Vertx Tactical Pants Field Tested Overseas

As an owner of the Vertx Men’s Pants in Tan for over 8 months I have used these not only at home, but in Iraq and Afghanistan AO’s.

I bought the Tan version for a security job I was doing in Iraq where I was vehicle mounted for a few months and then moved into working as a Static Site Supervisor with Ugandans.

From there I moved into providing security for an Intel Facility that was more low-key and less HSLD. I mention this to illustrate the multiple environments these pants have been used in.

Taking a Toll

As you may or may not know, washing clothes in Iraq isn’t exactly gentle to garments. After about six washes overseas, the Tan pants I originally bought in a 34″ waist shrank to a little under my 33″ waist size. I found them to shrink considerably in harshness of the hot water that KBR used, even with the light 1/8″ stretch on the waistband shown in the photos.

I maintained my fitness while in country, and even dropped an inch or two. The pants fit snugly, but tolerable for the remainder of the time I was in country. So the moral to this information is that if you’re planning on washing these while in country or in extremely hot water, buy the next size up.

Pros and Cons

While I like these pants, I can’t figure out why  the rear pockets were left open. There’s no way to secure a wallet or paperwork without it falling out. That’s a definite no-go for me with the work I did and do now. You may like the open rear pockets, but I don’t care for them.

The front hip pocket openings were a little small for my hands to get into while wearing, and the addition of added material for a knife to clip onto would have helped my knife from slipping out when taking something out of my pocket. The small secret pocket inside the hip pocket had no actual function for me while sitting in a vehicle or maneuvering on foot.

What I really like is that they’re comfy around the waist and the stretch material does give some leeway when kneeling or trying to climb over obstacles. The loose fit also allows great air circulation and the length was true-to-size and fit over boots well.

Multicam Version

I bought the Multicam version of these pants when they were 50% off during the Vertx Facebook sale they had a few months ago. I ordered them as a 34″ since I was still fitting into a 33″ at home and figured they would fit the same as the Tan ones did months prior. When these arrived and I tried them on, I found the buttons were spaced about 3 inches further apart than my previous pair.

I called up Vertx, who apologized for the trouble, and had me ship the pants back at my expense and shipped me a new pair in a 36″ waist. While they don’t reimburse your shipping, I was content and needed a pair fast as I was heading to Afghanistan in a few weeks. I received the new pair and they barely fit. While I thought it may have been the Olive Garden I had earlier, I took them along to my contracting gig in Afghanistan.

I travel a lot over here and wear these pants with a Tru-Spec MultiCam Top. I get a lot of compliments on the pants asking if this is what the Army is going to and have to tell them no, these are made by Vertx. While the issues I’ve with these is the same I had with the tan pants, but these have not shrunk at all and I’ve been here in Afghanistan since April wearing these nearly everyday.

Most of the areas I work in require Helo flights to reach, which if you’re familiar with the 53E, you’ll know how they leak hydraulic fluid. These pants have stained very easily with more than just hydraulic fluid. Going outside the wire, we frequently use demolition in open flat lands with lots of small shrubbery or vast amounts of moon dust.

Notes

These pants definitely keep you cool, but the open pocket issue is a problem when you’re in the dirt and they collect large amounts of moon dust. I would say these pants are great for hunting, a range day or things around the house.

For an actual tactical use, I would stick with Crye Combat Pants or something equivalent. The problem with the pockets and shrinking issues in a tactical environment puts a toll on these pants quickly.

Editor’s Note: Please join us in welcoming Jean-Paul as an ITS Contributor. Jean-Paul is an 11-year Army Veteran, Security Contractor/PMC currently contracting in Afghanistan with EOD/WIT teams, and an ITS Plank Owner. He is also the owner of Silent Clientele Protection, a security service company.