MultiCamBlack

Goths probably don’t rappel down many buildings (and the whole idea of Goths & Guns has an image problem since the Columbine shooters went crazy) but these black multicam pants look pretty neat if you’re into camo. I’m not, so I’ve only got one question: do we call them ‘tactigoth’ or do we call them ‘gothical?’

Image courtesy Tru-SpecI’ve had a pair of Tru-Spec 24/7 khakis for about two years. Khakis look ‘outdoorsy’ instead of ‘mall ninja,’ but like all Tru-Spec 24/7 gear they’re insanely rugged. They’re my go-to pants for a day at the shooting quarry in rain, snow or shine, and they’ve held up amazingly well through hard use. Their only damage is a mend where a knife decided to open itself  inside my pocket.

They also have an elastic waistband which stretches to make room for an IWB holser, and enough pockets and dividers to carry a ridiculous EDC kit without having to wear a man-purse. A knife, smartphone, pen, OC spray, car keys, wallet, full-size 700 lumen flashlight and two spare double-stack magazines will all vanish into the Tru-Spec’s capacious pocketry without giving you the ‘paratrooper’s shuffle’ gait.

Khakis can pass for L.L. Bean or Eddie Bauer, but Black multicam screams ‘I’VE GOT A GUN! SHOOT ME FIRST!’

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

49 COMMENTS

  1. Seriously? You think camo pants is equivalent to: “I’VE GOT A GUN! SHOOT ME FIRST!”? Even camo that doesn’t really pass as camo?

    That’s just odd…

    • The problem with the author’s logic there is that so many gun guys independently decided that khaki cargo pants and a polo shirt was the most practical outfit for day-to-day wear, and in doing so they’ve accidentally created a uniform for people who carry; check amongst the visitors to your gun range if you don’t believe me. If anyone was going to get pegged as a CC holder by active shooters, it’d probably be L.L. Bean guy.

      Plus, y’know, not everyone looks good in khaki, Mr. Dumm. I like these and I just may get some now.

  3. How about showing the butt of a good looking woman instead of a guy. That picture does nothing to make me want to buy those pants.

    • You want women to model men’s clothing? That comes off as a lot weirder than I’m sure you intended it.

    • Oh, so you buy clothing solely based on how good-looking the ad model wearing them – no matter how Photoshopped they are – instead on, I dunno… how the piece of clothing itself looks? Please.

  4. Here is my story on when camo got ruined for me. I was at a gun show (Bill Goodman’s, a number of years ago) when I saw an old burned out hippie type fellow. He was wearing the old basic woodland camo print pants and a green and black tee shirt. Okay, so the tee shirt matched the pants. Good job buddy! Then I saw the front of his shirt. It was that iconic image of Che Guevarta. Ummm, No. Dude? Seriously? I just wanted to ask him ‘You do know that Che would have killed you given half a chance, right?’ Oh but he was a freedom fighter! Ummm, No. He was very Anti-American and your fashion ensemble would not have impressed him. Since then, like 24/7 said above, camo just screams Shoot Me First. Along with multipocket fishing vests.

    • Way to go on the anecdote, but 24/7 didn’t say that. He was quoting what Chris Dumm said and adding that he thought it was a load of crap.

    • I have to agree that when I see a Che t-shirt my first response is to shoot him first, but so far I have not given in to the urge.

      As for the vests, they are kind of like open-carry of a long gun where there is no OBVIOUS purpose to have a long gun – if you are wearing a fishing vest and not near a lake or carrying a pole, or if you are wearing a photographer’s vest and not carrying a camera, even the dimmest bulb may begin to wonder what exactly is your problem? Since the purpose of concealed carry is to avoid notice or even speculation, this seems counter-productive.

      As for camo pants, I used to enjoy wearing my Army-issue woodland camo with Hawaiian shirts after I got out of the service. Except that they don’t fit me anymore I would still wear the pants because they are VERY comfortable. I have avoided, however, buying the current camo pattern because I don’t want to pretend I am entitled to wear what these guys have earned. These Gothicammos, however, look pretty interesting to me.

      • Same here. I wear BDU-type clothing because it’s often exceptionally robust for the price. When I needed good work clothes, I found that three $20 BDU pants > one $60 pair of Carhartt jeans. As for khaki, I don’t give a crap about looking like a “Mall Ninja;” khaki just doesn’t look good on me and it never has, so I go with black or OD green instead.

