leg wear suggestions for a SHTF scenario

[Hiddenpanda]

this is my criteria:

light water resistant
medium rip resistant
very durable

MUST LOOK CASUAL!!!!
no tactical looking items please

i have considered jeans but they are a nightmare when wet, tracksuits rip easy and the cotton ones get to heavy when wet

[Keith]

I prefer more sustainable clothing. It is all very well saying I will use what I have & replace it later when it wears out, but will you know how to replace it when the time comes? By all means wear your modern clothing, but I do recommend that you learn how to make your own clothing before you actually need to.
Personally I prefer to wear 18th century clothing, it is longer wearing than many modern items, more comfortable to wear & more practicle.
Keith.

[CharlesHarris]

Not sure if they sell them in UK, but bib-overalls are fairly standard year-round work clothing here.

https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/men-s-bib-overalls Available in a variety of fabrics from cotton denim or oilskin to Gore Tex or PVC or retardant Aramid, any price range you want.

Absolutely NOT tactical, but thoroughly agricultural.

[Mortblanc]

I cast my vote with both Keith and CH.

I have worn 18th century garb in the woods for weeks on end and it can not be beaten for comfort and ruggedness in a forest environment. it is not so much the trousers themselves that are superior, but the leggings that cover them. The leggings slip on over the pants and are made from heavy canvas, often painted, or lightweight leather. It resists thorns and brambles better than anything made today.

http://tippycurtisknives.com/aboutme.html

However it is not suitable for "blending in" during any normal activity.

CH is also correct in his recommendation. I wear bibs often and they are not unusual wear in my area. Every farmer in the region wears them. I have several pair on the shelf.

They are lose fitting and comfortable. They have numerous pockets and feature several compartments in the bib area that are very handy. Pencil slots, pocket knife slot, zipper closed pocket, open top pocket. The normal pockets are deep and roomy and will carry a lot of essentials. The straps also take the weight off the belt area. In fact, they eliminate the belt loops entirely.

Now none of these items may be what you are looking for, since you are wanting to find bullet-proof pants that shed water, resist thorns and hold up to rough wear while looking snappy with a sport coat.

I suggest you google Deluth Traders "fire hose" line. They are incredibly expensive but appeal to the yuppie construction worker that wants to look good while hauling bricks and mixing concrete.

I forgot to grab a link, I will post it below since we do not have an edit feature on this board.

[Mortblanc]

http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/produ...ended_home

You should check out their entire line. They have really good stuff if you want to pay the price.

[CharlesHarris]

+1 on Duluth. High quality materials and construction, better than current production Carharts.

NOT inexpensive, but very durable and you do get what you pay for. Customer service outstanding.

[Mortblanc]

Wen you buy the Duluth stuff you can expect it ti last a few years, not a single season or one year of GP use like a pair of jeans.

I can buy serviceable GP jeans for $20 US and they will last a year if I do not snag them or drip battery acid or some fool thing on them.

If I pay $70 US for the Duluth Fire Hose Pants I would expect to get 3-5 years wear from them. That would make them the cheaper choice even at the high initial price.

I am also not sure how to define "tactical" in the OP. If the meaning is camo pattern and snaps, straps and zippers everywhere then I can agree they do not blend well no matter how serviceable they are.

If one is referring to a pair of khaki cargo pants with simple pockets on the legs then I would not refer to them s "tactical". They have become standard fashion wear over here and draw no attention, especially if one cultivates the casual look and blends them properly.

I often wear brown, green or khaki cargo pants with appropriate shirt and a sports jacket or tweed. Just looks like proper outdoor clothing for a stroll down the green lane.

Summers here are very warm so it is normally a colored tee shirt with short sleeved shirt over the top to conceal the suspenders.

The suspenders keep the pants from falling down due to the weight of all the gear in all those pockets!

[BradRadical]

I personally would be wearing my Cargo's, I have outer waterproof layers I can wear, including a poncho.

I would also back a pair of wool trousers, as well as many other items like wool socks, jumper etc for heat if I was camping out.

[Billy02]

you can buy a dry fit cargo pants, if wet they dry very fast.