The Hunt for a Good Versatile Pant

9outof10mms

9outof10mms

Enginerding, good coffee, and factual opinions.
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My job is predominately in the office, but at any given moment I can be called outside to places like construction sites, ditches/culverts, woods, roadside work sites, etc. I like to be somewhat prepared for the environment and I don’t like stuffy office clothes. Playing dress up every once in a while is ok (dockers/slacks with a long sleeve collared shirt/blazer) but that is far from practical. Thankfully I have the flexibility in dress code to wear pretty much whatever I want, even a t-shirt and jeans on some occasions.

I used to be a Carhartt fanboy. Their stuff has gone downhill, especially when compared to other offerings out there. For jeans, Ariat has taken first place for me.

But for regular every day pants that look good in the office and perform well in the field, I’ve hit a wall. I’ve got a few pairs of Kuhl pants that were bought on sale—never full price! They’ve been great. Problem is all the places that used to carry them have stopped. Only way to buy is online anymore.

I went to REI and Sun and Ski yesterday on the hunt. Between the two of them there might have been 10 garments from Kuhl. Not kool. Something seems very weird about the company with such a hard pull back from local inventory. Plus, you hardly ever find them on sale. The ones I bought were on clearance or some other one off random chance.

I hit the 5.11 store to see their Trail Pants that are on sale for $50 this weekend.
https://www.511tactical.com/trail-pant.html
I ordered a pair in impulse online the night before. Not bad—I’m worried they’re gonna be too skinny in the legs. They’re no Kuhl pant, but they may suffice.

Then I was pointed to Duluth Trading. They too are running a sale on some of their pants.

Men's & Women's Workwear & Clothing | Duluth Trading Company

Home
www.duluthtrading.com www.duluthtrading.com
I ordered two different types from them:
Power cord: https://www.duluthtrading.com/Mens-Powercord-Standard-Fit-Pants-71157.html
Fire hose foreman: https://www.duluthtrading.com/Mens-DuluthFlex-Fire-Hose-Rlx-Fit-Foreman-Pants-45704.html

The Duluths come highly recommended. I hope they compare to the Kuhl brand.

What else is out there? It seems every manufacturer has (or has tried) to jump on this type of pant. The technical, high feature pant. Gusseted crotch, knee room, resilient material.
 
Following.


The 5.11 Edge Chino Slim appeal to me, I wish I could handle a pair in person before buying though
 
I like the 5.11 Capital Pants. My job is similar so when I am at the plant and if I need to go out and help... perfect.

They make great Competition Pants too. Water resistant and plenty of pockets. They stretch nicely too. Great belt loops and any polo, tee, or button down will do nicely.
 
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I’m in a similar boat. 5.11 had a good design in their ridgeline pants which were a cotton/poly blend. I’ve worn out around six pairs and have one nice and four work pairs. They were a regular cut and while they had mag and knife pockets they didn’t scream tactical. I could wear them to church or a trade show and not raise eyebrows.

I’m trying a pair of Vertyx but the tight fit in the calves doesn’t really float my boat.

Wrangler has some decent stuff that’s very comfortable but they don’t breathe enough for outdoor work in the summer for me but they might work in an indoor application.
 
Mack270 said:
I’m in a similar boat. 5.11 had a good design in their ridgeline pants which were a cotton/poly blend. I’ve worn out around six pairs and have one nice and four work pairs. They were a regular cut and while they had mag and knife pockets they didn’t scream tactical. I could wear them to church or a trade show and not raise eyebrows.

I’m trying a pair of Vertyx but the tight fit in the calves doesn’t really float my boat.

Wrangler has some decent stuff that’s very comfortable but they don’t breathe enough for outdoor work in the summer for me but they might work in an indoor application.
Click to expand...
They wrangle also have a nylon/spandexy one also that are light weight
 
Agreed, Kuhl men's pants are good combination of durable and presenting well. The "slax" are a nice option.

KÜHL Slax™ Pants For Men | KÜHL Clothing

Traverse the urban landscape with KÜHL Slax™ men's pant. The cotton and nylon blend combines comfort and durability, while the Klassik fit keeps you stylish.
www.kuhl.com www.kuhl.com
 
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I like Duluth Ballroom and 5.11 Defender jeans.
 