  5. It seems like these days every new idea that comes along for concealment or other every-day “tactical” purposes is immediately attacked as a “Shoot me first!” neon sign. I submit that the vast majority of bad guys do not do that much homework on the tactical and/or concealment gear or clothing most non-BGs sport. I suspect they do not do very much homework at all. I also suspect that they generally hit targets of opportunity, with little fore-planning, and with the sincere desire to get in and out without having to shoot anyone, since even an armed robbery charge is easier to plea down than murder.

    For that reason I think we should EMBRACE such gear the way we should embrace people who open carry their pistols. The more people who wear this stuff, or open carry, the more mainstream it becomes and so the “shoot me first” meme for tactical gear becomes moot, if it ever wasn’t. When camouflage pants are common who will know if it is because you’re carrying or just like ’em? What are the chances of an average (generally not too bright) bad guy walking in the Seven-11 and just blasting anyone in camo before he asks the clerk to hand over the $72.00 in the register?

    I vote that everybody buy a pair of these pants and wear them every chance you get. Make the bad guys sweat.

    • I suppose that depend on who your ‘bad guys’ are, in many of my simulations, they draw a federal pay check and likely subscribe to the same catalogs I do…

  7. I dont really see how there is any connection to anything goth to TruSpec Camo ANYTHING. Its because its black isnt it chris? 😀

    So heres a question, Im a country bumpkin and wear quite a bit of camo, particularly during hunting season when I cant be out in the woods where I belong. Does my woodland camo real tree t-shirt really scream I must be armed or that Im just some “unsuspecting redneck” out doing my business?

    I pretty much have a camo hat on year round more or less, but I am out plenty seeing guys in 5.11 t-shirts, hawaiian shirts and cargo pants, oddly baggy shirts, maxpedition bags etc.Id bet my ass most all of them are carrying, but I wonder if thats because Im just looking for the signs because I am packin too.

  9. I guess I’m the only carrier out there who didn’t change what he wore once he got into guns…I do not see the need to wear camo. At all. I don’t hunt, I’m not in a wilderness combat zone.

    I also refused to deal with holster belts and the associated non-standard pants requirements. Crossbreed, Stealthgear, Remora and the like have made the need to change your attire a thing of the past.

    I have to think the guys I see tooling around the range in camo pants with tac-rigs hanging off every limb change before they go out in public…right?

    • I’m the guy who shows up to the range wearing a pair of blue jeans and a medium American Eagle polo. Which is exactly what I wear the rest of the time. Other than buying my pants a size up to accommodate my Comp-Tac MTAC IWB holster, and making sure that my polos aren’t too tight to avoid printing, I haven’t really had to change anything.

      That said I have been contemplating buying some slightly more “tactical” gear. If only because some range stuff has a tendency to tear up my wardrobe, so something a bit more resilient than my everyday wear is probably in order.

  10. I gave up on camo 4 decades ago. Only issue clothing I kept was a pair of combat boots, a field jacket and some Ho Chi Minh sandals. And the sandals weren’t issue.

    I’m easing back into hunting. I have a blaze orange hat and vest. I don’t think camo will help that any.

    • Roger that, JWM. I wore camo every day for 9 years, and one weekend a month for another 10. Now I only wear cameo when I hunt, or when I throw on some ratty old BDUs to work on the truck. As for carry, a remora tucked into my Levi’s works fine, shirt in or out.

    • Roger that, JWM. I wore camo every day for 9 years, and one weekend a month for another 10. Now I only wear cameo when I hunt, or when I throw on some ratty old BDUs to work on the truck. As for carry, a remora tucked into my Levi’s works fine, shirt in or out.

      Pretty cool looking pattern though.

  11. I honestly cannot see where this pattern would work in any application short of a dark, rocky area, or the forest at dusk/night. This looks more like fashion and less like function.

    • So? The overwhelming majority of clothing options are merely efficient ways to cover up our shameful nudeness to start with; everything else is just lagniappe, and sometimes it’s nice to wear something other than an oxford and chinos for a change.

    • Tru Spec’s marketing materials say this:

      “Multicam Black was developed to meet the unique needs of law enforcement officers operating in high risk environments. It projects a distinctly authoritative presence appropriate for domestic operations.”

