Review on Men'S Taclite Pro Shorts 9.5-Inch, Made With Poly/Cotton Ripstop Fabric And Teflon Finish, Style 73287 By 5.11 Tactical by Tim Lea

Live, work and play in a South Florida subtropical climate. These lightweight, comfortable, versatile and highly functional shorts fit the bill perfectly for this challenging, high heat/humidity environment. Working in a law enforcement capacity, I have purchased many 5.11 brand products (nearly all from AMAZON) for work/play and have been extremely pleased with the high quality, durability and performance from all of these purchases in the field. These shorts are no exception and I am extremely pleased with how they look, feel and perform in the field.The well designed and laid out 8 pockets of these shorts allow for efficient organization/storage of all of your tactical/field gear (knives, flashlights, cell phones, magazines). The 4 slash pockets (2 front shallow with velcro security and 2 rear with deeper length) allow for quick and easy access to your gear. The rear trademarked tactical canvas strap and front D-ring allows you additional attachment points for other gear you want to access quickly. The heavy duty, double bartacked large belt loops allow extra durability to use various tactical belts (prefer 5.11 in this area too) to effectively support/carry your gear.The fit and feel of these shorts is nearly perfect and I feel is true to size. I wear a Medium 32-34 in most shorts and purchased size 34 in the Khaki color and they look and fit me great. I am just shy of 6' and 175 lbs. and the 9.5" inseam fits me just above my knees similar to the picture. As other reviewers have commented, they are not completely form fitting, close to your body but somewhat loose fitting - especially in the crotch (probably due to the built in double reinforced triangular gusseted material) but they are not baggy looking unlike other brands of tactical shorts and pants I have purchased. In short, they are designed to be loose in the areas you want to allow for extra freedom of movement and form fitting in other areas.If you do not like the fit and appearance from the 9.5" leg length you may want to order the 11" inseam for more leg coverage. The action elastic comfort stretch band in the waist allows for a little extra expansion for movement and for an IWB CCW (small weapon) and or a heavy meal! The poly/cotton 6.14 oz. ripstop fabric is very durable and lightweight and nearly wrinkle-free. The Dupont Teflon stain protector keeps them from becoming easily stained in the field. I also use them as hiking/trekking shorts and they perform beautifully and are the best I have found for this purpose.I do not know of any UPF factor on these shorts for those who are concerned about sun safety. Due to polyester fabric blend of these shorts, I would say the sun protection factor they provide is fairly high - at least UPF 30 - but this is just a guess on my part based on other similar blended UPF fabric shorts/pants that I have purchased. This is an issue for me and a factor in buying due to subtropical climate in which I live and work and maximum sun exposure to harmful UVA/UVB rays in this type of environment.Other great and high quality features are the YKK zippers and PYRM snap in the fly area and the cordura reinforced pocket edges to prevent the pockets from tearing when you attach your knife or flashlight in these areas.In summary, I truly believe the Taclite Pro Shorts from 5.11 are the "best of breed" as far as tactical shorts brands go and are probably the most perfectly designed, functional and highly performing shorts that I have ever purchased.Additionally, they are extremely comfortable to wear and are made from a lightweight breathable fabric which performs excellently in a warm, humid climate. If you need something heavier and warmer I recommend their regular tactical shorts which I believe has a 8.5 ounce fabric.While they are not inexpensive- AMAZON - has the best pricing, I believe in the motto " you get what you pay for" and I think this truly applies to this product. I highly recommend them to you for use in the field or in tactical, warm weather climate. I know I will be purchasing several additional pairs (different colors) in the near future.