That’s right, I said pants! This short, overweight reviewer found professional tactical pants that fit. First Tactical offers pant sizes up to a 54 waist. The sizing is true to expectations and the waistbands have a little bit of elasticity to them. They give when you move and are heavy weight fabric but comfortable. As with the bag above, the design is well thought out. The pants allow for great freedom of movement. The cargo pockets have flaps with interior lamination that keeps the pockets flat and professional. The front pockets each have loop inside at the top of the pocket to hang keys inside the pocket. The Cargo pockets have 2 extra compartments sewn into the back side to keep them organized (iphone in one and card wallet in the other for me). Of course you have the 2 back pockets you would expect but that’s not all. There are extra utility pockets (perfect for a tip down pocket knife or tactical light) just above the cargo pockets on the front and back side of each leg. Lastly, these pants have a built in knee pad pocket. You can actually slide your pads inside so they stay out of sight, you stay professional and your knees are protected without a hot, uncomfortable wrap around each knee.
These pants come in several hemmed lengths with the extended sizes coming unhemmed. The downside for the short folk in the extended sizes is the location of the knee pad pocket. In my case I could swap the pads for shin guards. While this was a downer, it was to be expected. I did ask about the location of the pocket on the different hemmed length pants and was told the hem does determine the location of the knee pad placement. So only the truly round among us will face this issue. On a positive note, the opposite was true of the cargo pocket location. I half expected to have the cargo pocket at my knees (this is the norm for me). I was pleased to see the cargo pockets were well placed and in reach, even for me.
I am very excited about getting true tactical pants to fit me, and at a great price. So much so, I bought 2 more pairs for myself and 1 pair for my wife, out of my own pocket. (This seems to be a running theme with First Tactical. You should note that as a review person in this industry most things are given to you. You usually don’t spend your funds on related merchandise as you will find it for free or a competitor will provide for anything you cant find today. So my willingness to by so much is a heavy endorsement.)