Just curious how many, if any, on here wear any of the "tactical" pants or shirts on a regular basis. I have been curious about the pants and how they work for carrying, but not $70 worth of curious. Yesterday I went to a second hand store with my wife and found a pair of 511 pants in my size for $3; so they came home with me. they are the ones that look like Dockers and are quite comfortable to wear.

I have three pair of 511 pants and one Polo type shirt. They were on close-out at my local LE shop for $9.99, so I bought them. Bass Pro may still sell them; however, there is now a 511 store here in metro Atlanta.

One pair of my pants has a 1” wide web strap across the right rear pocket that I have yet to figure out the purpose of. The other two pairs have slit pockets in the rear to hold AR mags.

These are comfortable pants to wear and are water repellent and stain resistant. The shirt is a poly/cotton blend but is reasonably cool to wear.

I'd of bought them too. That back pocket strap is to secure the nuclear football passcode book. You don't want that falling into the wrong hands.

I've been wearing the 5.11 Taclite pants for years now pretty much every day. I like the lightweight fabric for daily wear, the front pockets are deep enough to to carry a 3" J frame S&W, the belt loops fit a 1 1/2" gun belt, and plenty of pockets for knives, flashlights, magazines, etc. They have given me good wear life - I've only worn out the first pair I bought but that took about 6 years of constant wear and I could have stretched that out some more.

Some complain that they look too "tactical" and will telegraph that you may be a gun person but there are an awful lot of cargo pants out there so I don't think that this is a real problem.

They make several styles but the Taclite's normally go for $50.

Helps keep a collapsible baton upright and handy if you don't wear a duty belt . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I wear them just about everyday, but I am a plain clothes LEO. You can actually carry a full-size handgun in the pockets if you needed. They are wash and wear, and are fairly cool in the summer time. The strap across the back is for carabiners since 5.11 started out as making repelling and rock climbing gear. However, the strap can be used for a lot to include use as a rescue grab.

Here is the shirt and strap pants in photos 1&2. Photos 3&4 are the same style, front and rear view.

My grandson has taken off his jacket and looped it through the strap a few times. He said it was for hoodies.

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I can get away with wearing them in my location because they blend in with all the other outdoor / woodsy clothing worn in our area (surrounded by national and state forests).

Pretty much all I wear on a day to day basis and it never gets a second look.

I used to wear them when they were still Royal Robbins brand...one of my early rock climbing heroes when I started with the sport decades ago.

ETA: The strap can also be used, aside from the explanations above, for keeping a spare AR mag in the back pocket at the range. I rarely use it, but it's there if need be.

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642-1, M&P15 TS

A few more pics.

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Funny story about those 511 pants...
About a dozen years ago I wore a green one frequently when hunting. One day I climbed up a tree to scan an overgrown pasture. I climbed up pretty high and on my way down I slipped and stopped when that back strap above the rear pocket caught a broken limb. I had some support on one feet and other feet was just dangling...riding the pants way up my waist and causing a lot of stress on my crotch. I struggled for about 10 minutes trying to get some support on both feet so I could lift myself high enough to free the strap from the branch. I ended up cutting the strap with my knife to get down.

I "bought" 4 pairs of 5.11 pants some years ago basically because they were free. I liked having a lot of pockets and they've worn really well over the years. If I had paid the $65 price tag I wouldn't be unhappy because they've lasted so long. Because of their light weight they're cooler than jeans in the summer. I wear them every day.

However, like a lot of things, I've discovered something I like better; Tru-Spec 24/7 pants. The difference is the Tru-Spec pants have pockets that fit my stuff better. In the thigh pocket there is a divider. This allows me to carry a cell phone and a flash light without them banging into each other. Then they have a small pocket designed for a knife. Plus, they're less expensive than the 5.11 pants.



Are they better? Meh, it's all personal preference. No, I just like them.


Do they scream "He has a gun!"? No, I think that's just paranoia.

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Freedom isn't free.

I love it when grown men talk about their clothes. Makes me smile.

Mostly, of course, we do it when we are discussing concealed carry. An even bigger smile....

I had a pair of 511 pants that were, for want of a better term, very much like Dockers-type slacks. It was easy to conceal a handgun in the front pocket. Now gone in the fire but I also discovered a brand of clothing called "Tru-Spec".

