TAD Gear ???

[SWATcop556]

I'm moving from general patrol to a different assignment at work soon and I'm needing to pic up some more "general public" clothing for work. I have several items from 5.11 and EOTAC as well as old Woolrich clothing.

The assignment will be a lot of time in and out of vehicles as well as surveillance. I'm needing to pick up some less tactical clothing other than what I have. I generally wear the outdoors styled clothing anyways when off-duty so I was wanting to look at the TAD gear line. I have some of their outerwear and fleeces and I wear them not stop during the fall and winter.

My questions are how do their pants run in sizing? Big, small, short, long?

How does the color hold? Are they as durable as their outerwear?

These will get washed a lot as foot chases and searches through less than favorable buildings are common.

If anyone has any other recommendations as well they would be appreciated.

The look I'm going for is the baggy cargo pant that is popular with the climbing, outdoos, and college community. This is a college town and I'm needing to blend in that environment (since I'm still young looking enough to pull it off as a grad student, though not much more).

[smithjd]

I'm not familiar with TAD gear, but I am familiar with your job description.

I prefer Carhartt Cargo or Carpenter Pants and Hoodies. Though there are other brands like Columbia, Dickies, etc that are similar.

Wears like iron and not crazy expensive. Blends in with people who work for a living, outdoors, casual (wore a new pair to court before...just a prelim), etc. Lots O' Pockets for all the stuff you'll need to carry and not be seen.

Subdued colors don't draw the eye. Just watch sometime. A grey / tan / OD coat or shirt just isn't "seen" in the crowd on the first pass.

Sometimes those 'tactical concealement' garments, while very nice, just don't blend because the only people wearing them are 'tactical'. In other words, get what many people wear in your AO.

[catatonic]

I'm not familiar with TAD gear, but I am familiar with your job description.

I prefer Carhartt Cargo or Carpenter Pants and Hoodies. Though there are other brands like Columbia, Dickies, etc that are similar.

Wears like iron and not crazy expensive. Blends in with people who work for a living, outdoors, casual (wore a new pair to court before...just a prelim), etc. Lots O' Pockets for all the stuff you'll need to carry and not be seen.

Subdued colors don't draw the eye. Just watch sometime. A grey / tan / OD coat or shirt just isn't "seen" in the crowd on the first pass.

Sometimes those 'tactical concealement' garments, while very nice, just don't blend because the only people wearing them are 'tactical'. In other words, get what many people wear in your AO.

+1 on the Carhartts.
They tend to blend in loads more then TAD, 5.11, etc. etc. You'll save some coin too.
However, I have never heard one negative thing about TAD gear products. If that is the route you want to go, then I believe you won't be disappointed with their products.

[Zhurdan]

I've ordered from TAD gear and I am happy with their products, but I would caution how you order from them. I got an email a while back from them stating that their credit card database was hacked and some numbers were stolen. So, if your credit card company offers the service, use a "one time use" number. Basically, they generate a credit card number for you to use that is only valid for one purchase. It's a simple process. You normally just have to log into your credit card account online and generate one. That way you'll be protected from identity theft or credit card fraud. Other than that, shop away!

[Romeo Foxtrot]

I have a TAD Ranger Hoodie and i love it.

[mattjmcd]

I agree with the poster who mentioned the fact that even low-viz "tactical khakis" stand out to people who are even a little bit switched-on. I am sure TAD is good kit, but will it stick out the way 5.11 gear does?

I am a civilian and I abuse outdoor clothes a lot. I have found Kuhl Cragrunners to be tough, abrasion resistant, and low-viz.

http://www.fitnesstravelgear.com/archive/kuhlcragrunner.html

[VooDoo6Actual]

Carhartts DUNGAREES or Carpenter.

I have several pairs and for my CCW / Low Pro look I prefer B237 Men’s Signature Denim Work Dungaree 15 oz. in Darkstone

http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10051&productId=92657&langId=-1&categoryId=10935

and

B11 Men’s Washed 12 oz. Duck Work Dungaree in Navy Blue and Dark Brown are nice to work with.

http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10051&productId=106737&langId=-1&categoryId=10935

I would not get the double front

HTH...

[SeriousStudent]

Congrats on your new assignment, and good luck with your move.

May I politely recommend Riggs Wear pants? They are made by Wrangler.

http://www.riggsworkwearbywrangler.com/Home

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0034194980093a.shtml

I bought a pair of their shorts and pants at Cabelas, and have been quite pleased. They are very durable, and also breathe - something we can appreciate here in Texas. ;)

[Iraqgunz]

Also consider The North Face Paramount pant. I wear those frequently to include overseas and they are very popular. Another good one is the Columbia Sportswear Challenger II pant.

