How to care for you tactical pants

29 | 10 | 2025

You put your tactical pants through a lot: heavy wear, extreme environments, and more than a few scuffles. The difference between a pair that lasts one season and one that sees years of service is how you look after them. With the right care, your tac pants can retain performance, shape, and durability for many operations to come.

In this guide, we’ll discuss best practices, from laundering to repair and storage, using specific models to illustrate the steps.

Why Proper Care Matters

Tactical pants are more than just clothing. They integrate technical fabrics (rip-stop blends, stretch panels, DWR finishes, reinforcements, pockets, seams, and specialised components like knee pad pockets). Poor maintenance can degrade the following:

The DWR (durable water-repellent) coatings or stain resistance
The strength of seams, reinforcements, and stress points
The elasticity in stretch zones
The colour and shape
Hardware (zippers, snaps, belts)
Comfort and mobility

UF PRO emphasises in their care guides how maintenance, careful washing, repair, and storage all contribute to the longevity of their combat pants.

Meanwhile, on the 5.11 side, many of their designs use stretch rip-stop fabrics, mechanical stretch blends, reinforced knees/seats, and DWR finishes, so their longevity strongly depends on how they’re handled after each wear.

For example, the 5.11 ABR Pro Pant is built with reinforced knees/seat, which require careful attention. Also, models like the 5.11 Taclite Pro Pants use lightweight Taclite® ripstop with DWR finish, which demands gentler treatment.

Step-by-Step Care Guide for Tactical Pants

Below is a practical, operation-oriented approach to caring for our tactical pants collection:

1. Inspect After Every Use

Immediately after operations or training, shake out debris, dust, sand, or grit from pockets, seams, and folds.
Look for loose threads, small tears, seam weakening, or damage at knees, seat, zippers, and hardware.
The advice is to “check often” and repair minor issues before they worsen.
If you see a loose thread, don’t just snip it — UF PRO suggests carefully burning (melting) the end to secure it rather than leaving a fray.

2. Pre-Wash Preparation

Empty all pockets, remove inserts (e.g. knee pads) or liners.
Turn pants inside out. This protects surfaces, prints, hardware, and the DWR finish.
Pre-spot any stains carefully (use mild soap, avoid harsh chemicals).
Close all zippers, snaps, and fasteners to lessen stress during washing.

3. Washing Best Practices

Use a gentle / delicate machine cycle (or hand wash) with cold to warm water (≤ 40 °C). UF PRO explicitly recommends no higher than 40 °C.
Use mild liquid detergents (no bleach, fabric softeners, or optical brighteners). Harsh chemicals can degrade stretch fibres, DWR, or colour.
Do not overload the drum — allow enough water and space for proper rinsing. Gear wash guides warn that overloaded machines reduce cleaning effectiveness and increase abrasion.

4. Drying & Rejuvenating Finishes

Air dry whenever possible (hang line, shade, avoiding direct sunlight for prolonged periods).
For DWR reactivation (on water-repellent or treated panels), you may tumble dry on low heat or iron at a low setting.
Avoid high temperatures in dryers; they can damage stretch fabrics, reinforcements, or adhesives.

5. Post-Dry Storage & Rotation

Fold or hang pants in a clean, dry area. Avoid damp or compressed storage, which can lead to mildew or permanent creases.
Rotate between at least two pairs to reduce continuous wear on one set.
Pay special attention to kneepad compartments or stretch panels - don’t leave heavy gear in them when stored.

6. Mid-Life Repairs & Reproofing

Reinforce stitches or bar tacks that are weakening, especially at knees, seams, pockets, and gussets.
It is encouraged to repair small holes early before they grow.
Reapply DWR spray if the water repellency is fading (available for many tactical fabrics).

Caring for Specific Models

UF PRO P‑40 All‑Terrain Gen.2 Tactical Pant
This pant combines rugged stretch and ripstop fabrics. Follow UF PRO guidelines: wash ≤ 40 °C, air dry or tumble low to reactive DWR, avoid bleach and brighteners.
5.11 Tactical Pants (e.g. Stryke, ABR Pro, Taclite Pro, Ridge, Apex)
These pants often incorporate mechanical stretch ripstop blends, DWR or Teflon finishes, reinforced knees, and articulated construction. Use the same gentle washing, mild detergents, and air-dry/reapply DWR approach. For example:
- the 5.11 Taclite Pro Pants use a ripstop + DWR combo that benefits from gentle treatment.
- The 5.11 ABR Pro Pant integrates FlexLite Ripstop + stretch; careful washing preserves both structure and elasticity
- The 5.11 Ridge Pant also offers Flex-Tac® canvas with mechanical stretch and contrast DWR panels - so ensuring gentle care on those treated panels will help retain performance.
- The 5.11 Apex Pant similarly uses Teflon™ surface treatment, which can be compromised by harsh detergents or bleach.