TRU-SPEC : Tactically Inspired Apparel

© Copyright TRU-SPEC 2018

I buy them at the local Army-Navy store but they are easy to find on-line, directly or Amazon, etc. In darker colors like black, navy, or chocolate you have to look twice to realize they are cargo-style pants. More than enough pockets and handguns EASILY fit into the front pockets. I carry a snubbie K-frame in those pants, in a pocket holster, with ease.

I like the idea of deep front pockets, but could do without the cargo pockets. It would be nice to find something with more of a dockers look that would pass for business casual.

I love the 5.11 Covert Khakis. The front pockets are sewn for firearms carry. No need for a pocket holster

I am wearing a pair right now

Unfortunately when they went to the Covert Khakis 2.0 they changed to pockets to a standard cut.

What color?

I’m an outlyer as far as cargo or tacticool clothing: I have no interest in it.

I prefer orvis kaki slacks for casual wear: the pockets are very deep, the slacks are comfortably cut, a 1 1/2” gun belt fits the belt loops and they’re quite presentable.

I have no use for a zillion pockets nor do I want any clothing with Velcro or made from even a fraction of synthetic fabric, nor do I want permanent press.

I do have the lady at the dry cleaners customize my slacks by moving a couple belt loops to allow me to position my holster properly and to act as a failsafe to secure the holster from moving.

The 5.11 pants were originated by the Royal Robbins company, and they were designed for rock climbing. The patented "buddy strap" or "utility strap" was to keep a supply of "carabiners."

Per Wikipedia, a carabiner is a specialized type of shackle, a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to quickly and reversibly connect components, most notably in safety-critical systems.

Lot's of theories...here's another one. It is for grabbing and dragging your *** off the battlefield if you're wounded.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

I have worn 5.11 shorts for three summers now. To heck with the tactical stuff - I like them for other reasons! Biggest thing for me is the pocket on the right side is just big enough for an iPhone 6S - and the Velcro pocket on the left is perfect for car keys. The phone pocket is just the right location to keep from either sitting on it - a big no-no at my weight - or putting too much stress on it if were in a true front-pocket location. They have a reinforced section on each rear pocket for hooking up your Benchmade or Spyderco - and the fabric breathes to keep me cool (on those long walks at the mall to get my steps) ...

The difference is that they come in waist sizes that fit my husband, unhemmed.


Thanks a lot. He was wanting some cargo pants the other day but had trouble finding any that fit. Great timing.

I wear them all the time, during long pants weather. I have them in a variety of colors; khaki, charcoal, tan, gray, olive drab and tundra.

I only wear "tactical" pants when competing, so I might be ccw after & before, but just levis or Dockers for everyday.
BTW, look at the pants at LAPG, $20-$25, durable & comfortable.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

The other nice thing about these is they have an elastic waistband that's really elastic. They work without carrying and IWB equally well.

The colors I like the best are Coyote (in my pic) and Khaki. I'll probably add a charcoal pair soon. I like black, but I like black shirts and that's just too much black for me.

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Freedom isn't free.

I love em...pretty much all I wear shorts and long

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I have two pair of similar pants (edit: they are the TruSpec brand). The first thing I do is get out the seam ripper and remove the pocket velcro. Getting to my wallet shouldn't require two hands, feats of superhuman strength, and the skills of a contortionist.

I live in a town that calls itself the cowboy capitol of the world. I've seen both of our Judges wear jeans under their robes and a few lawyers in court in jeans when a jury wasn't in court. Cowboy boots are the preferred footwear. Around here cops and dopers wear cargo or tactical pants. Why the dopers wear them is a mystery to me since most of our local dopers dont carry guns. They sell em to buy dope. BTW one of my doper clients came in the other day wearing a pair of cutoff cargo shorts, a pair of cowboy boots and still had on a set of spurs. He had been working an out of towners horses. He brought his fee payment in so as long as he didnt track manure into my office i didnt care. We have a lot of out of towners who have a "horse ranch" so they can brag about it. There are a lot of overpriced horses that just need some "good training to be a great horse" sold around here. I've had multiple cases over who really owned a horse and almost sued a steelmaker.

I've got some cargo pants that I wear hunting or fishing in hot weather. They are ok but I wear Wranglers, khakis or a suit day to day either w cowboy boots or hiking boots. The VP of my bank usually wears jeans. Of course my shoulder surgeon wears cowboy boots w his scrubs. Got to love small towns in Texas.

5.11 Tactical pants started out as Royal Robbins (hard core mountain climber) climbing pants. That strap is to hook your carabiners and pitons to

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Retired Career Security Guard

I used to work for a security company that issued 5.11 pants and a 5.11 polo as a uniform. As far as uniforms go that was my favorite BUT it LOOKED like a uniform.