[SeriousStudent]

I forgot to add, Cabela's has a coupon on their website. Get an extra $20 off when you order $100 of stuff, and I think they also have free shipping right now.

http://information.cabelas.com/cabelasrebates/?promo=9RC634&cmCat=email&cm_cat=5213&cm_ven=email-nl&cm_pla=HA-0100&cm_ite=&eid=16700517&cmp=I091202A&seg=AN1&cnt=5213&ctb=

They will still collect the Texas state sales tax on ya, however.

Good luck, and stay safe.

[awm14hp]

Yeah for a college I would go with Carp jeans before anything like a 511 or even the Cabelas trail hikers look tacticool I would go with a Carhart painters pant in Tan or some Carp jeans

[SWATcop556]

The North Face and Columbia are along the lines of what I'm looking for. I'm looking for the best combo of lightweight material and durability and I know it's a give and take.

The Carhartt Duck Work Dungarees are also very close as well.

I also prefer a bootcut or at the least a straight leg fit. More room to move.

I'm looking for colors in the black, tan, OD, and gray color scenes too.

Thanks for the info guys and keep the suggestions headed this way so my wife won't pick based on which on "looks better." :D

[D.examy]

Not sure where to go to get decent tactical gear. A little help, please?

[CDDM416]

i have to give a vote for cabelas cargo pants also, they are pretty much all i wear.
when i get a new pair, the first thing i do is take them to the tailor shop and have them sew a inner pocket in to each cargo pocket, then in one pocket they devide the inner pocket into 3 sections for two glock mags and a surefire, in the other pocket they just put one pocket to hold a magpul mag. :D

[jtb0311]

If you want to blend into a college environment, I'll second what others have said about not using TAD. Also, while they're outerwear is fantastic (I've got a battle hoodie that I wear overseas) I also have a couple of pairs of Spartan pants that aren't really any better quality than regular utilities that cost 1/3 as much.

Carharrt, North Face, etc. are good to go.

[jtb0311]

Not sure where to go to get decent tactical gear. A little help, please?

Wow, that's a broad question. What are you looking for?

[Skintop911]

I'm looking for the best combo of lightweight material and durability and I know it's a give and take.

If you need durability, the Cabelas house-brand pants are out. Stitching leaves a lot to be desired.

Not sure where to go to get decent tactical gear. A little help, please?

Hit the sponsor banners and buttons at the top of every page.

[SWATcop556]

I've ordered a couple of the North Face pants and I'll give them a run.

I'm trying to stay away from a uniform BDU pant but something that is more functional than jeans. More of a climbing/hiking pant. Thanks for all of the suggestions.

I've also got a friend that ordered several pairs of different Carhartt designs and colors. I get to pick what I want and he can retail the rest.

[SWATcop556]

Not sure where to go to get decent tactical gear. A little help, please?

:confused:

[Palmguy]

I hope TAD gets their site back up and running at 100% soon.

[JSGlock34]

I hope TAD gets their site back up and running at 100% soon.

Looks up! And with a 15% off coupon once your register your new account!

[06Bouley]

Well, I have 2 pairs of TAD F10 pants, 4 pairs of TAD F10 shorts, and their Stealth Reloaded Hoodie. I'm in demolition, and in and out of vehicles, climbing over debris piles, getting in and out of heavy machinery (not too much as I'm a project manager), and they have yet to get even a snag in them. Yes, they're expensive, and to me, yes they're worth the money. I'll buy more as finances allow. IMHO...

[SWATcop556]

Well, I have 2 pairs of TAD F10 pants, 4 pairs of TAD F10 shorts, and their Stealth Reloaded Hoodie. I'm in demolition, and in and out of vehicles, climbing over debris piles, getting in and out of heavy machinery (not too much as I'm a project manager), and they have yet to get even a snag in them. Yes, they're expensive, and to me, yes they're worth the money. I'll buy more as finances allow. IMHO...

Thanks. Quick question for you.

Is the TAD Gear pant a lighter climbing pant or a heavier BDU/Utility type cloth?

Even though I ordered some different pants I still want to try the TAD, I'm just trying to get around the price. I love their fleeces though so I'm sure I would be happy with the pants.

[jtb0311]

Thanks. Quick question for you.

Is the TAD Gear pant a lighter climbing pant or a heavier BDU/Utility type cloth?

Even though I ordered some different pants I still want to try the TAD, I'm just trying to get around the price. I love their fleeces though so I'm sure I would be happy with the pants.

