Guns 'N Gear: 5.11 Covert Cargo Pant

Happy holidays, dear readers! In this post, I will share one of my favorite pieces of practical gear for the armed citizen: 5.11 Tactical's Covert Cargo Pants.

To give you some context, I really don't like dressing up for work, or really any other occasion. I dress for comfort and function. Even Dockers feel uncomfortable to me. A while back, I discovered 5.11 Tactical's Covert Cargo Pants and they have changed my opinion of slacks. Here are some key points:

• The double front pockets make these pants extremely functional for everyday carry. The outer pocket on each side is open-topped and can be used for keys, a cell phone, and similar items. The inner pocket is secured with a zipper with a pull string. This inner pocket has elastic loops that can be used to securely discreetly stow a variety of EDC gear: pistol magazines, a small tactical flashlight like the Surefire E2DL, or a multi-tool.
• The pants are simply comfortable. I originally bought them to wear to work, but they are so comfortable that I wear them around the house and out-and-about most of the time too. Coming from me, that is a big endorsement for any item of clothing. They also fit loose enough, at least on me, that I have a full range of motion in case I need it.
• My biggest complaint is that these pants have a large cargo pocket on each side in the lower thigh era. These are designed for rifle/carbine magazines, but I honestly find them kind of silly. As a civilian, if I'm rockin' the AR-15 in a SHTF situation, I'm not going to be worried about somebody seeing my magazines. On the other hand, if I'm out grocery shopping, I'm not going to have my AR-15 anyway, so why do I need these huge cargo pockets? Even for a LEO or security professional, I don't see how these cargo pockets make sense. In fact, I think they draw attention to the wearer and detract from the otherwise clean look of the pants.
• The color choices are a little limited. The khaki is obviously a safe choice and blends with environments ranging from offices to shopping malls. The other choices either draw attention (OD Green) or are just "meh." I would love to see 5.11 make these pants in a simple black and gray colors to make it easier to match these pants with a shirt.

One quick TTP (tactics, techniques, and procedures) note on these pants: if you are right-handed shooter like me, I recommend putting a spare magazine and a tactical flashlight (like the E2DL I mentioned above) in the left zippered pocket. Put a multi-tool in the other pocket, possibly along with a less-lethal option like a small OC dispenser. If you are left-handed, switch these around. With this set-up, you can deploy the handgun and flashlight together (using, for example, the Harries flashlight technique) in a low-light lethal force encounter.

Some may observe that this gives you only one spare magazine. My philosophy about spare magazines for EDC is that you are not carrying a spare magazine to give you more rounds to fire. Even a 6+1 subcompact .45 like the Glock 36 gives you enough rounds to resolve almost any self-defense situation. The reason for the spare magazine is that the magazine is one of the most failure-prone components of an firearm system and you may need to clear a Type III malfunction (double feed) by replacing the magazine.

Now, back to the pants. As they are today, I would rate them 4 out of 5 stars. If 5.11 ditches the large cargo pockets and comes out with a couple of more easy-to-match colors, they will have made the perfect pants for everyday carry.

If Santa left you with an extra $50 or so after the holidays, give 5.11 Tactical's Covert Cargo Pants a try. They are well worth it.

(Image above is from LA Police Gear, one of my favorite vendors for shooting-related gear).

By: Guardian