The Tactical Penguin

Coming to an glacier near you…

As if he wasn’t tactical enough, we added some Propper lightweight tactical pants, Rockport military boots and a Blackhawk compact belt slide holster. We’re currently working out a sponsorship deal with him at TacticalPants.com.

View the original, non-Photoshopped all-black penguin here.

(Photo via National Geographic via Say Uncle)

Mighty Morphin Tactical Pants (aka Convertible Cargos)

What are convertible cargo pants? For starters, they aren’t just pants you can wear in a drop-top.

At the start of the millennium, the lightweight trousers that zipped off to create shorts were all the rage. Nowadays, you can still find the pants, but more than likely outdoorsy folks will be sporting it rather than collar-popped college types.

We heard through the grapevine that Tru-Spec by Atlanco is planning to release a convertible pant. The design will follow Tru-Spec’s original 24-7 Series pant except with zip-off ends, of course. Keep an eye out for the pants’ debut later this year.

SeV/Scottevest carries khaki Ultimate Cargo Pants ($70) that convert into shorts. It’s a lightweight linen/cotton blend with 16 pockets and magnetic closures. Meanwhile The North Face also offers a convertible pant ($65-$75) in dune beige, asphalt grey, new taupe and soil brown.

On the lesser-expensive end of the spectrum, Eastern Mountain Sports has its Touring Zip-off Cargo Pants on sale for $41.30. Moreover, Wal-Mart has a No Boundaries cotton convertible pant on clearance for $10.

Shockingly enough, not everyone is a fan of this mighty morphin’ tactical pant. Last week, someone asked on Yahoo! Answers if anyone wanted to help bring back cargo zip-off pants. While one person supported this mission, others vehemently opposed.

“Not only do I not want to bring back the zip off shorts cargos, I would ban all cargo pants from the planet if I could,” wrote on responder. “The only exception would be if you were actually on safari.”

Another person proceeded to diss tac pants altogether: “I don’t need my pants to have 5 extra pockets that I’ll never use.”

Uh, we hate to break it to you, but most tactical cargos have more like 8 to 10 extra pockets. Never seen someone turn their cargos pants into shorts in mere seconds? Brace yourself…

Top 10 Badass TV Cops from the ’80s

Tuesday is a spectacular day. We’re one day closer to Friday; one day further from Monday. Oh, how to celebrate such a grand occasion… how about with a top 10 list? Each week we’ll be serving up a new one for Top 10 Tuesday.

Our first installation is inspired by a general lack of tactical pants in ’80s television. Instead these Hollywood cops wore pleated pants, white slacks and on occasion (bless their hearts) short shorts. Despite their lack of fashion logic, they managed to kick some major butt and look good all the while.

EDIT: We’ve been getting an onslaught of comments about our definition of “cop.” For the purpose of this list, it does include private eyes, vigilantes and other assorted we-fight-the-bad-guy types.

1. Michael Knight, Knight Rider

While Michael Long (David Hasselhoff) started off as a policeman, he is shot and transforms into the devastatingly handsome Michael Knight, continuing his crime-fighting destiny.

2. Officer Tom Hanson, 21 Jump Street

Officer Tom Hanson (Johnny Depp) not only became a major heartthrob on 21 Jump Street, his boyish looks assisted in undercover operations among high school and college students.

3. Officer Francis “Ponch” Poncherello, CHiPS

The highways of California offer plenty of opportunities for Officer Francis “Ponch” Poncherello (Erik Estrada), a rambunctious motorcycle patrolman, to show us exactly what he’s made out of.

4. Sgt. T.J. Hooker, T.J. Hooker

Even as a veteran law officer, Sgt. T.J. Hooker (William Shatner) is always ready to face the mean streets. So punks, watch out!

5. Thomas Magnum, Magnum P.I.

Known for his magnificent mustache, private detective Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) of Magnum P.I. sure does wear a lot of Hawaiian shirts. And short shorts. Being able to catch bad guys dressed like that is a feat in itself.

6. Christine Cagney, Cagney and Lacey

NYPD detective and tough gal Christine Cagney (Sharon Gless) gets paired up with a working mom Mary Beth Lacey. Thus, Cagney and Lacey is born, and plenty of crime fighting ensues.