MOST people that see you walking around in 5.11s aren't going to notice but there are people out there who are going to take one look at your clothes and know you're armed. I was sitting in the lobby at church before service a couple of weeks ago just people watching. I live in Colorado and 9 out of 10 people in that lobby looked like they bought all their clothes at REI but 4 of them were wearing 5.11s (and they stood out) and I took a second look and every single one of them was armed. So, the question is what level of concealment you're comfortable with.

I wear generic cargo pants and I'm just as happy with them (and they're cheaper) as I was with my issued 5.11s. In fact I've posted here before that my 5.11s didn't hold up to the terrain or the altitude in Colorado and I had to DX them every 3 months or so.

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Retired Career Security Guard

That's a new one on me. I never noticed it being worse than anywhere else, unless you make a habit of running thru cactus a lot, but you could do that in many places.

First encountered them at the FBI National Academy in 1996. I started wearing them shortly after. Cargo pants are so generic these days that no one looks twice at someone in 5-11s. With a knife, wallet, cell phone, money clip, gun and handkerchief, I need all the pockets.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

Duluth Trading Company for me. I like the Fire Hose shorts/pants, and the extra long shirts. I tend to avoid looking tactical, and these are more designed for construction related Trades. Tough as nails...And their Buck Naked Boxers are all I ever buy these days.

Men's Fire Hose Work Pants | Duluth Trading Company

Men's Fire Hose Work Shorts 12" Inseam | Duluth Trading Company

Pockets; I need pockets ...... Cell phone, reading glasses, sun glasses, wallet,keys, knife, money clip, AAA flashlight, one quarter (there must still be a pay phone somewhere/ and it keeps me from getting $.95 in change) ..... and of course the "Honey do list".

Ordered a pair of the Tru Spec ($35) off of Amazon to try.... lots of pockets and a couple of mentions of them being cooler than my $15 Wranglers.

The mean altitude in Colorado Springs is 6035' we get more UV than most of the rest of the country. I wore my 5.11s at work and I was outside walking most of the day. You could tell the difference in color between a new shirt and mine in a week. The threads in the pants broke down and they started to get holes in about 3 months.

Except some people do look twice and some people do know exactly what they're looking at and some people will take one look at those pants and correctly assess that you're armed. So yes, whether you believe it or not, you are broadcasting to a certain segment of the people you encounter every day that you are armed. If you're OK with that then continue on.

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Retired Career Security Guard

Well; I've come to grips with the reality that any cover garment will do that .....remember the "shoot me first vests"........... an over sized LL Bean or 'Fisherman's style" shirt has been known to get my spider sense tingling.......


I live in a quit "Burb of the Burgh" avoid bad places as much as possible.... sit with my back to the wall when we go out to eat.........at the cabin in the Allegheny's most men folk are in some camo or cargo work wear.

I'm +60 and legally armed....... in a shall issue state..... so not overly worried about the local constabulary (know most of them) hassling me.... hopefully any 'badguys" that make me as "possibly armed" will look for easier targets. Let the bad guys think I'm a retired cop...... like Old_Cop.....just so they move on to easier picking...... to old to fight or run..... so that leaves me ....... well you know

Bottom line is I need the pockets!!!!!! Been know to still wear my "kill me first vests"........ it's all about the pockets!!!!

I have three pair 511 APEX pants. I wear them daily. Switched to this type of pant and comfortable Merrill mid-rise boots for showing real estate properties. Lots of squatting, kneeling, stretching, and sometimes climbing required in homes and properties in various states of cleanliness and repair. 511 APEX pants are roomy (articulated knees!), stretchy, have lots of pockets for tools of the trade, are wash and wear, and look good with a nice belt and company polo shirt. I never considered myself a "tactical real estate agent" until a client described me as that. Because I spend a lot of time alone in open houses where the public is encouraged to enter I carry something somewhere on my person. Condition yellow, always.

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

Haven't you been paying attention to this thread? Nobody notices those pants. Nobody gives them a second look and certainly nobody knows what they are. That's just paranoia

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Retired Career Security Guard

I still have a couple pair left over from LE days. We used them for range and other training (grey and black). Good news is after 12 years of retirement they still fit though I rarely wear them anymore. Cargo pants are pretty common these days but jeans are my go to long pants.

