Best Cargo Pants

ron finkbeiner jr said:
Riggs work wear ranger cargo pants.
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That's a Wrangler I haven't tried because they aren't made with a 29" inseam. They look solid, a little pricier than what I buy — but that's not a problem if you wait for a sale like the one running now. How are the hip pockets made? Are they cotton bags, or just patches sewed on to the pants legs?
 
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Piso Mojado said:
That's a Wrangler I haven't tried because they aren't made with a 29" inseam. They look solid, a little pricier than what I buy — but that's not a problem if you wait for a sale like the one running now. How are the hip pockets made? Are they cotton bags, or just patches sewed on to the pants legs?
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They are solid and very functional, they're a ripstop material but very sturdy.
 
I've been wearing Wrangler Riggs Contractor Jeans (not to be confused with Carpenter Jeans) for about 10 years. I like everything about them except that I need a 27 inch inseam and they only offer down to 30 inch. I used to buy them from Denim Express who offered a hemming service for $5 per pair but Denim Express appears to have went out of business. Nowadays I buy them elsewhere and my wife has to hem them to size.

I recently ordered one pair of Duluth Trading Fire Hose pants as a trial run. I used their Custom ordering feature where I could select the pocket type, inseam length, belt loop type. etc. I wore that pair for about 2 weeks and liked them enough that I ordered another 3 pair using their Custom feature.

The new ones haven't arrived yet but I expect to like them as much as my first pair.
 
For belts, I like the Arcade Adventure Ranger elastic belts (in black, brown, etc on Amazon). Continuous length adjustment up to about 40". More comfortable than any leather belt I've ever worn. Sturdy enough to support a belt sheath. Only drawback is slight tendency to pill if you wear a backpack with hipbelt.
 
5.11 Stryke for town.
Bundeswehr flecktarn trousers for forest and yard.

Both come in a good variety of sizes and (important for both of us) not too baggy in the leg for those with normal (can I say that?) waist sizes.

The only modding needed was to remove the “mag inserts” from the stryke pockets, as we can only shoot pistols at the range or private quarry, etc.
 
If you don’t need true cargo pockets (the bellows type for carrying big stuff in them, take a look at Kuiu.com and try their “Kutana Hybrid” pants. They aren’t a cold weather pant without long underwear but they look sharp, have hip pockets and aren’t all baggy like cargo pants. They’re not cheap either; but I wear them daily on the ranch here in S Texas and to church - they’re extremely versatile besides being comfortable. They sell out quite often and then you have to wait until they restock. Sometimes that means waiting 3-4 months. So get ‘em while you can.

Kühl makes a great pant as well, as someone already mentioned. I like Prana also but they don’t make a cargo style.
 
+1 for Kuhl.

I also like the LA Police Gear Urban Ops Tactical Pants in partial rip-stop fabric for my work wear. They are a bit baggy/roomy but have some slimmer fit pants in their Atlas and BFE series. I've found they hold up well with slight shrinkage if you throw them in the dryer. They do fade/wear after time and I usually replace them once a year with my use.
 
tinfoil hat timmy said:
Duluth trading firehose cargo pants.

fantastic
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Ok, guys. I must ask, how do y'all get a folder clipped on the pocket? I passed on some of the Duluth pants because I noticed the top edge of the pockets have fabric rolled over it and stitched on. Not too thick to clip a folder on, but once you start clipping one on these pants, it will be loose when clipped on other pants. This is my biggest gripe with all the overbuilt pants I've seen lately.
 
ron finkbeiner jr said:
Riggs work wear ranger cargo pants.
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These pants are A-1! I bought several of them for $20/pair when Cabela's was clearing some out. I have been wearing them as work pants for 2 years now and they just started really softening up and fading. They'll probably last another year and then I'll retire them to garage pants. I don't like the silly piece of leather stitched on the front of the right pocket, but I can fifth pocket carry my mini Presidio 2 or Manix 2 LW no problem.
 
Been wearing Tru-Spec 24/7 original pretty much exclusively for years

Pros:
-Pockets for days
-Holds up great
-Looks sharp
-Never need ironing (pocket flaps stay flat through wash)
-Sub pockets on the cargo pockets are great for a wallet, especially for access while sitting in a car
-Internal dividers inside the main cargo pockets are useful
-Dedicated knife/flashlight pockets
-Elastic waistband gives you some stretch to add a pistol IWB and still be comfortable
-Available in lots of shades
-Internal pockets for optional knee pad inserts if you're working in and around cars or confined spaces.
-Comes with water repellant coating, but this will wear off eventually

Cons:
-Expensive unless you catch them on sale
-These don't breathe as much as some lighter cargo pants, in the southeast during the summer humidity you're going to be sweating, cotton boxers are fine for casual wear but if I'm out on the fireboat all day in the heat then compression boxer briefs work great in conjunction.
-You can wiggle a double stack glock magazine in the knife pocket, but it's really really tight... a couple of stitches bigger and it'd be perfect. Sig magazines fit okay.


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another vote for Kuhl or Vertx. I have Vertx that are over a decade old and still going strong.
 
Also I get a discount on them because of being a Veteran. They offer the discount to active duty, Fire, police, etc too.
 
Piso Mojado said:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/comfortable-cargo-pants.1189796/

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...-pants-with-many-pockets-black-color.1320728/

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/current-best-100-cotton-cargo-pants.1447962/

Nothing new to add except this: Wranglers 96% nylon 4% Spandex® (Flex Waist Outdoor Cargo Pant) are NOT recommended. Fabric is great for travel pants, hand wash and dry in 20 minutes, even comfortable. But the hip pockets are one layer flaps sewn on: ok if you only use them for a handkerchief.

This is OT but Spandex® is a Koch brand I avoid whenever possible. Lycra and elastane are ok.
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The wrangler flex's are actually my paintball pants. I can tell you from experience that the lightweight material can take a beating including knee and thigh slides on grass and turf without so much as a rip in 10 months of playing in them nearly every weekend.
 
Railsplitter said:
I recently ordered one pair of Duluth Trading Fire Hose pants as a trial run. I used their Custom ordering feature where I could select the pocket type, inseam length, belt loop type. etc. I wore that pair for about 2 weeks and liked them enough that I ordered another 3 pair using their Custom feature.

The new ones haven't arrived yet but I expect to like them as much as my first pair.
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Thought I would post an update. My 3 pair of Custom Fire Hose pants arrived today. Took 9 weeks to the day for Duluth Trading to make them and get them on my doorstep. No complaints there as they do advise 6-8 weeks.

Fire Hose Pants.jpg
 
I used to wear Wrangler cargo pants exclusively. But then Wrangler stopped making them in my size so I switched to Duluth. Never thought I'd be spending that much on a pair of jeans, but it's hard to argue with how good they are, and how hard it is to wear them out.
 
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