      It’s not camouflage, since police officers have no actual reason to conceal their presence. It’s just more police-militarization wannabe-soldier stuff. They want to look like “operators”, they want to look intimidating, and they want to look cool.

      • I want to look cool. I’ve never managed it. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to look cool.

        Maybe a tacticool kilt?

  13. I’ve got camo, khakis, suits, jeans, BDUs, and blaze orange. Blaze is the furthest thing from camo you can get. They all have their purposes, but I avoid the mall ninja look. However, I do like 5.11 covert shirts, Woolrich Elite Tactical, and even my TTAG T shirt. The 5.11 khakis are also nice. A good suit is excellent for CC, with ready access to your hardware.

    These would make sense for night paintball or possibly for bow hunting. I don’t see much point otherwise, so I’ll pass.

  16. Eh….

    On a college campus like mine, that screams, “School shooter!” more than anything else. I’m careful enough about not wearing black shirts with my black 5.11 pants.

  17. I wore khakis to work for years (when not wearing a sit), but now that I work at home (and become a bit paunchier in my aging), I’ve become a fan of 5.11s, More comfortable than jeans (that stretch waist band, you know), and in my community nothing unusual. Cargo pockets khakis and shorts are a common sight, so no one even looks. And enough hunters that camo is not out of the ordinary either. Personally I don’t wear camo ( I look terrible in green), but these are a nice and inoffensive everyday looking pant. Leastways where I live.

  19. If I ever see a LEO in this pattern, I’m buying their whole precinct copies of “Rise of the Warrior Cop”.

  20. For those not in the know, multicam® is a restricted trademarked pattern owned by Crye Precision. The trademark, and the resulting royalties, are the primary reason the army rejected it back during their trials, and selected the inferior “Universal pattern” for the ACU.

    My first thought upon seeing this? Tru-spec is trying to copy multicam without actually selling multicam, and thus paying the royalties. Turns out that was wrong.

    A quick look at Crye’s website shows they offer multicam in several patterns: the original multicam, mcam arid, mcam tropic, mcam alpine, and mcam black.

  21. Some may tell me to “Lighten up, Francis,” but I think the thing that stuck in my craw the most about the MultiCam Black roll out was the crap in the promo stuff for it (emphasis mine):
    MultiCam® Black was developed to meet the unique needs of law enforcement officers operating in high-risk environments. It projects a distinctly authoritative presence appropriate for domestic operations.

    MultiCam® Black is designed to complement an officer’s existing equipment and present a sharp, professional image for top-tier law enforcement units.

    In other words, more gucci-flage for the local SWAT commander to write up a federal grant for. Kinda makes me nostalgic for my days growing up in Smalltown, USA where the police all drove marked cruisers and wore a proper uniform/hat. Not BDU pants bloused in their combat boots, a T-shirt that has “POLICE” screen printed on it, a ball cap, and hard-knuckle gloves.

  25. I wear black every day from head to toe. I run a steel fab shop and hate buying new clothes because of oil stains. Wrangler cargo pants, black work boots, black pocket T and a black XL thermal type sweater on top…. I have about 10 of each so I don’t have to do laundry as much either.

    None of my customers seem to have a problem because I carry myself like a professional(business not operator).

  26. All those saying that camo screams shoot me first realize that these were created for LE forces right? Not everyday casual wear.

  27. If camo says anything at all, you’re not using it for the purpose it was intended. It’s not a fashion statement, it’s to help conceal your form. This one looks good for night time operations, not PF Changs.

  28. Really, every clothing store sells some variant of their own home-brewed camo. I’m talking Abercrombie, Old Navy, etc type stores. The only people that know the difference between something like multicam, and something like Old Navy camo are gun guys. Camo is pretty popular and trendy these days, nobody looks out of place even strolling around the mall in camo. Hell, if you were wearing these pants to the mall there is as much of a chance as the worker at Pac Sun asking you where you got them, as there is a fellow shooter asking you where you got them. Wear what you like, but you certainly aren’t gonna get singled out for wearing camo pants anymore than you would in some khaki 5.11s.

    Of course wearing full camo (pants and shirt) is another story, and people would probably just assume you’re in the army or something at that point.

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