Ultimate CCW Upgrade

Perfect Piece Of Equipment For Training

I tested Beyond Clothing’s A9T Mission Pant, an infinitely adjustable pant designed for performance during demanding mission scenarios. This product turned out to be amazingly versatile and comfortable.

The Mission Pant is a direct descendant of Beyond’s A9 uniform line, which has a well-known service record.

There are some men in this world who consider environments you and I would deem inhospitable as merely “inconvenient.” They cannot afford equipment failure, and the stuff they use is overbuilt, over-engineered and sometimes over the top. We are only eager spectators of this world, but we do benefit when the high-end products are available to us.

Beyond Clothing is this kind of company, and their no-nonsense DNA is pervasive in their product line. For those of us who work and practically live on the range, the A9T Mission Pant is the perfect piece of equipment for training.

Testing pants seems pretty straightforward: Wear them and see how comfortable they are. In this respect, the Mission Pant has features that improve wearability over even the best tactical pants out there.

Best Load Organization Ever

The waistband is double thick, padded and over 2″ wide with four rows of stitching. It has two hook-and-loop waist-strap adjustments that are attached close to the fly on one end, and at 4 and 8 o’clock behind the hip. The front part of the adjustment is elastic. Pant-waist adjusters pull in a different direction than a belt, which makes them conform to the body better than a belt alone.

When I first tried on the Mission Pants, I put on a daypack and cinched the waist strap. The pack waistband sat on the padded waist of the Mission Pants. The belt loops are actually sized and reinforced for a decent gun belt.

The Mission Pant is made of NYCO, a 60% cotton and 40% nylon fabric, which has the comfort of cotton with superior strength and durability. NYCO is breathable and fast drying. My abrasion tests demonstrated the fabric is wear-resistant and the color fastness is in the thread, not just on the surface. This is good to know for those who adopt it as a uniform pant.

Some hard-use clothing designers have an expectation that, when the pants are suspended from the waist and the product is baggy enough, they will be comfortable and useful. I’m happy to say Beyond Clothing does not subscribe to this. They don’t put seams in high-friction areas, like across the kneecap. Not only is the crotch gusseted, they use a stretch fabric in an area where the increased breathability is appreciated. They are form fitting, which prevents gathering near the loins and flapping at the knees.

These pants are quiet. This is facilitated by the hook-and-loop adjustment behind the knee and the closure around the ankle. There is a utility pocket just above the knee with an elastic adjustment connected to a strap just above the knee. When a knee pad is inserted into its compartment, the elastic adjustment can be cinched to position the pad where it can do the most good. Because the knee pad can be precisely tensioned horizontally and positioned vertically, garment articulation in the leg can be almost completely silent.

Without the strap behind the knee, the amount of cargo one could put in the two pockets above and below them would be limited. They would flop around. The Mission Pant’s engineering allows them to be more than decorative. Both of these pockets have accordion folds that sit flat when the contents aren’t expanding them. They are, however, the perfect size for a magazine, so the straps allow them to accomplish their true purpose: readiness for the fight.

The side cargo pockets are full BDU-sized, slightly offset rather than fully horizontal. They have a generous pocket flap, which is sealed by hook and loop, like the other front pockets. Uniform experts go back and forth whether pocket seals should be hook and loop or buttoned. The former seals a pocket well; the latter is quieter when accessing contents. My friends who operate in the sand tend toward buttons. Wet environment folks like hook and loop.

The most important part about the Mission Pant’s pockets is the load distribution. I have a pair of “tactical pants” which are particularly well made, but all of the pockets — slash front, cargo and knife — overlap on the front part of the thigh. This product has three separate pockets per leg, but only one is usable at a time. The Mission Pant pockets can be stuffed, and still don’t affect a prone shooting position, nor do they shift when kneeling or sitting. Having this many strategically placed pockets gives the user the best load organization ever, and for this I recommend the Mission Pant.

Ultimate CCW Upgrade

I found the Mission Pant to be pretty weather versatile. Where I live, one can go from sea level to 9,000 feet in a couple of hours, and they worked for both hot- and cold-weather hiking. I found the knee panels inhale and exhale air in a manner mimicking respiration, keeping moisture away and preventing chafing.

I was surprised the Mission Pant does not have a double-layered seat. Most of the pants issued to me did. This product, however, has a deep set of rear pockets made of NYCO with a zipper top. They are bar tacked at the top, and they hang freely inside the pant. They have what looks like finished drainage slots on the bottom. They are about deep and wide enough for a ticket book. The seat pockets are a quieter way to have secure storage and a double seat. The downside to this is the fact my notepad swims in the back pocket and sits below my hip when seated. I would make this a dual pocket, so wallets sit high and passports sit low, distributing things a little. The zipper top ensures the contents are completely secure.

The Mission Pant is designed for knee pads. Unlike several other pants, users insert the pads from the bottom of the knee, rather than the top. This allows for a flatter profile across the top of the knee, and keeps that ridge of sand or mud from forming across an area where it would be difficult to remove.

NYCO is comfortable against the skin, and it has some wicking qualities. I found these pants vented well, through the stretch fabric on either side of the knee and the toggle button fly. They were much cooler than the two uniform pants, and much quieter.

I spent some time testing these pants on the range, and the waistband was infinitely more comfortable under a battle belt than my old uniform pants. For everyday wear, it should be noted I could fit a GLOCK 19 in the front pockets. I’m not big on a squared-off auto in the pocket, but I do pocket carry, and these pants worked for me.

The Mission Pant is wash and wear, and I have not noticed any changes in the colorfastness of the material. It does get a little softer after the first wash, but it maintains the crispness of a uniform pant.

Besides a uniform pant, what would I use the Mission Pant for? I think the civilian world should recognize this product as the ultimate CCW upgrade. There is plenty of cargo space. The freedom of movement is off the charts, and the waistband is holster-friendly. It’s a worthwhile investment for the prepared warrior.

Beyond Clothing takes global responsibility seriously, and I noticed they are working to restore the world’s pollinators through the Beyond Pollinator Program. My A9T Mission Pants came with seed paper — cardstock with lavender and poppy seeds impregnated in them — in the form of hang tags and inserts with printed information about the products. I turned them over to my daughter, who planted them. They sprouted within a couple of weeks. These are bees’ favorite flowers. I’m happy to participate.

Beyond Clothing also participates in the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which supports the children of fallen or severely injured operators. Much of the Beyond Clothing product line is Berry Compliant, including their subsystems like material sourcing and components.

The A9T Mission Pant is available in gray, green, navy or black. MSRP is $199.

For more info visit BeyondClothing.com.

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