The journey of the Down Range Pant started 5 years ago. The idea for a better combat pant germinated and quickly became an obsession. Seasons came and went as we made updates and improvements until we felt we finally nailed it.
BACKSTORY// The objective of the DRP was to improve on every aspect of a combat pant: fit, field functionality, knee protection, and overall comfort so that you can engage in all types of operational activities without any distractions. We know that an uncomfortable uniform will get in the way of doing your job.
First, we focus-grouped combat pant end-users to understand what you like and don't like about other combat pants on the market. From that intel, we focused on the areas of improvement.
The issues you identified included: external kneepads popping out during combative and dynamic physical movements; wind ripping out kneepads during jumps from airplanes or in open helicopters; thick brush catching edges and ripping pads out during patrols; restricted movement when taking a knee due to knee area construction; uncomfortable hot spots at various fit points like the back of the knee and waist; and poor ventilation (aka Monkey Butt). All of your feedback led us to create the Down Range Pant, a pant designed to hopefully be as comfortable as your favorite pair of everyday pants yet rugged enough to stand up to your day job, day after day.
The two major improvements to highlight are the fabric and the knee area construction & functionality.
FABRIC// The stretch NYCO fabric is light and dries quickly. It is super durable but not over-engineered like some combat pants where durability comes from layers of already hot and heavy fabric. The Down Range Pant instead features a lighter weight stretch fabric that is “no drip/no melt”. This pant won’t give you Monkey Butt.
KNEE PROTECTION// But the major story here is about our knee protection. We knew the knee area had to be able to take on consistently hard use but we didn’t want a pant that screamed COMBAT PANT. As a first step, we designed the DRP with an articulated, tonal resin-dot armor knee cap with a pocket behind that accepts a foam pad insert (vs. an open knee pad hole). This design gives abrasion protection even when the foam pad is not being used. The resin-dot armor knee cap is impregnated into the NYCO fabric itself which means that the wind can't rip out the knee pad and debris cannot get trapped inside.
Next, we started designing a more plush and comfortable knee pad that allows for a stable kneeling platform even when taking a knee without tightening it to your knee (yes, knee pads come with every Down Range Pant). Lastly, we designed a knee area tightening/fitting system that provides stabilized kneecap protection without obstructing bending movements with extra fabric behind the knee. While other pants offer either zero protection or 100% protection, the DRP offers abrasion protection with or without using the foam insert.
5 сен 2024