7. Det. James “Sonny” Crocket, Miami Vice

The fact that Det. James “Sonny” Crocket (Don Johnson) has a pet alligator named Elvis to guard his sailboat/home definitely qualifies him as a badass. And taking on Florida drug world while sporting shoulder pads and snow-white slacks doesn’t hurt.

8. Lieutenant Columbo, Columbo

Underneath the cigar smoke, the trench coat and apparent incompetence lies Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk), homicide detective and resident badass.

9. Bill Gillespie, In the Heat of the Night

There’s nothing quite like being the sheriff in small town USA. Bill Gillespie (Carroll O’Connor) shows that teamwork makes all the difference when upholding the law.

10.  Sgt. Rick Hunter, Hunter

The Los Angeles Police Department has never seen a homicide detective like Sgt. Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer). We love him for his gritty attitude and swagger on Hunter.

(Images via IMDB.com and Mptvimages.com)

Woolrich Lightweight Tactical Pants Giveaway

It’s not every day you see someone giving away spiffy pairs of tactical trousers. Well, Armslist isn’t exactly just handing out the pants. Much like anything nowadays, there’s always a catch. The good news is this contest is pretty transparent.

If you have an extensive network of friends and followers who click on every link you post, then this Woolrich Elite Lightweight Operator pant can all be yours. The site, a classified listing for guns, equipment and outdoor gear, is determining its winners by measuring how many visitors each contestant brings to the site.

Five people will win the 7-ounce, 100 percent cotton ripstop trousers along with an Armslist T-shirt. Currently Dirt Rich is in the lead with 2,476 clicks just a week into the contest, which runs through the end of April.

To enter, simply sign up on Armlist.com, get your unique URL and start promoting.

(Via Say Uncle)

Tactical Talk: Trigger Pull Tactical

If you’re looking for straight-up tactical talk, look no further than Trigger Pull Tactical. The blog is operated anonymously by TP (Trigger Pull), a veteran law enforcement officer who also served in the military and now works with a full-time tactical team. His description is vague and for good reason, his agency has strict rules about name and title usage outside of work.

So, why risk it by blogging? TP says he blogs for one reason: To make tactical operators out there think.

On his blog, he often shares informative articles and insights from his own experiences, careful to not reveal too much information. TP told us he’s been writing for quite awhile, though he has been blogging for less than a year. Along with his blog, TP just started hosting a weapons and tactics forum over at OfficerResource.com.

You emphasize that tactical operators should think. Who is out there not thinking? Is it something civilians should worry about?

I don’t think anyone specifically is not thinking, rather I believe there is room for improvement in the tactical field. I believe many tactical teams are under trained, under staffed, under paid. With that comes a lot of bad decisions. The old way of doing things is to gear up, grab your weapons, hit the door, arrest the bad guys, and hope for the best. The tactical field has come a long way in the last 25 years, but many teams and agencies still have the old way of thinking.

What’s something you’ve witnessed in your line of work that had you smacking your hand to your forehead?

I laugh at this question, because there is probably too many to even narrow it down to just one. Let’s just say I’ve seen, been involved in, and will continue to see head-smacking things in my line of work. Let’s just hope they are few and far between.

Your blog is anonymous. Has anyone from work called you out on this? Does anonymity give you more freedom on what you disclose?

Nobody has called me out because nobody knows who I am. Other than my wife, nobody knows Trigger Pull’s true identity. Anonymity is nothing I really wanted to do myself, but rather something I had to do or this project would be counter-productive. If you read my postings and articles you will notice that I never use names, very specific instances or locations. This is so I don’t get in trouble with my agency, and more importantly so that NOBODY ever finds out my true identity.

You explicitly say in your “About” section that you’re not blogging to sell tactical gear. However, if you had to pick a favorite brand and/or item that has helped through the year, what would it be and why?

Hands down — my EOTech. They are simple to site in, take a lot of abuse, and you never miss.

Let’s say you weren’t in the tactical field. What can you picture yourself doing instead?

A high school teacher or coach and a maybe fitness instructor on the side.

What’s your hope for 2010?

We lost 125 police officers in the line of duty and 469 American Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2009. Although I realize we will lose more and that’s the price of doing business in this line of work, I hope those numbers dwindle drastically.

Discreet Tactical Denim Jeans

These aren’t your daddy’s Levis. Oh no. Discreet tactical jeans are more like your casual, off-duty ninja jeans. It give an Average-Joe look for those packing like James Bond.

