what is a really good survvial pants that can withstand cold temp in fall, hot summer weather and fast drying ? I personally use Arteryx MX cordura pants. It is quick drying, wicks away moisture, breathable on hot summer, wind resistant in cold weather.

I don't really think there's a general answer to questions like this. Those ArcTeryx of yours are pretty specialized pants and I can't imagine wearing them in the summer or for lying around the house. And you'd also likely want a pant shell with them for extreme weather use.

That being said, my winter gear is most definitely separate from my summer gear. I have technical Marmot mountaineering pants which have a separate 3-layer Goretex shell, and I've worn them everywhere from snowmobiling in New Hampshire to Antarctica. It's the best cold weather gear I have, but you couldn't pay me to wear them in the summer -- not because they'd be too warm (they have no insulation) but because they'd be too bulky cause they allow for all the other layers you'd wear with them to stay warm.

Summer time is BDUs with nice light 2-layer Goretex on top in the rain. Very cool and comfortable. The BDUs alone in bad weather suck because they absorb water like a sponge and take a while to dry. If you keep them dry in the first place, you don't need to worry about it.

Finally, I think good underwear may be a more important consideration. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> The CoolMax brand is totally amazing and if you're really active outdoors, I don't know anything better for keeping your body comfortable.

Anyone try these?

-john

I've been real happy with 5.11 stuff. It is LE oriented, so it is pretty presentable and still tough.

Hi,

Are you talking about Royal Robbin or the 5.11 tactical? I found this in Canada and I'm thinking about ordering some along with a SureFire G2 that I will put in the cellphone pocket as on the pictures. Is it a good system?

http://www.511tactical.ca/view.cgi?uid=1121002681&sku=74251-055&currency=

Frankie

The royal robin pants look promising. I will check it out. I worry about cotton pants since they retain moisture when wet and it takes long time to dry.

Royal Robbins (a noted mountain climber) manufactures outdoor clothing under his name as a brand. He developed the 5.11 series (named for a difficulty rating of a climb) for mountain climbing. They were adapted & modified into the 5.11 Tactical clothing, & eventually spun off into a separate company.

The "tactical strap" over the right rear pocket on the 5.11 pants & shorts touted as good for holding a baton or long flashlight, or covering the bottom of a holster, was originally intended as a small gear rack to clip in carabiners & related equipment.

HTH.

David

I have (3) pairs of the Royal Robbins shorts. Great quality and I can definitely recommend them.

My favorite idea is having the cargo pockets on the front of the thigh -- I can easily access the pocket while sitting -- as opposed to usually having the cargo pocket on the side of the leg banging into everything.

I love my 5.11 tactical pants. 5.11 Tactical Pants They are surprisingly comfortable even in 100 degree 98% humidity here in Houston. The fabric is a little stiff, though - Definitely heavy duty construction and lots of room for EDC.

The 5.11 pants and shirts are now available in nylon.

5.11 Nylon Shirt

5.11 Nylon Pants

I have not tried any of these yet, as I have stuck mainly to some of the nylon pants from Columbia Sportswear and Ex Offico. If interested in the nylon 5.11 pants, I would comparative shop around the web for some better pricing.

Pete