMS pants.

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Getting use to these TruSpec pants

It was a big change for me to switch over from what I have worn for almost 7yrs and then try a different pocket design and different materials.   I started out like many with the 5.11 tactical pants and my first pair of pants had horrible shrinkage.  So many of  our customers have made the same statements and always say they are looking for something else but afraid to order them online.  We often get asked “what are my sizes for TruSpec, Blackhawk, Vertx” ect. if they wear X with 5.11.   There are sizing variations and fit differences and it’s just one of those things about buying clothing, you really need to try them on before you buy.

The pocket designs on the TruSpec 24/7 pants took some getting use to but now that I have adjusted my gear and taught myself how to carry my knife, flashlight and weapons, I have been very happy with the quality.  The polyester cotton ripstop material makes these lightweight tactical pants and somewhat of an easier product to just wash and go.  I don’t like having to iron clothing that much and if you are in a professional environment and don’t have the time to let your 100% cotton ripstop pants de wrinkle themselves, TruSpec pants are an easy switch for anyone wearing 5.11 tactical pants.

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Differences between TruSpec and 5.11 EMS pants

5.11 EMS pants seem to be on the majority of the paramedics in our area but we’ve noticed many were not happy with the fit of the pants and wanted to try the TruSpec.  Since we’re testing out various tactical and EMS products we’re tip toeing with our inventory.  Today a customer asked us if he could try on the TruSpec pants and find out what the differences, by the time he was done wearing them around the store.  He was teaching us more about the product line than we knew before.

The Tru Spec EMS pants look almost identical to the 5.11 Tactical EMS pant but there are some noticeable differences for anyone that wears one of them long enough.  The major differences between these Tru Spec EMS pants and the other are the rear pockets.  The back left pocket has an ID pocket and the right side has the trademark 5.11 sash.   The TruSpec pants have a flap that is the same as the regular tactical pant and in all honesty a much normal looking design.

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Incase you missed it here they are

There are now our number one selling tactical pant and it’s not just because they have a very good fit and sizing, it’s because they are better than anything in their price range.   If we could all buy a porsche we’d own them, but most of us can’t afford it.  To get a pair of pants that holds up and doesn’t shrink in the wash for less than $30 isn’t going to happen unless you get some great blowout deal from a company going under.  We’ve been watching the clothing  business for over 2yrs now and it is incredible unstable.

At some of the Police and Security conferences last year and there was much discussion about where tactical clothing companies are going to be making their stuff.   We’ve got a great promo running on the Tru Spec 24/7 tactical pants but it’s only until May 31st.  After that you can expect to see a shortage in some of their stuff.  It looks like someone at Atlanco is doing a good job of promoting their product and we just signed on to do some fall outer wear promotion after summer.

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Knee pads and tactical pants

There are some really nice knee pads from Alta that many of our customers have requested we sell.   We’ve been selling the Blackhawk knee pad and elbow pads for years, but after watching a really good review on the Alta knee pads on Youtube I was really impressed with the product line and there are some really good selling points over the Blackhawk knee pads. Not only are the knee pads a better option for material, the locking or latching knee pads are a better system than velcro.

Many of the tactical pants we sell already have knee pad options in them but they are a foam knee pad that goes inside the pants.  If you are looking for a lower profile look the knee pads are a nice option for range use on your tactical pants and will not be very bulky.  If you want to save your knees and not tear up your pants, you will want something over your knees.   All knee pads are going to cause you pants to ride up a little and varying types of material may ride up more than others.

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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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Pocket placements on tactical pants

There are a bazillion types of tactical pants out there and the funny thing about it is we have a huge customer base that aren’t even in the Law Enforcement or Military Community.   Most Cops are stuck wearing uniforms and most of our customer base that actually buy tactical clothing, tactical shirts, tactical vests and gun gear usually know what they are looking for.   Recently we sold a ton of ballistic eyewear to an EMS department and several of the Doctors working in local hospitals also stopped in to buy tactical pants.   We explained to them what the pocket designs were for and they explained to us that they use them for holding surgical tools.’

There are  not a lot of people out there that can really make a good concealed carry pant.  Several have tried only to end up on the clearance section of LA Police gear as tactical pants.  Not all of the tactical pants are used for carrying AR15 gun magazines.   Some are for holding cell  phones and even the Woolrich Elite 44447 pants can hold a small lap top computer.  Most pocket designs are about preference although there are a few pants that are completely over thought out and all you end up doing is losing gear in them.   Some pocket locations can also become useless if you normally carry a holster in that location.  Leg holsters can also void the  use of some cargo pockets.

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