Giving the wearer a clean, minimalist tactical trouser, the Gen II Tac Pants by Canadian manufacturer The Requirements Group/Shadow Strategic is among several in its line of tactical trousers. The Gen II Tac Pants provide a blend of breathable, light material for sufficient protection and comfort in the field, or as daily wear.
Constructed of a 60 / 40 blend between cotton and Rip-Stop polyester with Coats® nylon threading, the Gen II Tac Pants is intended to provide maximum abrasion resistance with a number of similar features to BDU trousers.
At the waist, the Gen II Tac Pants have seven 2.5” belt loops (two in the front, two on the sides, and three in the back) along the waistband with a nylon/cinch adjustor on each side. This allows the wearer to achieve a proper fit with/without a belt when worn.
The single oversized Canadian-slotted button fly uses nylon bands to secure the button to the waistline, while a YKK zipper and minimal groin gusset provide some freedom of movement in dynamic ranges of motion.
There are four traditional pockets on the waist (two in the front and two in the rear), with the rear pockets secured via standard-issue buttons. The front pockets have reinforced material to allot for the use of clip-type accessories, such as knives or flashlights.
At the front upper thigh is a small 3”-wide pocket on each leg for use while sitting and to store rifle magazines or other accessories.
Each mid-thigh has a standard, button-secured cargo pocket for additional storage.
At the knee is an integrated sleeve for knee padding, that is accessed from the interior.
The bottom of each leg ends with an elastic cinch cuff that allows the trouser to be secured to some footwear or tied for blousing.
The Gen II Tac Pants is available in 18 different color varieties to include; Ranger Green (featured), Flectarn, Russian Digital and more at sizing between Small and 2XL.
Product Evaluation Scores:
- Cost – Good (4/5): At an MSRP of just $44.80 USD, the Gen II Tac Pants reflect the more affordable and entry level tactical trousers; which include many traditional elements, and several newer ones to improve the trousers’ overall function. Market alternatives that use a similar design would be Propper’s Kinetic ($54.99), Tru-Spec’s Pro-Flex ($63.95), or 5.11’s Icon or Stryke Pant ($79.99). This makes the Gen II Tac Pants as one of the more affordable on the market, and puts them in a good placement among the competition.
- Comfort – Good (4/5): When worn, the Gen II Tac Pants had a bloused, mid-leg design with a good level of flexibility and breathability thanks in part to its relative lightweight 60 / 40 blend of materials, and the minimal use of extra pockets (which then require ensuing liners). It would also be well served for any environment or setting with maximum applicability. By keeping the design to the basics, it afforded the trouser to be looser, move air more easily, and still provide good flexibility in dynamic movements. The YKK zipper moved easily and did not bind, and the oversized Canadian button provided a good level of grip to thread through the eyelet.
- Durability – Good (4/5): The good-level of durability in the Gen II Tac Pants was similar to other Shadow tactical trousers. The Rip-Stop polyester material and bartack reinforcement stitching proved to be very durable and resisted dragging and direct kneeling against rock and dirt—all without damage to the threading or compromising the material. The reinforced pocket edges allowed for a variety of clip-typed or other accessories to be held without concern for wear, stress, or abrasion. As multiple live-fire iterations were run, sprints, and stretches were done to strain the material, but at no point was any failure in the product’s durability experienced. In all the Gen II Tac Pants performed with a good level of durability fit for any condition.
- Functionality – Average (3/5): Functionally, the Gen II Tac Pants held an appropriate (or average) level of use as the average tactical trouser, with its standard pocket layout and bloused-leg design. The additional upper-thigh pockets were useful when sitting, however could not accommodate a smartphone (iPhone) with protective case. By removing the protective case, the smartphone would fit and perhaps increasing the size of the opening would be our only suggestion to Shadow so as to accommodate phones with cases. The nylon/cinch adjustor buckles on either side of the hip allowed for comfortable and easy sizing without losing tension over time and wear. One notable positive feature of the Gen II Tac Pants is its oversized gusset that enabled a large range of movement without straining the groin fabric or hindering range of movement.
- Weight – Good (4/5): At 1.09 pounds the Gen II Tac Pants reflect the lightweight aspects of the 60 / 40 nylon blend, and at no point felt heavy or oppressive to wear despite the rising heat. With the basic pocket layout, plastic buttons, and all the necessitating reinforcement stitching, there was little excess to wear on the user. In comparison, Propper’s Kinetic (1.9 pounds), Tru-Spec’s Pro-Flex (1.6 pounds), or 5.11’s Icon/Stryke Pant (1.2 pounds) all show that the Gen II Tac Pants are still among the lightest on the current market thanks in part to its good material blend and minimal use of accessory hardware.
Overall Rating – Above Average (19/25)
Product Link: https://shadow-gear.com/collections/pants/products/rb-3337-genii-tac-pant
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