Tactical pant types. How to choose the right tactical pant.

The history of origins. Evolutionary process. Modernity.

"Tactical" - a popular marketing term, or a separate type of clothing and equipment?

Users of social networks and thematic forums have been "breaking bones" around this question for decades. The purpose of this article is to throw light on the history of certain types of clothing and equipment, which entered into the life of mankind in the 21st century.

The history of "tactical" begins about 20 years ago. At that time there were only two types of clothing and equipment according to military specifications:

1) Civilian (casual, fishing and hunting clothing, hiking, etc.).

2) Military and police (field, casual, parade, service). 

All other employees of individual special units of the army, police, security structures and athletes of sports and shooting organizations, have long required a new type of clothing, which would differ from the "established pattern". Unfortunately, the world market at that time could not offer something revolutionary new, because the developers and manufacturers at that time did not feel the needs of the above categories of users. In such realities, the majority of operatives, special forces, bodyguards, private and state security structures, sportsmen-shooters, during operational work, tactical operations, training at ranges and firing ranges, had to use military and police clothes of the "established pattern". Many added civilian pants, shirts, jackets, and underwear to their closet from the range of "casual" and "outdoors," which could be purchased in regular stores or in hunting and fishing stores. Given the number of potential users and the projected market of demand, the situation should change... But for the invention of a "new type of clothing and equipment," and most importantly, its approval on the world clothing market, it took years more.

The first organization where the issue of providing cadets with "special" (at that time the term "tactical" did not yet exist) clothing was particularly acute was the FBI Academy. Here, as early as the early 1970s, cadets and instructors were provided with a special training and field suit of a "set pattern". The "special suit" was more comfortable and reliable than the sporting suit in constant training on the ranges and firing ranges. This set of uniforms was developed and for many years supplied to the academy by the company that would later become legendary - Royal Robbins Clothing. The founder of the company was the famous American mountaineer Royal Robbins, who used his own experience to design pants for extreme field conditions: mountaineering, high altitude climbs, difficult trips and the like. These were pants made of kanvas (cotton material) - they were lightweight, hard-wearing, and had more pockets than military and police kits. Also their feature was a sling on the back of the pants, designed to carry extra and spare climbing harnesses in mountain conditions.Royal Robbins Clothing products became so popular that the FBI Academy used them until 2003 (when Royal Robins Clothing became 5.11 Tactical® the bureau continued to work with them).  And graduates of the academy, already being operatives, continued to use the pants of this company, buying them at their own expense. To a certain extent, they have literally become a business card of FBI employees. Approximately in this design the "special pants" survived into the 2000s without much change.

Фото студентов академии ФБР в штанах 5.11 Tactical.

The year 2003 was a turning point. Then, with the start of the Afghan and Iraqi campaigns there were huge needs of the U.S. Army, coalition forces and local administrations in the services of private military companies. The equipment of the military and administrative infrastructure (military bases, administrative institutions, communications, supply lines, businesses, etc.) on these territories required the involvement of a huge amount of material and human resources. It goes without saying that the available coalition military forces could not, and sometimes were not even trained to "do this job. That is why the employees of private military companies, which were called "contractors", began to provide security for facilities, institutions, businesses, and escorting civilian and even some military cargo. "Contractors" guarded enterprises, interchange tracks, oil pipelines, and administrative institutions. They escorted and guarded every conceivable cargo from yogurt trucks for the military canteen to official international VIP delegations. Although the cooperation of the military administration with the "private military business" was not cheap, but it gave remarkable results: the military could not be distracted by "everyday problems" and work according to their plans. In addition, as we know from history, cargo convoys, businesses and institutions at that time were a constant target of extremist attacks, and the work of "contractors" could also reduce the losses among the military personnel, since the PMC (private military companies) were only "civilian guards. The core of such companies were retired experienced military personnel, who received more than decent pay and insurance.

But our article is still about the "tactical" uniform.

The specifics of the PMCs in Iraq and Afghanistan provided for the prohibition of military and police uniforms. It had to be something that would emphasize the fact that the "contractors" (contractors) are not combatants, it should not attract attention and not cause aggression among civilians. Here we should consider an important detail - the number of "contractors" in the PMCs in these territories was enormous. According to some estimates at various times since the beginning of military operations the number of "private security guards" exceeded the number of the coalition military contingent. Taking into account the "rotation method" of operation of private security companies, we can confidently state that approximately 300,000 "private security guards" from all over the world passed through these military conflicts. Also to this list should be added agents and special service personnel from "coalition countries" and more. These are: FBI, CIA, U.S. Secret Service, Army Delta, Navy SEALs, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, etc. special forces who worked in these countries on their individual missions for many years. And most importantly, in very many of their operations they performed the work under the "legend" of the PMCs. The constant presence of strong armed men in "non-military clothing" on the streets, the locals quickly got used to. This allowed the special forces units to "work in secret". As for our theme, this huge number of people required "non-military" clothing and equipment. And this need was urgent. The Hollywood blockbusters "The Kingdom" and "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" were vivid visualizations of examples of such units working in the Middle East.

