Review - RR VersaTac-Light Pants

Here's a brief review of the Rail Riders VersaTac-light pants: http://www.railriders.com/men-versatac-light-pant-p-954.html?cPath=104_110.

I've had a pair of VersaTac-lights for about 4 months now. In short, these are great pants for general outdoor use in warm weather - wet or dry.

Over the last 4 months, I've worn the VersaTac-lights while camping, hiking, riding quads, and hunting deer and antelope. A few features stand worthy of special note:

1. These pants are very light and quick drying. They are also cut full enough to allow for generous freedom of movement with no chafing. I pronounce them "comfy".

2. They are available in 2 inseams - regular and 30". The 30" fit me perfectly and saved me from having to have the pants hemmed.

3. The pockets are plentiful, deep, big, and well secured. Someone at RR also designed other thoughtful features like the reinforcements for pocket knife clips and the inside cuffs.

4. Although light, these are some tough pants. I spent a good amount of time wearing the VersaTAc-lights while crawling through the rocks, brush, and cacti of the Wyoming high desert. I see no wear whatsoever. The reinforced knees are a good thing. I have found no loose stiching.

5. If you like "dirt" colors that blend into the environment, the khaki will work well for you.

Now for the possible downsides: These are nylon pants. They are not stealthy and will "swish" (not in a sexual way) while walking - especially through brush. If you're interested in moving quietly, you'd be better served with the VersaTac-mids. Being constructed of nylon, treatment of any burns will be complicated by melted fabric. I suggest being especially careful around flammable liquids. Finally, at $98 these pants are not cheap. That said, RR runs sales fairly frequently. Also, your initial order will put you on an email list with discount codes commonly offering 20 - 25 % off.

With winter having fully settled in over Wyoming, I'm going to order up a pair of the RR Winter Weather pants. I'll post a review after I've worn them for awhile. With best regards from the Big Empty, ELN.
 

RttH

Member
Thanks for the review! I have the RailRiders Rock Jeans and also the Yukon lined work pants. Pricey yes, but I think these will last years! I find that I reach for my Rock Jeans more than my Levis as they are more durable and look nice if I need to go out for a nice dinner with the wife. I also have the Eco-Mesh shirts that saw daily use when I used to live in AZ.

I value my RailRiders and ExOfficio equally and usually depend on them as my only travel/summer clothing.:coffeedrink:
 
Mid Winter Clearance Sale at RR

Roger - Thanks for the kind words. I've heard good things about Ex Officio. I'll make it a point to give them a try. If you're interested in Rail Riders, you might want to get online now. RR is having a winter clearance sale with some very nice discounts: http://www.railriders.com/. Best regards from the frigid Big Empty, ELN.
 

Momrocks

Adventurer
I have a pair of Railriders weather pants I got several years ago for my Morocco trip. I was turned on to them by some hardcore adventure racers I knew. They swore by RR products and they were right. I find them very well made and long wearing. I still have the weatherpants and prefer them on hot weather hikes where I desire some leg protection.
 

shogun

Adventurer
Well, I was going to keep out of this but given the limited response, I'll add some.

I dont have the VersaTacs, or any of the winter (lined) pants, so cant directly comment on those.

I have standard Weather pants and the Extreme Adventure pants, and the khakis, (and Sawtooth shorts). Both are good kit, but I like the Extremes better due to the added pockets. The material is the best nylon I have ever used, extremely tough, comfortable and the reinforced areas are even tougher. Downside, as mentioned, is the noise, if thats a concern for you. Overall, these things are well built and comfortable. You will Not wear these out.

Now the downsides; The sizes are pretty odd. The legs are way too long for many people. Hopefully you can fit the "special" 30" length they now offer. My other peeve is the belt loops. No two models have the same loops. Most will not fit a standard 1 3/4" belt as they are shipped with a little "starbucks" fuu-fuu type belt that is useless. Not a good deal to drop $100 on pants and then have to spend more to have belt loops added. I understand the VersaTacs have larger loops, but not thier other pants. Mentioned it to the boss but he didnt seem too interested. One other issue, zippers. The zipper pulls are inconsistant. Some pants have a reasonably large pull tab, and other have a teesie little tab that you need to fumble around getting ahold of.

In conclusion, I like thier stuff, its definately tough and comfortable. I wish they could standardize on 1.75" belt loops and better quality zippers.

For more info look here;

http://www.militarymorons.com/
 
RR Belt Loops

Sir Shogun -

Both the RR VersaTac Light and Mid pants will accommodate a 1 3/4" belt. The present Xtreme pants will not. According to John at RR, the next run of Xtreme pants will feature wider belt loops. Like you, I have little use for belt loops that won't fit a 1 1/2" Wilderness belt. Best regards, ELN.
 

shogun

Adventurer
Actually, one pair of my extreme adventures fit the 1.5" wilderness. Its tight, but fits in the belt sleeve across the back. The other extremes have regular loops which wont fit the 1.5" or 1.75" belt, so it was off to the tailor shop. Then of course you have to swap out belt loops when you change pants to keep things stable. Uh, what am I wearing today, 1.5" or 1.75"?

I dont really care for the VersaTacs, but havent seen them up close (dont remember anyway). The thigh pockets seem to be a little too tactical loud, the extremes give me more of the eco-nut look.
 

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