I bought three pants from truewerk last year and when it got cold I went to the local place here that pedals "discount" Carhartt and tried on three different styles and realized how bad they suck and just ordered more truewerk. They run deals every month or so buy $250 get $50 off or something like that. The pants are great. I wear the t1 which are the lightest ones they make. I just layer underneath if its cold or wear over alls. They are the most comfortable pants I've owned besides pajama pants.
truewerk.com

T1 WerkPant

Our T1 lightweight work pants help you work comfortably in the heat. With light, stretchy fabrics and cooling features, these are perfect for warm-weather jobs.
truewerk.com truewerk.com
 
Speaking of jeans...I picked up a pair of the Viktos Operatus jeans last fall when they were on sale. I am typically not a "jeans" guy, or a long pant wearer, but these are solid and one of my favorites now.
www.viktos.com

Operatus XP Jean

EDC - EVERYDAY DENIM CHOICE Lo-vis enough to be your best daily jean, tactical enough to carry a full EDC load-out. Stretch denim chassis with slightly oversized thighs designed with a fit to move with the operator through the myriad of combat postures and evolutions with comfort. The dual-pull...
www.viktos.com www.viktos.com
 
It's been my experience that all of those "extreme outdoor pants for manly men" come right the hell apart when you get into the briars, brambles, fences, and actual work (so I guess they would work fine for superintendents and the like), which is pretty disheartening considering their rather extreme prices. I've found it much easier to simply replace cheap jeans.
 
Kuhl has very strict pricing control of their products it seems. And they have so many products they’d take over a whole store.
They actually had a full store at the Denver airport.
But I have to say it’s one of the few items I don’t mind paying full price for. Have a hard time buying anything else now.
 
jeepyjguy1987 said:
Wrangler makes some that are at tractor supply
Kinda Heavy duty, I wear them in the summer works well with polos and or a button up..

Click to expand...
😂 😂😂😂😂😂😂
that "how to wear it" is exactly how i have NOT worn pants since i was a single skinny 20yr old picking up chicks at college bars.
That dude needs to up his pant size by like 4-6"

But yeah, I need some decent cheap khakis made for sitting at a desk with light squatting and crawling. My $10 kmart brand slacks from 6 years ago are asking me to train their replacements. I'm shocked they've held up this long.
 
+1 for Kuhl.

For jeans that are comfortable and can be dressed up or down, I like Mavi jeans (I like the Zach and Marcus lines). They're dressier than the Kuhl's that I've bought and fit in fine at the office or even nice restaurants (with the right shoes, shirt, etc.) but they're still jeans. I also like that they fold flat and are easy to hang or fold.
 
Kuhl are decent. Duluth has good stuff too, but I usually only shop their deals or clearance racks. My current favorite are the Vertx Delta Stretch 2.1 and 2.1 LT. 2.1 is the more heavy duty fabric. The LT are light and better for warm weather.

Men's Tactical Pants | Vertx Official Site

Designed in conjunction with top agency professionals, our men's tactical pants offer functional design and Innovative technology along with comfort and performance.
vertx.com vertx.com
 
Forgot to add the real twist to the situation: I’d really like to keep the pants in the $50-75 range. Kuhl’s are great but damn that price!
 
yard mongrel said:
It's been my experience that all of those "extreme outdoor pants for manly men" come right the hell apart when you get into the briars, brambles, fences, and actual work (so I guess they would work fine for superintendents and the like), which is pretty disheartening considering their rather extreme prices. I've found it much easier to simply replace cheap jeans.
Click to expand...
I’ve taken my Kuhls through some thick crap and they did ok. Actually better than ok. But I was very likely more dainty and protective, where you have a job to get done and don’t have time to dance around the trouble spots.

I was wearing my oldest pair of Kuhl pants (probably 4+ years old now) which are transitioning to “not really worried about when/where I wear them” status. Got some gun crud on them last time I was cleaning. It washed out 98%.

I’ve worn them doing carpentry/DIY stuff around the house and they show no signs of abrasion.

But holding up to walking through briar patches—I don’t know what’s gonna hold up to that.
 
CZfool68 said:
Kuhl are decent. Duluth has good stuff too, but I usually only shop their deals or clearance racks. My current favorite are the Vertx Delta Stretch 2.1 and 2.1 LT. 2.1 is the more heavy duty fabric. The LT are light and better for warm weather.

Men's Tactical Pants | Vertx Official Site

Designed in conjunction with top agency professionals, our men's tactical pants offer functional design and Innovative technology along with comfort and performance.
vertx.com vertx.com
Click to expand...

I never, ever pay full price. Especially for clothes ad footwear.
 
9outof10mms said:
But holding up to walking through briar patches—I don’t know what’s gonna hold up to that.
Click to expand...
Only thing I've found that will survive briars are the synthetic rip-stop tacky-cool cargo pants from 5.11
 
everything but Prana is what i have tried.
i do not buy expensive pants, anymore.
i go cheap and replace as needed.
 
