pants

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • paintman

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    38   0   0
    Dec 3, 2011
    960
    59
    new castle indiana
    ok lets say you plan on bugging in or meeting up with a group if S was to hit the FAN. maybe you yourself or the group you are with have a smaller group set up to be the ones to go out and search for food if needed or hunt or what ever it may be. in this case you want clothes that are going to be durable and can stand the test of time for wear and tear.
    so what would you choose. im kind of stuck trying to decide between maybe some new multicam military pants or 5:11 tactical pants. not sure which ones would hold up the best or give me the best bang for my buck. either way even on ebay im paying between $30 and $50.

    any one with any first hand experience on testing such things?
     

    paintman

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    38   0   0
    Dec 3, 2011
    960
    59
    new castle indiana
    now that is just funny. but wow they are expensive. I did look at the briar pants and thought that would be worth it. it would be nice to be able to walk through the woods and not worry about pants getting snagged and torn!
     

    PistolBob

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Oct 6, 2010
    5,387
    83
    Midwest US
    I have a pair of ball room jeans I got for Christmas three years ago. Duluth Trading has replaced them TWICE for no charge. The snap came out once, free replacement, and the second time the inseam was unraveling a bit on the left left...free replacement. They are expensive but they stand behind them like Sears used to stand behind their tools.

    They even pay the postage one way.
     

    Mister K

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 5, 2014
    67
    8
    Central IN
    I have no experience with the Duluth pants, they do seem nice. I do have some 5.11 OD green TDU pants that I got a good deal on. There are ripstop and twill versions, both are 65% poly 35% cotton. That percentage (IMO) is good for colder environments as 100% cotton is not good for cold and wet situations. These are similiar to BDU's in weight and style if that helps? summer BDU's (ripstop) were thin and cool but despite the name, often ripped. The winter BDU's (twill) were much sturdier. I also have some Army surplus M1951 OD green wool pants. If you wear anything other than XL, you can get these pretty cheap on Ebay. They wear pretty good and being wool are hard to beat for the price. They aren't very thick, but some polypro undies underneath usually fit the bill. Some might recommend using the 100% nylon fishing convertible style pants that have zip off legs. I have some of those pants but they tend to be noisy while walking. Other than that, don't know, hope this helps.

    Here is a very small paragraph (#3) where Creek Stewart (Fat Guys in the Woods) recommends pants:
    5 Questions with Creek Stewart, author of Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag
     

    patience0830

    .22 magician
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 96.6%
    28   1   0
    Nov 3, 2008
    17,594
    149
    Not far from the tree
    Riggs Wear by wrangled. Ranger jeans. I'm afraid they'll quit making them. They're that good.


    ok lets say you plan on bugging in or meeting up with a group if S was to hit the FAN. maybe you yourself or the group you are with have a smaller group set up to be the ones to go out and search for food if needed or hunt or what ever it may be. in this case you want clothes that are going to be durable and can stand the test of time for wear and tear.
    so what would you choose. im kind of stuck trying to decide between maybe some new multicam military pants or 5:11 tactical pants. not sure which ones would hold up the best or give me the best bang for my buck. either way even on ebay im paying between $30 and $50.

    any one with any first hand experience on testing such things?
     

    Justus

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Jun 21, 2008
    642
    18
    not in Indy
    ok lets say you plan on bugging in or meeting up with a group if S was to hit the FAN. maybe you yourself or the group you are with have a smaller group set up to be the ones to go out and search for food if needed or hunt or what ever it may be. in this case you want clothes that are going to be durable and can stand the test of time for wear and tear.
    so what would you choose. im kind of stuck trying to decide between maybe some new multicam military pants or 5:11 tactical pants. not sure which ones would hold up the best or give me the best bang for my buck. either way even on ebay im paying between $30 and $50.

    any one with any first hand experience on testing such things?

