We all invest a lot of money in different gear to improve our shooting ability, our organization at home and at the gun range, and to sometimes to do both on our person. While it might be a stretch to say clothing can make you a better shooter it can absolutely make you more comfortable and prepared for your daily life. One article of clothing that can seamlessly blend comfort to covert carry is a good pair of tactical pants. In this TFB Review, we will take a look at a pair of 5.11 Tactical’s Capital Pants which is one of their newest offerings in a tactical pant. We all know 5.11 Tactical makes some phenomenal gear, but today we will see if their Capital Pant maintains that degree of quality. Let’s dive right in!

SPECIFICATIONS: 5.11 TACTICAL capital pant

All of the pants in my wardrobe are “tools.” They get used everywhere from my family’s gun shop where I need to look approachable yet professional, and also out in a pasture tending cattle or they will be worn on my many hunting exploits. If pants look cool that is an ancillary benefit I can appreciate, but they, more importantly, need to perform. So for those who get work done out in the country or the concrete jungle, the Capital Pant from 5.11 Tactical might be just the garment for them. The complete specifications for this new tactical pant can be read below as presented by 5.11 Tactical:

• 77% polyester/33% cotton, Flex-Tac® canvas, 6.4-oz, Teflon®, rinse wash
• Comfort waistband w/ flex cuff tunnel and cuff key pocket
• 11 total pockets
• Knee articulation
• Flex-Tac® mechanical stretch fabric provides lasting durability that moves with you
• Poly/elastane stretch fabric pocketing
• Discreet mag pockets at back yoke

• Slim fit
• Teflon® finish resists water, dirt, and stains for longer wear
• Low profile cargo pockets
• Nylon 6 reinforcement inside hand pockets
• 6 Color Options: Ranger Green, Peacoat, Black, Stone, Flint, Major Brown
• Waist Sizes: 28″ – 40″
• Length Sizes: 30″ – 36″

The Capital Pant, like many of the offerings from 5.11 Tactical, boasts a lot of pockets for both unique open-access storage, and concealed carry of personal items as well. These pants have special Flex-Tac® canvas to bend and flex with your daily movements as well as methodical stitching to allow for less restriction around your knees. Some of the other properties of the Capital Pant are exclaimed in this press release statement from 5.11 Tactical:

Low-profile style meets high-level tactical functionality in the Capital Pant. It’s built for toughness and freedom of movement, featuring our polyester/cotton Flex-Tac® canvas fabric with a Teflon™ finish to ward off stains and soiling. The comfort waistband moves with you, and works with you: It features a flex cuff tunnel and cuff key pocket. Discreet mag pockets at the back yoke and low-pro cargo pockets add utility that won,t get in your way. This pant will look sharp with everything from an untucked tee to a 5.11 button-up and a blazer. For clean style and total versatility, it has to be the Capital.

UNBOXING & FIRST IMPRESSIONS: 5.11 TACTICAL capital pant

When I first got a pair of the Capital Pant in to review from 5.11 Tactical I was pretty stoked! I own a few pairs of bland blue jeans and a couple pairs of 5.11 Tactical pants, and the 5.11s I already knew are much more comfortable and better suit my lifestyle as a firearm enthusiast. Once I unboxed the Capital pant I immediately noticed how stretchy the waistline is. I like the flexible waistline because some days you might be carrying more gear on your belt than others, and it can bend and flex with you to accommodate those needs. Also, these pants are immediately in the running to be my new Thanksgiving pants as I frequently run through the chow line for a 3rd time, and need a little extra room before you pass out from an overdose on Turkey.

The same property of the waistline to stretch and bend as you move is an ability that is present throughout the entire pant. So whether I am lifting cases of shotgun shells at work, loading giant fire safes into the back of pickups, ranching, and/or hunting these pants bend and flex with you. They are not restricting and heavy like a traditional pair of blue jeans.

Something else I noticed that has me perplexed, but I am not complaining about, is that the Capital Pant (for the time being) seems impervious to dog hair. I have a ferocious corgi that keeps the neighborhood squirrel population in check through her enthusiastic and unrelenting barking. Her secondary skill is leaving copious amounts of dog hair everywhere she wanders. For some magical reason, the Capital Pant does not attract or hold dog hair. Maybe it is a special aura that is emanating from the pants I cannot see, but so far it’s a pretty cool attribute. Other pairs of pants I own, including older vintages of 5.11 Tactical pants, catch lint and dog hair like you would expect, but not the Capital Pant.

FIELD TIME: 5.11 TACTICAL capital pant

Once I got out in the field (pasture, technically) and began to work the Capital Pant I noticed and reaffirmed a few things. For one, the flexibility I noticed while strutting my stuff in the privacy of my home is even more valuable while actively working. I had a mundane list of tasks for myself of checking cattle fences, checking trail cameras, operating a Bobcat loader, and a few other things. With the reaching, stretching, bending, contorting, and flexing demanded from all of my oddball activities I never felt restricted. That is the last feeling anyone wants while trying to get work done.

I also appreciated the deep front pockets to the Capital Pant. If I throw a knife, my cell phone, car keys, or anything of value in my pocket I do not like it when the pocket is shallow and it feels like my valuables are going to pop out. Shallow front pockets really annoy me.

Also inside of your two main front pockets are a smaller and more narrow pocket perfect for carrying an additional magazine for your carry firearm or potentially a knife. The pocket is a bit small for a tourniquet but more than adequate for the other two. I like pockets like this for the added storage and easy access, but this one used a very thin fabric. This made it breath well and not get you all hot and bothered, but when I would insert my EDC knife it would not go in easily; it would prematurely catch and I would have to clip in my knife with two hands as opposed to one. Small grievance, but not a big deal.

You also have inset magazine/knife pockets in your two main back pockets. This is nice to have another option for carry back there so your front pockets are not always loaded to the gills with gear. A third discreet area to carry personal possessions and gear are the low-profile cargo pockets on the front. They are stitched in at an angle which actually makes it easier to access since your arm wants to more naturally reach from an angle at your side.

FINAL THOUGHTS: 5.11 TACTICAL capital pant

While my main “test” for the Capital Pant was a day of moderate labor out on my family’s ranch, I actually wore these pants more in the climate-controlled comfort of a gun shop for two weeks. I am not in the game of doing torture tests whether it be regarding firearms or clothing, but simultaneously, I do not own things just for show. Everything has a purpose and should be able to work rigorously. The Capital Pant from 5.11 Tactical did just that.

They looked presentable and dressy enough where I could sell firearms all day and appear respectable. Oppositely, I could romp around with cattle in a cow manure-laden pasture and still get work done. They played both sides of the coin very well. If you are in the market for a tactical pant, I would absolutely suggest giving these a look. Meticulously designed and thoughtfully laid out pants seems to be a common theme from 5.11 Tactical and the Capital Pant is a continuation along that path.

In closing, I want to say THANK YOU to 5.11 Tactical for allowing TFB and myself the opportunity to try out one of their newest pairs of tactical pants in the Capital Pant! That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the 5.11 Tactical Capital Pant is something durable enough for your everyday demands yet equally agile to keep you constantly moving? Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.