All posts tagged Lightweight Tactical Pants

Blackhawk lightweight tactical pants are a hit

Sometimes when new stuff comes out we just sit back and let our customers tell us if it’s a good product.  Now that several of our tactical pants competitors have fizzled out we’re looking for tactical clothing that is made our customers don’t complain about.   I will admit that these tactical pants have a different fit to them and when I move in them they do not seem as comfortable as the Tru Spec and Eotac pants that I am use to.  But to each his own when it comes to fit and comfort.  Material makes a big differences to me in certain climates and although I have worn 100% cotton ripstop pants for 7yrs. The Tru Spec and Blackhawk Poly Cotton blend do not really bother me at all.

Some people want to get away from the 5.11 tactical pants that they have been wearing and right now there is so much out there to keep against 5.11 tactical clothing.  I see a few companies have attempted to design their own tactical pants but those are really just cheap range pants or better yet, yardwork tactical apparel.  We’re still waiting to  find out about all of the manufacturing changes that are taking place and hoping we don’t have any distruptions in product lines again.  TruSpec seems to be very aggressive in getting their products on the market with month long tactical pants and tactical polo promotions.  Next fall we will be on board for some nice outer wear promos.

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What people are saying about the differences in material

When we first got into the tactical clothing business Woolrich Elite Series was the first company to come out that was different than 5.11 tactical.   The 5.11 pants and shorts we were wearing were a poly cotton ripstop material and not cut very well.   I have some of the 5.11 covert carry jeans and they are just downright lame as far as design and fit.  The Woolrich Elite jeans were a good idea but the colors and fit were not very good.  To date the only concealed carry jean that we sold that got a good response were the Eotac 205 jeans and we are sadly not going to see those again.

The cotton canvas pants seem to be liked because of the comfort of the material but when people want lightweight pants, it’s either 100% cotton ripstop or it’s going to be a poly cotton blend.   We had an electrician come in here and say that the TruSpec tactical pants we sold were not approved for his job and only the 100% cotton ripstop pants were due to fire safety.  Both pants may look the same but they are not the same when it comes to moisture resistance and comfort although I find the TruSpec pants to be best fit for me for the poly cotton blend.

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Lots of Turmoil in the clothing business

We have just got word that their were riots in the Apple factory in China and another one of our product lines is having trouble getting stuff made over there because of some of the flooding.  What the heck is going  on with that place?  Everyone seems to think we have to tip  toe  with China because they own so  much of our debt that they can pull the rug out from  under us.   The truth of the matter is we actually still own them.  They won’t get anything out of us if we go down and right  now they are actually having the rug pulled out from under them.   We are at a total of 4 of our major product lines has pulled out of Chinese manufacturing beacuse of the labor costs and price increase on raw products.

I have no idea what is going on with the clothing industry.  We have done some really big promos with Tru Spec and Blackhawk products as well as the Woolrich Elite tactical pants  product line and we’re under the impression they are all having some issues.  We are testing out some of the new products form Tru Spec this summer because one of our favorite clothing makers, Woolrich Elite isn’t making the 44905 shorts at the moment and that is something that really concerns us.

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Switching from 5.11 tactical clothing to something else?

When we first got into the tactical clothing market it was pretty much all 5.11 tactical pants.   The stories about Royal Robbins becoming 5.11 and some of the changes that occurred left many customers disappointed.   I don’t know  how a company can make 5.11 tactical pants in 3 different Countries and expect the quality control to be there but I guess they don’t.  We’ve watched several companies attempt to cut into the market and fail and much of it was about production issues and quality control.  If you buy a pair of pants and like them and buy them again later, the same thing, and the sizing is different or it shrinks and rides up on you, you look for something else.

Some people just don’t understand what it takes to do business in foreign Countries.  It’s not just about a manufacturers ability to make a consistent product, its also about being able to make the product the right way and things like tactical pants sometimes need to be modifed if customers demand this.   I have witness such minor product fit changes that were welcomed and the sales went up.  Other companies were asked to modify their products and they didn’t and lost out to the competition.  5.11 has a real Winner with the Tac Lite Pro pants.

