Top 3 Tactical Pants for the Outdoors

When it comes to pants that I wear for a day on the range, hiking, hunting, or fishing, I demand certain characteristics from each pair of pants. There is nothing worse than wearing pants that pinch your skin when you walk uphill or over rough terrain. I’m not necessarily proud of my belly, but some pants pinch my stomach and cause major chafing, bruising, and overall discomfort. It seems like for every activity I partake in, I leave in the early morning and come back in the evening before dark. If you’re hiking in the grass at 7 A.M., you’re going to get soaked with the morning dew, unless you have waterproof or at least water-resistant pants. Since we’re talking about tactical pants, it’s important to have pants that are tight-fitting, but allow free movement in the legs without busting a seam. All 5 of these pants will be quiet as you move, comfortable, water-resistant (if not waterproof), and allow for any type of movement you need to perform, from jumping, climbing, squatting, or running.

1. 5.11 Tactical Men’s Taclite Pro Lightweight Performance Pants

If I’m being honest, I have yet to find a tactical pant that’s better than the original 5.11 tactical pants. I prefer Pro Lightweight pants over the original 5.11 tactical pants because they feel tight, to limit your profile, but allow air in to cool off the boys. The worst thing about tactical pants is they have to build strong and rigid and not many companies know how to do that without added weight and restriction. 5.11 accomplishes the goal by using a 65% polyester and 35% cotton combination that provides softness and rigidity without compromising freedom of movement. 

All fabric of the pants is made from the Taclite ripstop polyester and cotton material that has made 5.11 so popular. If you’ve ever caught your pants on a blackberry bush or a branch from a dead tree in the woods, you know the importance of having durable pants. These are the only pants that I have that I really don’t worry about my pants picking, tearing, or degrading faster when I’m hiking through thick timber. They’re coated with Teflon (think of GORE-TEX) to allow air to flow in to cool and dry the inside and repel any water or liquid on the outside. Unless you go swimming in these pants, they should hold up fine in anything less than a downpour for a few hours at least. I know my pants keep me dry unless I get caught in a bad storm and I’m miles into the woods. I use these 5.11 Tactical pants as my main hiking and fishing pants in every season but Winter. 

One of the coolest features is the specialized pockets that are designed to hold a tactical knife without degrading the material or creating the sag or pull on the top of your pocket, known as strap and slash pockets. It’s built with 7 pockets, including 2 cargo pockets with a velcro seal for easy and quick access to the larger gear you need to carry. One of the most overlooked characteristics of the 5.11 Tactical pants is the action waistband. To make it easy to understand, if you’re a guy that bends over and your butt crack slides out the top, these pants are for you. People often think it’s just an overweight issue, but it’s actually the way pants have been built from the 1920s. 5.11’s action waistband keeps the pants at your waist, instead of your pants being pulled down by movement. 

2. Alimens & Gentle Men’s Tactical Cargo Pants

Many people may not have heard about Alimens & Gentle, but these tactical pants are an absolute steal for under $30.00. Made from 100% polyester to be even lighter than the 5.11 tactical pants. These pants are built with a similar action waistband to the 5.11 pants to prevent your pants from revealing yourself anytime you bend over or climb a hill. Built with reinforced fabric at the pockets, zippers, and joints, the Alimens & Gentle Men’s tactical pants are as durable as you’ll need in most outdoor events you do. 

Built with articulated knees that are designed to be wear-resistant and flexible so you can move without feeling like your pants are going to rip. Anytime you have 100% polyester your pants are going to be very breathable, water-resistant, and scratch-resistant (thorn bushes, knife sheath). I chose the camo pants because these are great for hunting in the Spring and early fall for the archery season. I’ve worn these pants in my tree stand plenty of times with no complaints, just make sure the weather is nice because these pants vent really well and it’s always colder higher up in a tree. A regular tan color for these pants and you can get them for under $20.00 for an absolute steal of a deal!

3. CQR Men’s Tactical Pants, Water Repellent Ripstop Cargo Pants

The CQR pants are incredibly durable, rigid, and wrinkle-resistant, so you can wear them anywhere you want. A lot of pants made from polyester tend to get wrinkled very easily, so if you wanted to wear them out in public without looking like a slob, you have to put them in the dryer or lay them in the sun and massage the wrinkles out. CQR makes sure you don’t have to do any of that with pants that don’t shrink, fade, or wrinkle. The reason I have them lower the Alimens & Gentle Men’s tactical pants is because of the price and rigidity. These pants are comfortable, but not as comfortable as the 1st and 2nd tactical pants. 

One of the reasons CQR built these pants with added rigidity is because they wanted to make pants that law enforcement and military soldiers could wear and stay in regulations of their uniform code. They use a finish on their pants, called Duratex (similar to GORE-Tex) to allow air to flow through to keep you cool. Dirt, water, and many other contaminants will run off the pants, instead of soaking into them and potentially contacting your skin. It’s also built with the similar ripstop cotton and polyester fabric that the 5.11 pants are for a high-quality, comfortable pair of pants that you can wear anywhere and look good. 

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