As a 20-year veteran of the Corrections field, as well as a firearms instructor and shooter, I’m no stranger to tactical pants. I wear them just about every day, in fact. Usually, I wear either the LA Police Gear Operator pant or their excellent BFE Stretch pant. For the past three months, however, I’ve been wearing the First Tactical Men’s V2 Tactical Pants 3-4 days a week. I’ve pretty much abused them, in fact… Here’s how they stack up!
First Tactical Men’s V2 Tactical Pants First Impressions
When I opened the box and unwrapped the First Tactical Men’s V2 Tactical pants, I was struck by the care and attention to detail that went into making these pants.
The fabric is a sturdy 6.4 oz. blend of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. What First Tactical calls V2 technology is a micro-ripstop fabric that has reinforcement every 2mm by 2mm. The cloth has a light Teflon coating to resist stains. it also has a two-way mechanical stretch woven into the fabric.
The stitching is even and straight, with no runoffs or gaps. Key areas have reinforcement, and many of the seams have triple-needle stitching.
First Tactical Men’s V2 Tactical Pants Design
The First Tactical Men’s V2 Tactical pants have some very useful features. Let’s talk about the pockets. The pants have two slash pockets for your hands, two rear pockets, two front magazine pockets, and two cargo pockets. First Tactical reinforced the pocket lips so they can stand up to repeated clipping and unclipping of flashlights and knives. All of the pockets have plenty of room. The cargo pockets have interior pockets that fit AR-15 magazines.
Speaking of the cargo pockets, they have what First Tactical named a “Knife Clip Garage”. This lets the clip of a knife or flashlight pass through the flap of the pocket so that it won’t impede access. Pretty clever!
The front magazine pockets are perfect for storing PMags, but AK guys can slip a magazine in there as well.
The slash pockets and the cargo pockets both have a loop that allows the wearer to clip in gear for secure storage. The knees also have pockets for First Tactical’s knee pads.
I appreciate when a clothing company makes tactical pants for big guys, even if that wasn’t their intent. First tactical accomplished this when they engineered the two-way mechanical stretch into the fabric they used for these pants. This stretch, combined with the running gusset in the crotch, allows these pants to move with you. They don’t bind when you squat, roll, kneel, bend, or move in any way. The waistband is fastened by both a button (which is securely sewn to the pants) and a sturdy snap. A YKK zipper completes the closure system.
In Conclusion
Overall, I think the First Tactical Men’s V2 Tactical Pants are an exceptional value for your money. At $49.99, I don’t see how you can beat them.
Be sure to check out my review video on YouTube, and check back here for my review of the First Tactical Pro Performance Short Sleeve Shirt!