I gave up on jeans some years ago when I started carrying a smart phone. Other than the back pockets, there was nowhere I could carry my phone other than my belt. I didn’t trust the back pocket for fear of bending the phone enough to crack the screen. I didn’t want it on my belt because it interfered with carrying a gun. Besides that I was forever getting it hooked on something, ripping it off my belt and endangering the health of the phone, not to mention my calm.
Last week, I was looking for something else on LAPG‘s website and I noticed a category of “Tactical Jeans”. Oh, what the heck, and so I bought a pair. I could always return them.
Or not. I tried the “Terrain Flex Straight Fit Jeans” out yesterday while running errands and found them to be in the vicinity of what I’d like in my jeans.
Likes: The fabric has a bit of “give” in it, being 73% Cotton, 25% Polyester, and 2% Spandex. Yes, they’re Mom Jeans. At least they don’t look like Mom Jeans. But that give makes them great for IWB carry. You don’t have to order the next size up to accomodate your gun, and then have to cinch your belt too tight to keep them up if you aren’t carrying IWB that day.
I also like the pockets. You have the traditional front pockets and back pockets. You also get oversized “watch pockets” on each side. These pockets are large enough to put a tri-fold wallet in, or one of those popular metal credit card-sized things in. You also get side pockets located at 3 and 9 o’clock, a bit below the belt line. And My iPhone SE in a Magpul case fits in those just fine.
The construction quality is top notch. Rivits and tack stitching in the right places. The fabric is cut correctly so the legs don’t twist when washed. They even have a reinforcement at the hem of the legs in back-one of the first places I always wore out in my jeans.
The price, for the quality, is great. Zero complaint there, just like most of LAPG’s stuff. Great prices for excellent gear.
Dislikes: The fabric is not as heavy as I’d like. I want something like the old Levis from the 70s. But I suspect you couldn’t make something that heavy in Mom Jeans fabric, so what I want and what I need may well be mutually exclusive. Also, whatever they do to the fabric in the “medium wash” jeans leaves stripes from the crotch up.
Those side pockets I mentioned-one will be just about unusable if you’re carrying a gun. However, you do have the watch pockets to pick up the slack.
Made in China. *sigh*
Still, I’m ordering another pair or two. Nice to have something that isn’t cargo pants for a change.