 

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Woolrich Elite Lightweight pants in Coyote Brown

We just got in the new Woolrich Elite lightweight pants in Coyote Brown and they look really good.  Over the years we have been surprised at  how un popular black tactical pants were and mostly see khaki colors, OD green and usually something other than black or navy.  I guess most people try and stay away from the ninja look unless they have to, but coyote brown is a welcomed color.   We have been pruning our tactical pants category down for several months now and we should be eliminated a few product lines.  One of those product lines we won’t be discontinuing any time soon are the Woolrich Elite pants.

When we first saw Woolrich Elite products get on the market the first thing we realized is the contrast between 5.11 tactical fabrics and the Woolrich Elite.  Bother tactical pants would state they they were made out of an 8.5 ounce cotton canvas but only the Woolrich Elite pants were really the ones that held up to that.  5.11 tactical would not be where it is today if it didn’t make some great products but the complaints coming from our customer base have been constant and many have moved towards Tru Spec, Woolrich Elite and Vertx.

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Knock around daily use pants for a great price?

I see that Tru Spec has there stuff in order when it comes to promoting their product and getting it out there and they are one of the few companies that has really gained ground on 5.11 tactical.   I just rewatched several Youtube clips about the Tru spec pants and the constant references to 5.11 tactical were on all of them.   I recently purchased some 5.11 tactical stuff to try to see if we could like it and carry it again and we’re only really interested in the 5.11 tac lite pro pants.   There were still the sizing variations and there was a  price increase on the product line which makes me think we’re going to see everything go up in price in 2012.

There are always preferences that people will have and not every pant out there is going to work for you, but the poly cotton ripstop seems to be the lowest maintenance pant which is probable why 5.11 tactical is lasted for so long.   You really should jump on board with this Tru Spec 1 2 3 promotion on the Tru Spec tactical pants we have going on if you want to test the waters for a great every day pant.   You may want to do some research about the pocket designs if you are carrying a knife because the Tru Spec 24-7 pants have nice pockets for flashlights and knife, but it will only work for you if they are the correct size. If you carry a large knife you might not be able to use those side pockets.

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Tactical pants you won’t have to iron

The complaint we’ve gotten from some of our Law Enforcement officers that were trying out the Woolrich Elite pants and the Eotac did not like the fact that the 100% cotton rip stop pants had to be ironed if you did not take them out of the dryer fast enough.  We thought that was a non-issue in the beginning but more and more people have voiced it.  Since so many people out there have worn 5.11 tactical clothing in the past, just about everyone in the tactical shirt, tactical pants and other apparel get compared to 5.11.

We have 5 weeks left of the Tru Spec tactical clothing promo running and if you wore or are wearing 5.11 tactical clothing you really should check out these Tru Spec 24/7 pants.   The Tru Spec tactical pants that are a 65%/35% poly cotton rip stop are a lower maintenance pants that don’t look too bad either.   These tactical pants are probable less tactical and more ccw friendly since they have the knife and flashlight pockets already designed into them.

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Upcoming National Sale from Tru-Spec

We are going to be onboard with a major announcement about a 2 month sale on tru-spec 24/7 tactical pants.   Ever since Gunny signed on as the Official spokesperson for Tru-Spec we realized that the company really had some legs in the industry and due to customer responses, we decided to carry the line.  We’ve been in the tactical clothing business for a very long time and many people ask us about sizing questions.   We can tell you that if you wore Woolrich Elite or Eotac pants, that the Tru Spec pants that we have been wearing are all very consistent to that sizing.   I tried on Blackhawk, 5.11 tactical, Eotac, Woolrich Elite and others and there was a sizing variation.

If you wear 5.11 tac lite pro pants you won’t have a problem liking the Tru Spec tactical pants.  In our opinion Tru Spec actually lives up to their name and they have a very good style of tactical pants available.  We’re not  sure of the exact date of the Promo ad hitting but on April 1st through May 31st there will be a 15%-25% off sale on the Tru Spec 24-7 tactical pants.   I expect that inventories will be depleted around the Country by the middle of that promo so get in early if you can.   Khaki colors are usually the first to go and usually Black colors are next.

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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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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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