Images from the movie "The Kingdom".

It is still not known exactly where, in what place and exactly who among the leadership of PMCs and military special forces drew attention to the long used by the FBI "special training suit". Maybe it happened in one of the "Green Zones" (secured safe area) of Iraq or Afghanistan, where PMC, CIA, FBI and others freely communicated, worked and rested. Maybe. But the fact remains that beginning in 2003, most "contract companies" began to centrally purchase for their employees sets of clothing produced by Royal Robbins Clothing (later 5.11 Tactical®). Immediately after that, a new term - "Tactical pants" and "Tactical uniform" in general - enters the international clothing specification. And first of all this is done in order to separate the new type of clothing and equipment, which is different from "military" and "civilian", because in essence "Tactical" is neither of those!

Images from the film "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi".

"Tactical was born! Praise him!" (с)

That same year, 2003, Royal Robbins Clothing becomes 5.11 Tactical®. Thereafter, this company makes clothing to order or for further sale to various mobile special units of the army, police, firefighters, private security and military companies, athletes of sporting and shooting disciplines and the like. In the following years, these products become widely popular not only among the U.S. military community, but also far beyond its borders. 5.11 Tactical® remains the world leader in this segment, although by that time many other manufacturers, having noticed the success of these products, also start making clothes of this type, experimenting with cut, materials, shape, etc.

The following years.

Later on the list of organizations and categories of people in general that switch to tactical uniforms rapidly increases. Among many NATO members, this tactical uniform is also becoming an integral part of providing for the military, security forces, security guards, shooting athletes, and the like. At the same time, outdoor enthusiasts also note the high effectiveness of tactical clothing. In addition, tactical uniforms are actively used by representatives of international organizations: UN, OSCE, Red Cross and others.

About Ukrainian realities.

The phenomenon of tactical clothing in Ukraine is also quite an interesting topic. So many military personnel of various military units of Ukraine, taking part in the Iraq campaign and having adopted the experience of American, British and other colleagues, also began to be equipped (generally at their own expense) with tactical clothes and equipment. And, since the mid-2000s, "a set of tactical clothes" was officially included in the security equipment lists of groups of SBU "A" officers, who carried out security operations at the Ukrainian embassy and the diplomatic corps in Iraq. Thus, it was the Security Service of Ukraine that was the first Ukrainian paramilitary agency to officially adopt the 5.11 Tactical® tactical uniform.

Officers of the SBU special squad "Alfa" of the peacekeeping contingent in Iraq.

In 2015, after the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, a tender was held for the purchase of uniforms for the national police. Soon the 5.11 Tactical® uniforms were given preference in this tender. Thanks to the financial assistance of the U.S. Department of State, the entire Ukrainian police and later the State Border Guard Service are equipped exclusively with this company's products.

On the left - employees of the State Border Service of Ukraine. On the right - the national police of Ukraine. All wearing 5.11 Tactical® uniforms.

What is the difference between tactical, military and police clothing and equipment? Let's look at it in more detail.

Military uniforms have to undergo many tests before they are approved and accepted for supply, they are thoroughly tested for various indicators, and prototype lots of new samples are tested in the field for a long time. For example, in the U.S. Army, even small changes to uniform items are tested and approved for 5 years. For the Army, durability, fire resistance, and NIR protection are extremely important, and many have to sacrifice functionality for these metrics. Budget is also important, and the cost of such uniforms directly depends on the number of units purchased, which for the needs of the army is usually in the thousands and even tens of thousands. It is worth noting the echelon of army stockpiles and military logistics. From this we conclude that the military rarely has the opportunity to change its uniforms.

Police uniforms are standardized throughout the country, or in most parts of it. Because of this, its functionality does not suit all users. These uniforms have specific cuts and colors that make it impossible to "blend into the crowd". Police officers, like the military, very rarely change their uniforms.

