By: Frank Borelli
Last week we took a look at the top half of the clothing available from 5.11 Tactical. This week we’ll take a look at the bottom half: pants and shorts. How much can there be to talk about with pants and shorts, right? Well, I never really studied my Royal Robbins pants before... and getting myself educated about them actually showed me quite a few surprising things. Let’s take a look and see if you get surprised too.
Starting with some of the most famous pants worn today in law enforcement and military circles, the 5.11 Tactical “Royal Robbins” are the official uniform pants of a great many training organizations. They are the UNofficial uniform pants of an even greater number. Best known in their khaki color worn with a black, blue or red shirt, the comfort and convenience of the pants are well known. What I never realized was just how well suited those pants are for actual down-and-dirty duty use.
http://www.511tactical.com/?utm_source=policeone&utm_medium=paid_content&utm_campaign=page_logo One of the surprises I received was in a conversation with a 5.11 Tactical representative. I mentioned the “drag strap” above the right rear pocket and commented on how great of an idea I thought that was. He quickly corrected me. What I didn’t know was that the original designer of the pants was heavy into rock climbing and that strap was put there for D-rings, not as a drag strap. The second surprise was when he asked me if I ever put the knee pads into the pockets inside the pants at the knees. I never even knew those pockets were there. There was no telling what else I didn’t know, so I made it a point to actually read the materials about the pants and take a thorough look at them. With my greater familiarity came a great appreciation for them, and now my closet sports about a dozen pair. Several in khaki, OD Green, black, blue and charcoal gray.
With the original 5.11 Tactical Pants (Royal Robbins) made from 8.5oz 100% cotton canvas, 5.11 Tactical has recently announced that they’ll be making a nylon version too. Made from 7.4oz 100% nylon canvas, the new version will have all of the same features as the original. Nothing about the original will change and it will still be available as well.
5.11 Tactical now refers to that D-ring strap as a “Utility Strap” and notes that it is one of their trade mark features. Some of the other features that these pants are well known for are the double material in the seat and at the knees. There are two DEEP back pockets with Velcro closure tabs. Additionally there are two regular front pockets, two cargo pockets secured by Velcro closure tabs (two each) and another pocket on the front of the right thigh. I first saw that pocket advertised as a knife pocket but found it too small for my knife. That was a few years back and since then 5.11 Tactical has made the pocket longer. It now holds my MOD auto folder perfectly. It’s also just the right size to drop a spare pistol magazine into. There are occasions when I wear one of my mid-size Glocks (19 or 26) and don’t wear the offside pouch for an extra mag. When that happens, the spare mag ends up in that “knife” pocket. I’ve seen fellow officers drop flashlights, cell phones and other items into that same pocket. One word of caution: if you DO put a spare magazine in there, recognize that - under stress - you may have difficulty getting it out. I’ve used that pocket to hold magazines through qualification courses and I inevitably end up wrestling that magazine out of the pocket. Reaching across your body with your left hand is one part of the challenge. If you’re a southpaw it’ll be a lot easier for you.
The cargo pockets provide plenty of space for carrying cell phones, handcuffs, OC canisters, digital cameras (the right size of course), and more. Full size CDs fit in them without any problems. There is also a small brass D-ring attached at the bottom of the right front belt loop for hanging keys (or anything else you can clip on).
The pants are designed with what 5.11 Tactical calls an “action waist”. This is comprised of two elastic sections at each hip that help to keep the waist snug even if you lose (or gain) a few pounds. I’ve never seen a pair of these pants worn without a belt, but the action waist design keeps the material from bunching up underneath your belt and allows you that bit of comfort. Inside the pants at the top of the zipper is a “back-up” button. I never understood why that was there, but it DOES help keep the pants more secure. Every man I know has been caught with his zipper open at one time or another, but if the back-up button is buttoned, the gap doesn’t seem to be as big.
Now, about those knee pockets... Inside the pants there are pockets to hold knee pads. They are held closed by Velcro tabs and you never even notice them unless you 1) know about them, and 2) look for them. 5.11 Tactical sells neoprene knee pads to fit in there and this DOES make kneeling at the range more comfortable. In fact, doubling up the pads is almost as good as wearing a pair of commercially available neoprene kneepads. The 5.11 Tactical knee pads are designed to fit comfortably on your knee. When inserted into the pocket they aren’t really noticeable to anyone looking at you. But when you go to take that knee on any hard surface, you’ll notice them right away.
On the Academy shorts the cargo pockets are situated more to the front than the sides, but that works out well too since they aren’t as far down on the leg. They are certainly big enough to carry cell phones, flashlights, handcuffs, etc. Just to give you an idea of what these shorts WILL carry comfortably - I typically carry the following and have no issues:
Handgun
Spare magazine
Two folding lock-blade knives
A small pocket knife
A zippo lighter
Wallet / ID folder
Badge
Cell phone
Justice coin
Keys
SureFire E2eHa
With the exception of the handgun and badge (clipped onto my belt), everything else goes in a pocket. Without a doubt, there are enough professionals wearing these pants / shorts that their value is unquestioned. 5.11 Tactical is soon to be producing the pants in desert digital camo pattern making them even more versatile. I can usually find the pants at about $40 per pair and the shorts for less than $30. (If they’re approved uniform wear for you it’s a tax write off so save the receipts). If you’ve never tried the 5.11 Tactical Pants, otherwise known as Royal Robbins, GET SOME!!
About the Author:
Lt. Frank Borelli is the Training Commander and DHS Coordinator for Fairmount Heights Police Department - a suburb of Washington DC. He also owns a consulting company that subcontracts to the Army, trying to find ways to share military technologies with the law enforcement community. Frank has seven years of military experience, more than twenty years of law enforcement experience, and fifteen plus years of training experience. Frank writes for Blackwater, ASLET, and other law enforcement periodicals. Please send any comments to frank@borelliconsulting.com. For more information about Justice Coins: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/bcijc.htm In memory of September 11, 2001: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/lestweforget.htm