Defender Flex Jeans by 5.11 Tactical | Casual yet Tactical

I typically hate receiving clothes as a gift in general. I make exceptions here and there. Want to get me a Dixxon Flannel? Sweet.

How about a pair of 5.11 Defender Flex Jeans? Yes, please. I now have two pairs of these bad boys and I adore them. I have owned both blue and black for over 3 years now.

They’ve traveled, worked, operated ranges and more, yet still look excellent. And I don’t baby my jeans either. They get worked hard, washed in cold water and tossed in a dryer on high.

Although the 5.11 Defender Flex jeans come in a skinny jean, I prefer the straight-leg design and fit. I love the Defender jeans for a lot of reasons, but the main reason is the comfort and stretch they provide.

These jeans have a good measure of mechanical stretch denim and are backed with Lycra T400 Tough max. As you squat, run, bend over and just move, the pants move with you. They don’t offer resistance or limit mobility.

I like to think of them as the men’s version of Yoga pants. They are nice and light, very comfortable overall and after more than a year’s worth of use, are damn sure durable. I love these pants and plan to stock my closet full of them.

Pockets on Pockets

We all love pockets right? Cargo pants hold stuff, letting you worry about making friends. However, cargo pants have a time and a place. Jeans let you go anywhere and they allow you to remain incognito.

The 5.11 Defender Flex Jeans feature a traditional five-pocket design but also include two additional rear hip pockets. These pockets are the perfect size to house a 30 round AR 15 magazine.

For practical purposes they also allow you to carry a tourniquet or knife which is more useful in day-to-day life.

You can pack a few different things in these pockets for low profile carry and it gives you a little extra cargo space. They are well-sized for a multi-tool, or to stash a knife to leave room in your front pocket.

These pockets can carry a phone or a point-and-shoot camera as well. For overseas travel, you have a quasi hidden pocket to stash a passport and some cash to avoid the more unscrupulous among us.

The 5.11 Defender jeans allow you to remain mobile, comfortable, and incognito. The tactical look is often overdone and a dead giveaway that you are likely packing a gun or knife.

There is no reason not to have the same freedom of movement, storage options, and comfort offered by tactical cargo pants in a lower profile pant.