So, why look like Joe instead of Bond?

With more and more folks receiving a carry concealed license, there’s a growing interest in bringing a gun along almost anywhere without being fanny-pack obvious. If you get stuck in an unsavory situation, the last thing you’d want is to become a target for being armed. Tactical jeans and other discreet wares keep your identity on the DL. So, when bad guys bust into a convenience store, they won’t even know what they’re up against.

But, what’s so special about tactical jeans?

For one, pockets are usually deeper and wider — much like its clothing counterpart, the tactical pant. That means when you switch from a tactical pant to a discreet denim, you won’t have to change the placement of your gear.

Another plus to tactical jeans is the elastic waistband. It was not created just for big meals or future weight gain. It’s for those fast-moving guys who might scale buildings and tumble across car hoods on a casual grocery store outing. Because you never know, right? That elastic waist cuts you some slack when needed.

Get these tactical blues at EOTAC, which has a 12.5-ounce 100% cotton denim pant for $56.99-$68.99 MSRP. Or stop by the NRA Store for a pair of 5.11 Denim Tactical Jeans for $34.95. Their jeans have a little bit of a darker wash than EOTAC’s light stonewashed look. Yes, stonewashed. That ’80s fad is actually kind of in vogue again. Luckily EOTAC’s stonewash isn’t as severe as an acid wash.

And if you’re ready to jump on the trend train (destination unknown!), watch how you can turn your own boring jeans into stonewashed gems.

Introducing Kitanica PNT X.A Tactical Pants

Imagine how the paparazzi treat a new starlet. The garish, potbellied thugs pace outside her home, hovering around the wrought-iron gate while shoveling Coffee Bean muffins down their gullets and wiping sweat beads away with a star map. Once she makes the descent from her private castle, they clamor her name. Then they strike.

That intro was inspired by the paparazzi-like photos of the new tactical pants from Kitanica (below). And we were going to mention that we’ve been lurking outside of the Kitanica corporate office in Oakland, Calif., digging through disturbingly rank Dumpsters for blueprints and watching employee movements through telescopic lenses, innocently seeking the 411 on their new trousers. But that’s just too weird. And, no, we really haven’t.

Now we’re thinking that paparazzi might need a pair of these PNT X.A ($160) to hold all their stalker tools. With 12 pockets, dual-waist cinches, PALS webbing and drawstring cuffs, the new pants in a 65/35 poly cotton-blend are tactical enough to hold camera equipment, a Blackberry or two and just enough Red Bull to get photogs through the day. The heavy-duty tactical pants also tout articulated knees and a reinforced butt, which a paparazzo really needs to run to celebs and from the law.

Although Kitanica isn’t marketing the pants to those dregs of society, we think they’re a worthy market. Really! Tip o’ the hat to Tatical-Life.com for pointing us to these sleek, stone-colored cargos. They sure are pretty (and little pricey!). Must be that lifetime coverage…

And if you’ve never heard of Kitanica before, it was founded by Beej Cronin, a sewer, designer a pattern maker who started the company along with his brother back in 1995. It’s biggest claim to fame? Having Mythbuster’s Adam Savage sport its Mark IV Jacket on TV without even knowing it. The tactical jacket became an overnight sensation.

Behind the Seams: Criminal Hotspots, EMS/Fire Blogger Meet-up and More

• Find out what those experimental criminologists have been up to in the video above. (The Crime Map)
• Going to be in Baltimore on March 5? We hear the BIGGEST EMS/Fire blogger meet-up of all time is taking place. (Happy Medic)
• SouthLAnd premiers on TNT to rave reviews … at least from one LEO. And possibly from others. (Motorcop)
• Are people impersonating fire personnel to steal narcotics from ambulances? (EMS Daily News)
• Everyday EMS Tips celebrates its 500th post. (Everyday EMS Tips)
• Scott from Spartan Cops takes a sabbatical. (Spartan Cops)
• Have you seen Hott Cops Magazine? Apparently it has been around for awhile. (Hott Cops)
• A lone goat takes Texas police on a wild ride. (Officer.com)
• Slam Dunks turns into a guest blogger for a day. (Slam Dunks)
• And now for a tiny diatribe about immigration and stereotyping. (The Duty Sgt)

Kids Tactical Pants

You’re never too young to be tactical. Believe us: In our infancy, we were scaling crib walls with a binky in the front pocket, a blankie in the rear pocket. Ah, memories.