    Yes, been testing pants all of my life :):
    I have found that Dickies (canvas) or Carhartts in the cool months and Wrangler cargos in the warm season are pretty hard to beat.
     

    rgrimm01

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 4, 2011
    2,577
    113
    Sullivan County, IN
    I have wondered about this myself. In a truly bad situation, one might just have what they are wearing for the duration. If one is on the move, it is unlikely that a huge wardrobe is going to make the cut. I do not have much faith in cotton to take the pain in hot/humid weather for any length of time. I am reminded of the troops in Vietnam whose uniforms would literally rot off in a month's time out in the field. Granted, that is a tropical environment, but so is the environment created by heat, humidity, sweat, rain and movement.

    If the situation is weather induced with an expected end in sight, I believe I would want to be wearing Carharttesque pants. Something that would take a beating and protect the legs from cuts and scratches. The longterm forever pants is a tough bill to fill.
     
    Last edited:

    KittySlayer

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jan 29, 2013
    6,473
    77
    Northeast IN
    I have a pair of ball room jeans I got for Christmas three years ago. Duluth Trading has replaced them TWICE for no charge. The snap came out once, free replacement, and the second time the inseam was unraveling a bit on the left left...free replacement. They are expensive but they stand behind them like Sears used to stand behind their tools.

    They even pay the postage one way.

    Well it is nice they stand behind their product but twice is hardly a ringing endorsement for something whose performance you want to count on long term.
     

    tatic05

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    Dec 3, 2011
    1,205
    38
    Ft. Wayne
    LA Police Gear has operator pants for around $19.00. They also have other selections decently priced. I haven't tried them yet though so I can't say if they will hold up or not. But still great price. Here is the link:

    LA Police Gear Operator Tactical Pants w/ Elastic Waistband

    Anyone use them???

    I have a pair I bought back in June. I wore them during a two day defensive pistol class and one of the front "cell phone" pockets has ripped. I believe it was from one handed manipulation of racking the slide.
     

    2ADMNLOVER

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    15   0   0
    May 13, 2009
    5,122
    63
    West side Indy
    Wrangler rip stop cargo pants from wally world . Pretty much all I wear now'days .

    Are they as good as Duluth , probably not but at $20 a pop and local I can live with that .
     

    tatic05

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    Dec 3, 2011
    1,205
    38
    Ft. Wayne
    Levi has a lifetime warranty with their jeans. I know my father sends them back to Levi whenever he gets a rip or tear in them and they replace them for free.


    EDIT: Not normal wear and tear.
     

    dusty88

    Master
    Local Business Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Aug 11, 2014
    3,179
    83
    United States
    I would definitely not recommend jeans in any kind of bug-out situation. Get them wet once, you are chilled for days. Get them wet in the summer, you are chafing.

    I haven't tried 5.11s yet. I do have a pair of hiking pants with zip-off legs that have held up for years of hiking. They don't snag, they have multiple pockets, and they are breathable and dry quickly. In cold weather, a thin layer of long underwear or running tights can be worn underneath. Of course, the zip-off lower legs are also useful for weather transitions.

    The ones I have were made by REI, but they don't make nearly as good of quality anymore.
     

    LtScott14

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   1   0
    Apr 13, 2008
    1,516
    83
    Porter County
    I use a 5.11 BDU slack that is 65/35, cargo pockets, double seat and knee for around $30.00 pair. I cut off the tie offs, don't like the paratrooper look, and now after a couple of years, they still look new. Well built, soil release, no stains. (Navy-Midnite Blue). Good buy from Quartermaster Uniforms.
     

    possum_128

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    13   0   0
    Mar 21, 2008
    2,487
    84
    Martinsville area
    Levi has a lifetime warranty with their jeans. I know my father sends them back to Levi whenever he gets a rip or tear in them and they replace them for free.


    EDIT: Not normal wear and tear.

    The only trouble with Levi's is they are a big anti-gun company. Me, I would not give them a dime of my money, but that's just me.

    Back on topic, I find that Wrangers outlast most others.
     
    Top Bottom