Hmm, cargo pants with an integral belt come to mind. Cotton is not really very practical at temp extremes, but does well for moderate climates. In really hot weather, supplex nylon pants from REI seem to hold up well and are about as effective at keeping your body temp down as you could hope for. For cold weather, wool is still one of my favorites, especially for hunting where synthetics seem to make way too much noise. Rivers West out of Seattle makes a rainproof, windproof, breathable fleece that is darned near indestructible.

Keep in mind that synthetics do not like to be exposed to excessive heat (eg sparks and flame).

Has anyone thought about over-alls?

Ok, I have a canidate:

PBI TurtleSkin USAR S/R Pants

Mfg PBI blurb

About Turtleskin

I have some gloves with this stuff and I suspect it indeed would be super tough while still being light and breathable (if not coated). Unlike most sythetics, it is fire resistant.

I wonder if anyone has gandered at these clothes. Maybe some of our firefighting folks?

Thanks,

-john

Geez, if you're going to pay $400+ for a pair of pants, you at least think they'd give you a choice of color.

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If looking to fire resistance, I would look more to the Wildland Nomex Cargo pants. Fairly light, somewhat breathable, total of 6 pockets (BDU styling). I believe you can also find these in PBI and Kevlar blend fabrics, if looking abrasion/cut resistance as well.

Pete

I own 6 pairs of 5.11 Tac pants. I dont care for them too much. On 1 pair, after wearing only once, I lost the front button. I dont like the location of the belt loops. I thread a pancake holster between 2 belt loops. I dont like how they are positioned on the 5.11 pants.

I agree with you on the 5.11 pants. Mine also lost the front button on the only pair I had and they don't seem as sturdy as everyone seems to imply.

I really liked the Patagonia Stand Up Pants, but they don't make them anymore.

Sigh.

-john

Picard, let me make you and others aware of my all time favorite trousers. Take a look at the trousers on eBay item number 6 5 4 5 0 2 9 5 0 8 (I'm not posting any more long URL's). These are genuine military surplus and are the best I ever owned. All the pockets have snaps, there are two huge cargo pockets on the legs (with internal straps to tie around your leg for snugness) and the cuffs have drawstrings. They are heavy cotton sateen and have internal buttons for a liner. They are not waterproof but they cut the wind pretty well. They are left over from the Korean War and appear regularly on eBay. Some are priced to high ($25 plus S&H) but you can find a bargain if you watch. If you are an eBay member, enter M1951 Field Trousers in "My Favorite Search" and eBay will automatically notify you anytime a pair come up for sale. They are extremely roomy almost to being baggy but this is good for the field. Also, the fly has a good durable zipper as well as suspender buttons on the outside of the waist. They come in regular and long but I would recommend you don't buy the long unless you are seven foot tall. I am 6-2 and the regulars are PLENTY long.
There is also a pair of take up straps on the sides so the waist size can vary by four or five inches and still fit. Take a look. You won't be disappointed if you buy a pair.

Very close to my #1 fav, the M65 Field Trouser. About the only important differences I can see are that the M65 are quarpel treated 50-50 NyCo (VERY Cool!) and they have suspender loops instead of suspender buttons, so the complimentary military suspenders are essential (readily available and they hook onto all the loops of the layers one might wear - mil long handles, trouser liners, trousers, and wet weather trou (rain trou).

The last versions I bought before retirement were Woodland Camo BDU pattern instead of OD - I greatly prefer the appearance of the OD.

They would be slightly improved by having BDU-style button flys instead of the zipper fly, but that is the ONLY thing I would change in the design. The zipper fly with grab cord on it IS easier to use when you're all bundled up in the cold, but that's a minor thing. Hard to fix a zipper (other than replacement), but a button is easily replaced.

They are otherwise a superior design to the BDU (one may argue about concealed button pocket closures - the M65 has flaps and press-the-dot fasteners on ALL pockets, not just the cargo pockets, and the all-flapped design is superior, hands down. Anyway, I've never had a press-the-dot fastener failure, even in ~30 yr old trousers.)

The slick flat tape nylon cuff tie of the BDU was a mistake - the round cord in these is far superior. I briefly met (24 hours; he was visiting my command to show off stuff) the guy who convinced Natick to change from the cord to the tape when BDUs were being finalized and his whole thing was blousing (tucking) them into combat boots instead of using as intended. The round cord hurt inside a tightly laced combat boot.

A few months after that, lo and behold, he and I were stationed together on my 3rd AK assignment (his first), and he soon found the error of his decision... but way too late to change the BDU final design - we are stuck with that idea still.

Quarpel treated 50-50 (or 60-40) NyCo windproof sateen is flat out the finest rugged outdoor clothing fabric invented, period. Nothing else equals its performance. Some of the latest cotton-poly blends perform OK, but still are just cheap pretenders compared to 50-50 or 60-40 NyCo.

If I could get away with wearing those M65s at work... nah, they think I'm pretty wierd, er, "fashion-impaired" already.

some of my favorites are Mountain Hardwear Convertible Pack pants.........they are extremely comfortable as well as functional. The only drawback..........cost. Luckily i scored 2 pr with mislabled price at a local outfitter shop..........and being the price minded type, i kindly kept my mouth shut! One of the best features is the ability to have shorts and pants in one unit.