Tactical uniforms. Users of these products, both military and law enforcement, as well as civilians - first of all, they value high practicality, functionality and civilian look. We can say that these are the most demanding users. That is why manufacturers of tactical clothes and outfit keep a close watch on new materials, technologies and tendencies on the market and try to implement innovations in their production as quick as possible responding to the clients' demands. Unlike manufacturers of military and police uniforms, "tacticals" are less squeezed by the vise of government and military supply standards, but they also work for a "very watchful public".

Today the "tactical" market is represented not only by tactical shirts, pants, and jackets, there are also: backpacks, bags, body armor, pouches, hats, knives, shoes, and other equipment. And that's less than 20 years since the first tactical pants appeared!

We believe that each type of tactical gear requires separate reviews, but for a better example that will show the way manufacturers have gone in the development and production of their products since the early 2000s, let's take pants as an example, because that's where it all started. Further on, talking about the evolution of tactical pants, we will talk about the evolution of the company 5.11 Tactical® pants. The thing is that the companies that also produce tactical pants had their origins in the developments of 5.11 Tactical® and they do not hide it. You can easily see this for yourself just by looking at analogues, even without much knowledge of military field clothing.

The old models of pants are still popular; they are produced on the same line as the new models, having changed only the composition of raw materials. So one of the most famous Taclite models is a modern version of the classic Tactical model, but unlike the classic model, which had an entirely cotton base, Taclite has 65% polyester and 35% cotton. The point is that with high durability, cotton pants have to be high density, which increases their weight, while mixed fabrics, with the same durability, have a lower density, respectively - weight. There are pockets for AR and AK magazines. Belt has a self-adjusting system with built-in elastic bands on sides. Knees are reinforced with double fabric.

Legendary Strike - the same cotton, but with the addition of polyester and elastane, which increase reliability, durability, drying out, elasticity and the like. Also, these pants are resistant to soiling and hold their shape perfectly. Hip pockets are equipped with internal organizers, which also fit machine guns, as well as reinforced main pockets. The waist has a new self-adjusting waist system with an integrated external elastic band. The gluteal area and knees, which are stress areas, are reinforced with double fabric.

The Traverse 2.0 is a breakthrough of sorts because it is made of synthetic material (87% polyester and 13% elastane), which makes it stretch in all directions without hindering the movement. Knees are reinforced with double material. Cargo pockets inside are divided into organizers.

The next important step was the model Apex, these pants have a minimalistic appearance, it helps not to stand out from the crowd, and have a wide range of features: hidden pockets for handcuffs, keys, pockets with organizers.

The latest known development of 5.11 Tactical® is an improved version of the Taclite pants, the ABR-Pro, which also have a polyester-cotton ripstop (71/29% respectively), besides this - a fitted fit and more pockets - in the hip pockets are internal organizers.

Design features of the 5.11 Tactical "Apex Pants"

Subsequently, 5.11 Tactical® even began to produce tactical jeans, which have a more or less classic look, but hide a wide range of functionality.

Recommendations for choosing the right model.

In addition to the above, an important thing in choosing tactical pants is to understand in advance the conditions of their use. For the soldiers of special forces it's important to understand the functionality, comfort, number of pockets for comfortable placement of equipment and the like. For civilian use by operatives, bodyguards, etc., a minimalistic look is needed so as not to stand out from the crowd, while functionality is also important, allowing you to conceal the necessary equipment.

The size and fit of the pants is important. Everyone's body composition is different, so it is better to measure the pants in the store. If you do order products online - pay attention and use the advice of our experts in determining the size of your clothes.

All models of 5.11 Tactical® pants are treated with special Teflon™ technology, which makes them water-repellent, dirt-resistant and easy to clean. Also all pants have reinforced belt loops, on which you can fasten your weapon holster or tactical equipment. The hip pockets of most trouser models have internal organizers, to accommodate AR and AK platform magazines. Thanks to high-tech materials from in-house developed fabrics: Taclite®, Flex-Tac®, Flexlite® etc., to Coats® yarns and reliable YKK® and Prym® fittings 5.11 Tactical® pants are very popular around the world.

In recent years the list of users of tactical pants and clothing has expanded considerably, apart from military, security and sports organizations. Now we can safely add here tourists, travelers, hunters, fishermen and just people who like reliable and durable, and most importantly comfortable and functional clothing.

Today our company PROF1 Group® is an exclusive distributor of 5.11 Tactical® in Ukraine. We have brand stores in Lviv, Kyiv and Kharkiv, as well as visit our website. We provide qualified consultations on any topic, we sell only branded products whose quality is confirmed by international standards, as well as we provide warranty service for all the goods.