But do they actually make tactical pants for babies? Of course!

While the itsy-bitsy look-alikes aren’t 100 percent replicas of daddy’s and mommy’s pants, these kiddie cargos were recently featured on People Magazine’s Celebrity Baby Blog as affordable and trendsetting.

Available in khaki, colored and pattern sets, the pants range in price from $6 to $38. The luxurious pocket space (miniscule, of course, compared to regular tac pants) is the perfect size for a rattle, teether or Micro Machine, though it probably won’t fit that giant ring of keys.

If your little one has moved past infancy, try tactical pants for kids in sizes 3-10. Tactical Daddy, as well as various other online stores, carries a 5.11 kids tactical pant. Or go with more of a G.I. Joe look with Propper’s BDUs for kids in both universal and woodland camo.

And for those Tactical Daddies: Marcus Melnick made a big splash three years ago by launching a Tactical Daddy Vest — his solution to the modern diaper bag. In the video below, view just how much baby stuff can be crammed into a 16-pocket 5.11 tactical vest.

(Images via TacticalDaddy.com)

Tactical Talk: EOTAC’s Fernando Coelho

Nobody’s more passionate about perfecting the tactical pant than Fernando Coelho.

In 2005, the president and founder of EOTAC set out to introduce a better-fitting, more durable pant to the market. And he did just that — first working on Woolrich’s Elite Series and then for his own tactical clothing company in 2008.

Coelho has worked in the firearms industry since the mid-nineties, founding Triton Cartridge, an ammunition company that produced high performance defensive ammunition like the Quik-Shok and Hi-Vel lines. Before his foray into manufacturing tactical gear, Coelho worked at a nuclear generating station outside of New York City as an armed security officer and member of its tactical response team.

Because of his amazing ability to talk “tac pants” for hours perhaps, we couldn’t be in more awe of Coelho or his work.

You’ve designed and improved upon the design of tactical pants. What was the most important change you made and why?

I think one of the most important things we changed is the fit. Pocket placement and fabric selection is important, but the fit of the pant is what keeps one brand of pant left hanging in your closet and the other out in the field for use every day.

Tactical pants have to accommodate the end users. The type of people who wear a tactical pant have different needs than someone that is into mountain climbing or hiking. You want a pant that gives you the range of motion to allow you to drop down on a knee without the pant being tight in your crotch. You want a pant that allows you to lift your leg without your pant binding. You want a loose fit but not so loose that the fabric gets in your way. We spent a lot of time working on the fit of our pants and listening to the feedback from our team of beta testers. I think that the effort has paid off.

What’s the most recent innovation in the tactical world that has excited you?

In the tactical world, I would say body armor continues to reach new levels of development. Today’s armor is much lighter while still offering high levels of ballistic protection. Now you see armor carriers being integrated with combat uniforms, which make the overall combat uniform less bulky and more comfortable for our soldiers. When you look at clothing specifically, our new Direct Action line of clothing is exciting. We developed the Direct Action line as our answer to the combat uniform.

How many pairs of tactical pants do you own?

I must have at least twenty pairs of tactical pants and another dozen discreet pants. I wear tactical pants three to four days out of the week. The rest of the time I’m wearing our discreet denim pants.

When did you first discover tactical pants? What were your initial impressions of the pants?

When I was in the ammunition business in the mid 1990s, we started a shooting team. That team wore tactical pants, and that was my first introduction to them. Before that I always wore denim pants.

My initial impressions are the reason I’m in the clothing business now. I was so disappointed with the fit of the first tactical pants I wore. Then after you washed them a few times, the fit got worse. Not to mention the fading and inconsistent cut from pant to pant. For what I was paying for those pants, I definitely expected more. Years later the brand of tactical pant began to offer more styles, but their pants never got better.

If you got in a time machine and jumped 50 years in the future, will tactical pants still look the same? Would anything be different?

That is an interesting question. If you look back in time, tactical pants remained the same for years. Today you have many manufacturers getting into the tactical pant market. Fifty years from now physically we will still have two arms and two legs.

That being the case, I think pockets may change in shape and placement to accommodate the gear of the time. I expect the big changes to be in the fabrics used and the fabric treatments. I think lighter and stronger fabrics that are more comfortable that what we are used to will be the trend.

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