9outof10mms said:
Forgot to add the real twist to the situation: I’d really like to keep the pants in the $50-75 range. Kuhl’s are great but damn that price!
Click to expand...

Get on Duluth;s and Vetx’s mailing lists. Vertx had a deal for some of their pants for $25 a while back. Duluth does decent coupon deals.
 
9outof10mms said:
I’ve taken my Kuhls through some thick crap and they did ok. Actually better than ok. But I was very likely more dainty and protective, where you have a job to get done and don’t have time to dance around the trouble spots.

I was wearing my oldest pair of Kuhl pants (probably 4+ years old now) which are transitioning to “not really worried about when/where I wear them” status. Got some gun crud on them last time I was cleaning. It washed out 98%.

I’ve worn them doing carpentry/DIY stuff around the house and they show no signs of abrasion.

But holding up to walking through briar patches—I don’t know what’s gonna hold up to that.
Click to expand...

My pa-paw, who was a lineman that once slid down a pole and had to have a few hundred creosote splinters removed from his thighs, crotch, stomach, arms, hands, and chest would starch his carpenter breeches to the point being as stiff as sheet metal stovepipe due to that incident. I swear that man burned three times as many calories just walking in those damn things.

I've considered going the same route after having some seriously nasty plants tear the crotch out of my pants. I had to look down in fear to make sure my testicles weren't lying uncoiled on the ground.

Had a coworker that had the super thick Duluth firehose pants. They held up well, but I'd be damned if I would wear those working in July.
 
Have you tried Mountain Khaki? I think they tend to be more casual than field-ready, like Kuhl, but they have a variety of styles, weights/types, and a range of cuts for different body types. I especially love their shirts.

The nice thing about MK is they have an office in CLT so they do warehouse sales a couple times per year where you can get stuff for 70%+ off.
 
yard mongrel said:
I've considered going the same route after having some seriously nasty plants tear the crotch out of my pants. I had to look down in fear to make sure my testicles weren't lying uncoiled on the ground.
Click to expand...
You know what's funny? yesterday afternoon i went to clear some thorny vines around the new dog-poop-hole so my wife and I don't have to deal with them.

Those vines would not leave my crotch alone. if i managed to get them off my ankle, it was only because they were digging into my crotch. If I managed to get them off my crotch, they were trying to poke through somewhere else around my leg. I must have been a sorry sight stomping and dancing my way around a 3ft hole of soggy dog poop.
Fortunately, i retired the "yard pants" with the big rip in the crotch (for obvious reasons). The pants yesterday just had the knees recetnly ripped out. They were my peremethrin pants too. Sad to see them running out of time.
 
9outof10mms said:
My job is predominately in the office, but at any given moment I can be called outside to places like construction sites, ditches/culverts, woods, roadside work sites, etc. I like to be somewhat prepared for the environment and I don’t like stuffy office clothes. Playing dress up every once in a while is ok (dockers/slacks with a long sleeve collared shirt/blazer) but that is far from practical. Thankfully I have the flexibility in dress code to wear pretty much whatever I want, even a t-shirt and jeans on some occasions.

I used to be a Carhartt fanboy. Their stuff has gone downhill, especially when compared to other offerings out there. For jeans, Ariat has taken first place for me.

But for regular every day pants that look good in the office and perform well in the field, I’ve hit a wall. I’ve got a few pairs of Kuhl pants that were bought on sale—never full price! They’ve been great. Problem is all the places that used to carry them have stopped. Only way to buy is online anymore.

I went to REI and Sun and Ski yesterday on the hunt. Between the two of them there might have been 10 garments from Kuhl. Not kool. Something seems very weird about the company with such a hard pull back from local inventory. Plus, you hardly ever find them on sale. The ones I bought were on clearance or some other one off random chance.

I hit the 5.11 store to see their Trail Pants that are on sale for $50 this weekend.
https://www.511tactical.com/trail-pant.html
I ordered a pair in impulse online the night before. Not bad—I’m worried they’re gonna be too skinny in the legs. They’re no Kuhl pant, but they may suffice.

Then I was pointed to Duluth Trading. They too are running a sale on some of their pants.

Men's & Women's Workwear & Clothing | Duluth Trading Company

Home
www.duluthtrading.com www.duluthtrading.com
I ordered two different types from them:
Power cord: https://www.duluthtrading.com/Mens-Powercord-Standard-Fit-Pants-71157.html
Fire hose foreman: https://www.duluthtrading.com/Mens-DuluthFlex-Fire-Hose-Rlx-Fit-Foreman-Pants-45704.html

The Duluths come highly recommended. I hope they compare to the Kuhl brand.

