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Guest post by Joe Houser
Tactical pants have been a mainstay in the shooting and first responder communities for years. Whether you wear them by choice or are required as part of your uniform, most of us have at least one pair in the closet. I have to admit I wasn’t a big fan of tac pants until recently. They were heavy, hot, and uncomfortable. I’d wear blue jeans before I’d wear tac pants. Luckily, companies like Propper started to make tactical pants in fabrics other than heavy cotton canvas.
The Propper Men’s Stretch Tactical Pant is a game-changer for me. They are light and comfortable, wear like iron, and dry quickly. The features are impressive.
The pant gets its enhanced movement and comfort from 96% Nylon/ 4% Spandex stretch micro ripstop fabric. Gone is the heavy cotton canvas. Feel the difference the first time you bend over to pick up a dropped magazine. Even squats and lunges are easy. You can wear these pants to the gym for leg day and not be restricted.
The design of the pants plays a role in comfort too. An action-stretch waistband helps in movement and allows easy inside-the-waistband carry. Another neat design feature is the “pocket-in-a-pocket” inside each back pocket. It keeps your wallet up high and eliminates sitting on it all day.
Like most tactical pants, there are plenty of pockets for your EDC – nine to be exact. That includes two cargo pockets with hook and loop closure and two front pockets with reinforced opening for knife or tool clips. Propper calls the single pocket on the left a “phone pocket.” I find that it works perfectly for my EDC flashlight or a spare pistol mag.
I mentioned that they wear like iron. I’ve not been able to rip them or wear them out in months of almost daily wear. The seat and knees are reinforced. These pants even have internal openings for knee pads, taking hard use to the next level.
The Stretch Tactical Pant dries quickly. But to be honest, I’ve had a hard time getting these things wet. They are coated with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish protector to repel stains and liquids. It really works, too. Water beads up and I brush it off.
I’ve made it clear that I really like these pants. The fabric addresses all of the issues that I’ve found with tac pants in the past. I guess the only reason that I can find not to like these pants is if you just didn’t like the style of tactical pants. There are those guys. To them I suggest checking out the Propper STL II and STL III pants. They share the same stretch fabric without the tactical look. Either way, give this stretch fabric a try.
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Joe Houser is a former marketing executive with SureFire, Viridian, and several marketing firms. His passion lies in firearms and firearm training, and he has trained across the country with some of the top names in tactical training. He teaches defensive pistol and CCW in his home state of Minnesota, enjoys shooting competitively, and is a Master Class IDPA shooter.