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Support your Police, & NRA

Most, if not all, of those people who would notice are okay with you being armed. I've been known to sidle up to a such attired person and quietly ask "Whatcha carryin'?" Lots of fun . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Avoiding interactions with people like that is the primary reason I avoid those pants like the plague.

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Retired Career Security Guard

I wear 'em every day for work, and I wear the 5.11 shorts when I'm not working, year round. They're comfortable and durable, and I like the way they fit. I also like knowing my stuff is in the same pocket in the same place all the time. I don't give a snot if some gun aficionado wants to ask what I'm carrying, although that has only happened after I've asked somebody. I usually get something like "Glock 26. You?"

People that notice are your friends . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I have 10 pair of 511 tactical pants and four pair of shorts. It is a very rare day I do not wear them.

I got the navy taclite shorts on right now . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Who gives a rip what people think or say? I wear what I want.

People can always guess. But are they willing to run their mouth on a guess? And accept the feedback?

There are worse things one could wear than 511 pants. Remember when fanny packs were all the rage? Yeah, I still have mine. And I use it on occasion.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

The guys who mentioned Royal Robbins are right on. I've still got a couple pairs with the "Royal Robbins Outdoor Clothing" tags. They became "tactical pants" after the FBI sent folks to rappelling school and they bought the pants there. They wore them afterwards as "I is a high speed dude" badges. And, of course, everyone else wanted to be "tacticool" too. I'm not sure how the parent firm transitioned into 5.11, but obviously, there was a much larger market for tactical folks and people who wanted "the look" than for rock climbers. The originals had a heavy weight material and a baggy fit that was pure misery in humid weather and 5.11 was slow to introduce lighter cloth. I am not a fan.

I was at a training session one time and there was a spirited discussion about who actually wore 5.11 or a similar product. ALL the vendors were decked out in tacticool. NONE of the folks actually involved in the session were. The verdict about who wore the stuff-when not issue gear-wasn't flattering.

Woolrich did a pant and used input for actual HSLD folks, so the pockets actually fit useful stuff and they had smaller pockets in the back pockets for hankies and wallets. They also had more breathable cloth and lighter cloth versions. Unfortunately, once they started putting a major dent into 5.11s sales, they got sued for patent infringement on the slash pockets. I bought a bunch at fire sale prices after they had to cease production.

A real sleeper in this category is a pant by Blauer. I think they call(ed) it the StreetGear. Regular pockets plus full size thigh pockets and zipper closed pockets behind the thigh pocket. Dunno the price, they were issue at one time. Still have 3-4 pair never worn. They'll be worked into the wardrobe. I'm wearing old Tru-Spec (not like Rastoff's) right now.

BTW, Carhartt washed duck carpenter/work pants work great, the pockets are sturdy and deep.

OK, you guys went and made me order a couple pair of those 511 Taclite pants. Now I’m gonna have to walk around looking cool.

I’ll let ya’ll know how I alike them.

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I invest in Lead and Copper!

Wrangler cargo pants and shorts from Wal-Mart are pretty good for the money. 19.95. They make them in rip stop fabric also. True to size. Check them out next time you go.

I have a confession to make. I don't have a single pair of tacticool pants or a shirt. I hope I can still post here after such a statement. :-)

I wear Carhartt jeans because they have an extra pocket or two, but they are hotter'n blazes in the summer and cold in the winter. Their 38" x 30" fit about right with a IWC. I tried a pair of lighter weight pants of another brand of pants the other day, they were marked 30" long, but must have been 34".

Have a blessed day,

Leon

Correction, there are people who will look at how you're dressed and they might THINK you're armed. Those who will take that viewpoint are probably carrying themselves and I don't care if they think I'm armed.

The rest just think I'm some nut trying to live out my fantasy of being an "operator" by dressing this way. I'm OK with that too.

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Freedom isn't free.

I have about 20 pairs of pants and as many shirts in various color - most issued to me while serving in various overseas assignments. They are bomb proof. Most are going on 10 years of use, which includes 100s of backpacking trips (even Everest Base Camp), hunting, working, etc., none suffering as much as a tear.

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“Except some people do look twice and some people do know exactly what they're looking at and some people will take one look at those pants and correctly assess that you're armed. So yes, whether you believe it or not, you are broadcasting to a certain segment of the people you encounter every day that you are armed. If you're OK with that then continue on.”


Lots of truth here. Yes, I am armed, well armed with quality handguns and premium ammo. How can I afford that? I got my 5.11 pants for $9.99!!