5.11 History

The 5.11 Tactical company started with mountain climbers. They started with pants bearing the 5.11 name, named after the hardest level of rock climbing at Yosemite. They are thus most famous for their cargo pants that were built initially for climbing but soon the world came to see how durability, high quality and most of all versatile these were and started using them for other applications – tactical applications.

The pant had a lot of crossover appeal. For instance the tactical strap that is now used for radios and handcuffs was designed to hold runners and carabineers. Another feature is their double stitched and reinforced needs that are initially designed to withstand the rigors that the knees undergo during rock climbing. Also they had slanted pockets designed so that the pockets could be easily accessed when someone was wearing a climbing harness.

The 5.11 Tactical pants were first used as tactical pants when a couple FBI agents who also did some recreational rock climbing discovered that the pants would work just as well in their job duties and for everyday wear.

In 1999 Dan Costa a Modesto entrepreneur purchased 51% of the Royal Robbins company and then purchased the remainder of the company in 2001 naming the whole thing 5.11 Tactical. Over the years the design of the pants have been tweaked. The edges of the pockets now feature double reinforced stitching and so you can carry a pocket knife without having to worry about the pockets fraying. They also moved the accessory pouch from the right leg onto the left to provide storage for a spare cell phone or magazine. They have also added other colors outside of khaki over the years as well.

5.11 Tactical not only makes pants these days but also makes shirts, shorts, jackets and vests. They have expanded beyond clothing items as well to now include a number of different tactical bags, rucksacks, knives, footwear, eye wear and flashlights. They continue to remain successful by using the feedback they receive from their end users to improve their current products to create new products.