I have a couple of pairs of TAD Force 10 Spartan Pants. Mine are rip stop and have worn and faded noticeably since I bought them in August 2009. If TAD offers the same pant in cotton twill I might try it, but I won't go with the light weight rip stop from TAD again. I'll spend 1/3 the $ for Carharts that will last for years instead of months.

On the other hand, I have their Battle Hoodie, which is fantastic. I think they do some things better than others.

[Cav_Boi]

http://www.shopvertx.com/Shopvertx/find.asp?find_category=16000-VTX&find_description=VERTX&find_part_desc=

[06Bouley]

Thanks. Quick question for you.

Is the TAD Gear pant a lighter climbing pant or a heavier BDU/Utility type cloth?

Even though I ordered some different pants I still want to try the TAD, I'm just trying to get around the price. I love their fleeces though so I'm sure I would be happy with the pants.

They're all built for different purposes. The ripstop is very lightweight, the amphib cloth is more intermediate, and the twill is the heaviest. I have some of each flavor, and love them all. That said, the ripstop is best suited for the warmer months in my applications, whilst the other two fabrics are great year round.

[ballistic]

Another good option for "grey man" rugged wear is Kuhl (http://www.kuhl-usa.com/). I have a pair of TADgear Spartan pants, Stealth Hoodie Reloaded, and Vanquish EDC jacket, which are all great. The Kuhl stuff is really well made and more low profile though.

[VAKafir]

Royal Robbins Nox jeans. They're very rugged w/ heavy stitching, etc. They look like nice jeans from Gap or Levi's and blend in better than any outdoor or cargo pant. The best part is they stretch. Getting in and out of vehicles and moving quickly over obstacles is easier than any tactical pant I've used. IMO the best of all worlds except for gear hauling.

[JimT]

The Kuhls look like a great option.

Are there any other pants out there that do not have as much of a taper down to the shoes? I'm not looking for a G'd out fit or anything like that, but the 5.11s that I own have a bit too much taper for my tastes.

[JSantoro]

I wear Kuhl and Columbia, since I have to bounce back and forth between office and field all the time. I have some lightweight Mountain Hard Wear nylon trousers that I REALLY like, too, but they're pricey (not as pricey as the TAD, by a long shot).

Kuhl pants are primarily marketed toward mauntaineers and skiers, who are "bottom-heavy" (big thighs), and they are cut that way, or straight-leg; depends on which Krag pant variant you get. I'm not a big fan of a lot of cloth flopping around at the cuff and making it sound like I'm wearing cords, so I sometimes wish that they'd taper just a bit. Thankfully, they seem to make their inseams long, so I cuff them up so that they break correctly.

Columbia makes all sorts of pants, most of which are straight-leg or just a bit broad in the thigh.

Both brands are available @ REI, both are relatively low-rise (so you don't look like you're carrying a load in your drawers, like most of the tac series trousers), Columbia are generally $35, Kuhl are $65. I have yet to bust the Kuhls, and usually replace at least 1 pair of Columbias every year.

[JimT]

^^^^^^^^

Excellent!!! That was the feedback that I was looking for. Looks like it'll be the Kuhls for me.

[Hayduke]

surprised no one has mentioned Mountain Khakis. I have both the Original and Alpine Utility and are by far my favorite pants. hard wearing, comfortable and popular with a wide array of users so the "blend-in" ability is high.

[JSGlock34]

I purchased two pairs of the new VERTX pants a few weeks ago. So far, I'm very pleased. The pants are comfortable, feature loaded, and yet very discrete. They do not look like any other tactical pants on the market. And the price is right - I got mine for $40 each. They'll be replacing my other tactical pants.

[LockenLoad]

I know nothing about anything but there shorts and fleece jackets which are hands down the best jacket of any kind I have ever had, shorts good quality, nice buttons just a tad bit expensive I really like my one pair, but my MOG and Stealth hoodie v5 are great.

[Chameleox]

Big fan of the Kuhls!
Good room in the thighs and hips for "mountaineer's" legs. I carry IWB in these with no problem at all. Good all around pants, too. As noted before, pricey, but not as much as TAD and a few others; less overt as well.

[tusk212]

I purchased two pairs of the new VERTX pants a few weeks ago. So far, I'm very pleased. The pants are comfortable, feature loaded, and yet very discrete. They do not look like any other tactical pants on the market. And the price is right - I got mine for $40 each. They'll be replacing my other tactical pants.

If you dont mind me asking, where did you pick these up for $40?

[JSGlock34]

If you dont mind me asking, where did you pick these up for $40?

Southern Uniform and Equipment (http://www.southernuniform.com/index.php?cPath=105) had a holiday sale with $10 off VERTX pants. Unfortunately it looks like the sale has expired.