Fabric: the new stuff is significantly lighter weight. The old heavy fabric was quite hot in warm weather until it had been washed a couple of dozen times. While the new version will be cooler, it shows outlines of the stuff in your pockets more easily when you bend your leg or the wind blows the fabric against your skin. Also, the new stuff is a very tight weave. While 100% cotton, it has a slick feel like a finely woven bed sheet. I prefer the "canvas" look and feel of the old pants.
Pockets: they are still nice and deep and square bottomed (very easy to carry a pocket pistol like a P3-AT in a pocket holster), but they have the habit of dumping all the small contents onto the couch when you lie down coins, keys etc. My old pants pockets did not do that.
Belt loops: the old pants had heavy loops and there was a single fat loop dead center in back, right where my spine hit it while driving. Since I usually wear a fanny pack, which adds additional mass there, it could get very uncomfortable on a really long road trip. These new pants have thinner loops, and there are TWO closely spaced ones in back, with nothing where your bones go. BTW, I am pretty skinny....
"Hidden" pockets: The old pants were truly covert. These are not really the exposed stitching on the leg pockets yells "TACTICAL!!!" to me. I can live with it, but I much preferred the bland hidden pockets of version 1.
Fly snap: the old pants had two buttons, both of which would be gone by the third washing. The new pants have a single medium duty steel main snap and a small button on the extra inner flap. OK, we are getting there why not two heavy duty snaps and then you never have to fumble or worry about the threads popping on that other button?
Crotch and fit: the old pants had a sewn-in crotch panel, these do not. They seem to fit the same. Baggy. They look fine when you are standing, but they bag when you sit down it's the price you pay to be able to carry lots of stuff in your pockets. If you don't like baggy, buy Levis.
Zipper pulls and tabs (fabric extensions): The actual steel pulls are much larger than the tiny ones on the old pants. I prefer the old style for stealth. The fabric tabs are the same color and material as the pants, but I am going to cut mine off they are too obvious sticking out in the breeze. If you must have rapid access to a hidden pocket, leave them on. If you plan to carry a passport or extra cash in those pockets, cut them off!
Sizing: I am between sizes so it's a little hard to find a good fit. A 32x32 is too snug in the waist and too short. A 34x32 is a little big in the waist and a hair short, while the 34x34 is a little long. Sigh. 5.11: PLEASE offer these pants in odd number sizes so I can order a 33x33!!!
Waist: I really prefer the older style with the hidden rubber stretch strap. The new visible elastic (corrugations) look really dorky in comparison, but at least they are hidden by your belt, if you wear one that is as wide as the loops.
Colors: if you carry a concealed weapon, pick a light color. As they wear, the pants develop light outlines around stuff in your pockets, just like blue jeans. If you have a dark color they will be too obvious. Most of my pants are khaki and they are fine in this regard.
Alternatives: Woolrich Elite Concealed Carry Chinos ($65) or Elite Discrete Pants ($30). I have no first hand experience with these they seem to be a lot harder to find and the cheap ones are not available in khaki. If I can find a local store so I can see them in person, I might try the CC Chino....
These 5.11 pants are an excellent choice for comfortable, long wearing concealed carry of a pistol, or just "stuff"......
JD
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I love these pants! To my eye, they are a bit baggy for "business casual", and there are visible seams where the cargo pockets are sewn in. However, my wife says they look fine and doesn't think they're too baggy, and she's got better taste than I. They are very comfortable and functional, and very well constructed. The fabric is not too heavy for warm weather. The many pockets are great; the sewn-in compartments for ammo magazines will hold all kinds stuff neatly (pens, phone, etc.). A note on colors: "Coyote Brown" is a very light brown, closer to what I think of as khaki. "Tundra" is olive-green.Best Deals for 5.11 #74290 Covert Cargo Pants
I ordered 2 pairs of these pants. The first order I kept as I do like the pants. However, I ordered Tundra and the color was OD Green upon arrival. I ordered the second pair with the same color as the first, Tundra, but received Green once again.. The display pictures show Khaki, Green, and Tundra. The Tundra is supposed to be brown, as dipicted in the pictures.I am disappointed with the difference between what the colors are displayed and what you actually reeive. I sent the second pair back for a refund.
Honest reviews on 5.11 #74290 Covert Cargo Pants
These seem to be about 1/2 size bigger than the label reads, at least compared to my other 5.11 cargo pants. Still I like them. I like the color as wellFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for 5.11 #74290 Covert Cargo Pants
I usually prefer to wear Brooks Brothers and Burberry and wish one of them made this style of cargo pants but I love these so much I've often worn them with a nice sport jacket for going on three years. Now I see in the Wall Street Journal from my business travels worldwide, I've created a new international style with these great looking and highly functional pants.If you do not have to wear the traditional style cargo pants for work, consider the functionality and not-so-cargo-pants-looking unique design features of these pants. This style of pants have the pockets on the inside of the legs which makes it not only look neater in my opinion, but also functionally important, less likely the pockets will snag and hang you up on something as you move about. You can drop a 4" full size service model 45 ACP semi-auto pistol into either of the outermost front pockets. I don't recommend every carrying that way, my point is that the pistol fits comfortably into the deep and somewhat wide pocket though of course it prints unless you use come kind of uniform semi-rid plastic fully around the outside of the pocket, inside the pocketwhich then makes it look like you have a book in your pocket. I think this style of cargo pants is especially valuable to CERT Team members such as when doing light search and rescue in a dark building after a disaster. As I said, I find that even when the pockets are stuffed, the pockets are less likely to get stuck on something as I move about in tight quarters.
All but the two top front outer-most pockets have Velcro or zippers to help secure things inside the pockets. Inside the pockets the internal "magazine" pockets also work to not just hold a pair of 16 round double-stack 45 ACP mags in each of the zippered set of upper pockets, but also fine to secure smaller items and also small flashlights, pens, etc. clip onto them. Same for the side leg pockets except you can also hold a pair of full size AR or M-4 30 round mags in each pocket which is great for target shooting or S&R missions in a wilderness areas where deadly wild animals, or possibly drug dealers, roam freely.
I like the Tundra color as perfect for CERT members, Tundra goes well with the official green CERT apparel (Tundra is darker but less likely to show soil). There was a special order for a high-volume 511 dealer in "smoke" which is a dark gray but I can no longer find what is left in stock of that special order, in my size. Wish I had bought more than one of the smoke before they were sold out in my size. I do now though have several in khaki, brown and tundra.
They wash well though do look wrinkled even if promptly removed from the dryer, unless ironed.
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