Bottom Line Up Front
Nothing witty to say here. They’re great and I’ll probably wind up buying at least one more pair of the Tru-Spec 24-7 XPEDITION pants.
Overview: Tru-Spec 24-7 XPEDITION Pants Pants
Uniformed military is generally spoiled when it comes to picking what to wear: we almost never had to go beyond jeans, slacks, or shorts when out of uniform. So, I feel a bit cheated about my previous lack of options after taking this pair of pants through the outdoors, to a theme park, and even to class once. Zippered cooling vents? Elastic waistband for the post-service pounds? Enough pockets to rival Batman’s utility belt? Sign me up.
I’ve owned a fair amount of cheaper hiking pants in the past, but the 24-7 XPEDITION pants seem like they were created with every reasonable “what-if?” in mind. The most notable features are four zippered cooling vents, many pockets, and the athletic fit of the pants, but the tag pictured shows everything that the pants have to offer.
In Depth: Comfort and Fit
Like many who leave the service, I put on a few extra pounds after I left the Army; turns out that not waking up at 6 am to run every day isn’t conducive to a visible 6-pack. So, I really appreciate the sliding stretch waistband, which is also convenient for under-the-pants holsters. I’d find it hard for anyone to not generally fit in the pants, but if you’re worried about wearing your holster, one size bigger should do the trick. The length fit as-advertised as well, and overall there were no complaints about the sizing and fit.
The first time I was wearing them in the early Florida summer, I thought they were a bit too heavy to be all-purpose tactical pants. I spent two days sweating before I realized that there were four zippered vents, one on the thigh and calf of each leg. They worked amazingly and really helped with the heat issue of wearing protective pants in a hot and humid environment. Meanwhile, the sturdy canvas of the rest of the pants did a good job at shrugging off brush and abrasions that come with being outdoors.
In Depth: Pockets
The pockets deserve their own section just because of how specialized they are. Besides the normal set of pants pockets, there are 2 cargo pockets, a cell phone pocket, a reinforced knife-clip holder, and a few integrated D-ring loops: one near the belt and another in each of the cargo pockets. The d-rings were a great touch; I could definitely imagine attaching an entry badge and keys to them while not having them dangle at my side waiting to get caught on anything.
I really liked the front-facing cargo pockets. Unlike normal pockets, I didn’t feel like everything in that pocket was flopping around while I walked or jogged. The only pocket that didn’t do as advertised was the cell phone pocket, which seemed too small to fit a larger smartphone comfortably, especially once there’s a case around it. It theoretically could fit my phone, but after messing around with trying to store and retrieve my phone in it, I wound up just throwing the phone in one of the dozen other pockets (pictured to the right for scale, although I’m sure I could find an eventual use of the ‘cell-phone’ pocket).
In Depth: Durability and Material
The coolest part of these pants is the integration of soft-flex material alongside the regular tough canvas. This gives the pants a lot of flexibility while still being relatively form fitting. I had no problem running around, jumping, or climbing while wearing the pants, and I was never worried that they might rip because I was putting too much pressure on a seam. The whole pair felt like they could withstand quite the beating before they started to fray or fail, and they certainly showed no signs of wear after a week of wearing them.
Conclusion – 5 out of 5 Stars
Hands down an undeniably great set of tactical/outdoors pants that can blend into a casual-ish look. Between a great fit, a great selection of utility pockets, and a rugged construction, I would without-a-doubt recommend the Tru-Spec 24-7 XPEDITION pants to anyone who needs a set of tactical ‘civvies’ or for general outdoorsman purposes.
Buy the Tru-Spec 24-7 XPEDITION Pants
Disclaimer: The content in this article is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of US Patriot Tactical.
