FRIDAY SURPRISE: Pants. Yes, pants. Ya got a problem with that?

I admit it: I'm a bit picky about things. Just how "picky" depends on what the "thing" is, but on the whole I suspect friends and family would describe me as being on the "anal retentive" side.

This extends to my clothing. A number of years back, when I was playing the keep-up-with-the-rest-of-the-yuppies game, I spent a lot of money on Italian suits and expensive ties. Over the years, as I've gotten wiser (and perhaps a tad more miserly), I've looked at clothing for its functional qualities rather than fashion. It's not as though I don't care how I look, but I don't care if I impress anyone with my style of dress.

How the clothing works for me in my lifestyle is more important than anything else. As a result, I've come up with something of a "uniform" - clothing that I've chosen because I like the way it functions. I always wear long-sleeve button-front shirts with two breast pockets - and those pockets must have button flaps. I'll settle for snaps, but I absolutely abhor Velcro! (Yes, long sleeves even in the 95+ degree temperatures of summer. In my mind, you can always roll the sleeves up - but you can't roll a short-sleeve shirt down for the winter!)

Suitable shirts are easy to find, but pants are another matter. I like cargo pants; again, I want the flaps to have buttons or snaps only. What's more, they have to be durable - I wear my chosen clothing everywhere from hiking to range training to getting groceries, and they see a lot of wear and tear. (I've torn out the corners on leg pockets and worn holes through front pockets in as little as six months!) Of course, they have to fit me well in the bargain - both with and without carrying a handgun on (or in) my waistband.

As you might imagine, I wouldn't be writing this diatribe if it were easy to find pants that met my requirements! Most cargo pants seem to be built for mall ninjas and yuppies who rarely venture beyond a Starbucks - their thin, soft material just doesn't hold up to heavy wear, particularly outdoors. Late in 2005 I bought yet another couple of pairs of a brand I'd not tried - they lasted a mere seven months. This was getting to be expensive! I resolved to find the toughest pair of cargo pants I could.

I started looking at Cabela's canvas "Nailhead" pants - which, sadly, were discontinued this fall. The Carhartt line looked promising, but their construction quality wasn't really any better than any other cargo pants I found. The new Woolrich "Elite" line has been getting a lot of press, but the material was a bit thin for my taste (and the price tag.)

I own some original Royal Robbins pants and shorts that must be 10 years old, and I thought that they might do the trick. Of course, those garments have been spun off to a new company, 5.11 Tactical Wear - and the quality has gone away. I examined a pair, and they weren't built nearly as well as my old Royal Robbins examples, despite having a premium price tag. (I guess you have to pay for that "tacticool" look!)

Wandering through my local farm store, I chanced upon some pants that looked promising: the new Riggs "Ranger" work pants from Wrangler. The material is 10oz ripstop canvas; all pocket attachment points are double thickness; the knees are double thick; the front pockets are made from heavier material than my last pair of pants were; and the cargo pockets have snap flaps, which are also anchored to a double thickness of fabric.



Other interesting features: the right cargo pocket has a couple of outside sleeves that hold a folding knife and a cel phone, while the right hand slash pocket has a reinforced corner edge to clip a knife to. This this prevents wear of the pocket edge, which is a nice touch. The back pockets (which I never use) are lined with Cordura, which makes them darned near wear-proof. Finally, they come in odd sizes - I wear a 34, but with an IWB holster they're too small and a 36 is too big - 35 fits perfectly, and Riggs are available in that size.

I picked up a pair, and I must say I'm impressed. They are far better built that your average "tactical" pants, and they look good too - not as "military" as some are. They're available in several colors, and sold by all kinds of stores all across the country so availability isn't a problem. (There are at least a half-dozen stores within 10 miles of me that carry the Riggs line!)

Suggested list is $39.99, which is really a bargain for a garment of this quality. If you're looking for a great pair of cargo pants for serious use, check 'em out!

Riggs work wear by Wrangler

-=[ Grant ]=-