What else is out there? It seems every manufacturer has (or has tried) to jump on this type of pant. The technical, high feature pant. Gusseted crotch, knee room, resilient material.
Click to expand...

Kuhl Renegade Convertible Cargo pants.

Have several pairs. I picked up a couple from REI when they were on sale…the rest I got off the bay for $40 or less each and all of them were in great shape.
 
I bought a couple pair of Duluth firehose pants on their Black Friday sale. I’m a convert. They are awesome.
 
Jerzsubbie said:
Have you tried Mountain Khaki? I think they tend to be more casual than field-ready, like Kuhl, but they have a variety of styles, weights/types, and a range of cuts for different body types. I especially love their shirts.

The nice thing about MK is they have an office in CLT so they do warehouse sales a couple times per year where you can get stuff for 70%+ off.
Click to expand...
My boss likes them. It’s developed a sort of Ford vs Chevy thing in my head. Kuhl vs MK. Of course, Ford is better than Chevy which means Kuhl must be better than MK!

Maybe I’ll get over my stubbornness and try them one day. Who stocks them locally? I’ve not seen them anywhere.
 
9outof10mms said:
My boss likes them. It’s developed a sort of Ford vs Chevy thing in my head. Kuhl vs MK. Of course, Ford is better than Chevy which means Kuhl must be better than MK!

Maybe I’ll get over my stubbornness and try them one day. Who stocks them locally? I’ve not seen them anywhere.
Click to expand...
Haha yeah I can see that. I buy mostly online and the warehouse sales when I catch them, but Jesse Brown’s across from South Park mall has a nice selection. The downside is Jesse Brown’s is all msrp and I don’t do msrp.
 
Duluth for me, by far. A little stiff at first , but they loosen up considerably after a few washes. I have a couple of pair that are 5+ years old and no real sign of wear and they are still water resistant. They look nice enough to wear into the office and tough enough to take a beating in the woods or out fishing. I keep an eye out for deals through their emails or on the website and will pick up a pair or two here and there to make sure I always have new on rotation and to always have a spare pair in each vehicle. Also, their Buck Named underwear is the best out there. No pinch or chafing. A little on the expensive side, but well worth the $$$. Try to catch those on sale too.
 
Me. said:
I got down here from a ‘northern state’ five years ago. I was wearing denim in May at the range and sweating a lot.

I looked around. Of the 30 or so guys, I was the only one wearing jeans. I asked for suggestions, and was told Eddie Bauer Rainer.



I bought some and have worn just that brand and style nearly every day for five years. Work, play, everything but times I need a suit (rare).

Bonus: the little front pocket is great for a wallet. I switched to front-pocket wallet carry and hate when I have to put on any other type of pants.


I tried the Wrangle ATGs that are similar, but I find the EB to be superior enough (for me) that I’m willing to pay the higher price.
Click to expand...
Those look like good pants. They don't have my size 38x34 though. That's annoying--as in, not even manufactured, not just out of stock.

Also, I (likely erroneously) consider Eddie Bauer to be more of a fashion brand than practical/long-lasting. Your experience shucks that belief, though.
 
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Jerzsubbie said:
Haha yeah I can see that. I buy mostly online and the warehouse sales when I catch them, but Jesse Brown’s across from South Park mall has a nice selection. The downside is Jesse Brown’s is all msrp and I don’t do msrp.
Click to expand...
If I dissect my issue with Kuhl, this is probably it. As someone mentioned upstream here already, Kuhl seems to have an Apple-like lock on their prices. No sales, ever. The only discounted price you'll see is when their stuff is being clearanced. That's not a good business plan, if you ask me. The Kuhl pants and shirts I own were all purchased on clearance from a local small hardware shop or through a credit account discount. I felt bad for the small shop I was buying them from, but their wholesale agreement with Kuhl isn't my problem.
 
9outof10mms said:
If I dissect my issue with Kuhl, this is probably it. As someone mentioned upstream here already, Kuhl seems to have an Apple-like lock on their prices. No sales, ever. The only discounted price you'll see is when their stuff is being clearanced. That's not a good business plan, if you ask me. The Kuhl pants and shirts I own were all purchased on clearance from a local small hardware shop or through a credit account discount. I felt bad for the small shop I was buying them from, but their wholesale agreement with Kuhl isn't my problem.
Click to expand...
Some of MK prices are high but they do sales on their website regularly. They’ll often do 30-40% off certain categories.
 
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