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5.11 Comes to the Tidewater

A new 5.11 Signature Store celebrates its grand opening this Saturday in Virginia Beach. The second of its kind in the nation and the first on the east coast, it is owned and operated by Tidewater Tactical. Think of it as a franchise. The store is locally owned and operated but all of the content is 5.11.

Truly a catalog come to life, you could walk into the store naked and walk out, equipped head to toe to perform most LE or associated tactical functions. Not to mention, they make a great pair of pants that are well suited for use by those in construction, utilities, and transportation. In fact, if you are hard on your clothes while at work or play, 5.11 is a good choice. Additionally, 5.11 offers a great deal of product for use by military personnel in addition to their new Fire/EMS line. What’s more, they are constantly expanding their product offerings.

Everything you see in their catalog will be available in the store and it is exclusively 5.11. In fact, it’s 2000 square feet of 5.11. The big plus here is that it is in stock; all sizes, all colors and you aren’t going to see any other brands mixed in there.

Nobody what they do for a living, everybody wears shoes or boots. 5.11 has a great cross section of footwear choices that will fit most any need: casual, steel toe, or duty.

What I’ve said here isn’t just some ad. I mean what I say. I remember about seven years ago sitting down with Bob Denny to take a look at what 5.11 was up to. I was already familiar with the pants as I owned a pair or two that were made by Royal Robbins. What impressed me at the time was what this new 5.11 brand was doing to spearhead the development of what eventually became the tactical clothing market. Today, 5.11 continues to impress me as they refine their current of products and delve into new areas, always mindful of how the products will complement one another. They’ve put a lot into this industry and for that they have earned my respect. There are a lot of folks wearing 5.11 and that certainly says something.

The new store is centrally located at 375 Independence Blvd near Virginia Beach’s City Center district. It lies across the street from Pembroke Mall and is right down Independence from Little Creek NAB. Visitors will find easy access from the Independence exit from 264 which also makes it convenient for many local LE agencies.

5.11 Tactical is interested in opening stores in other areas. To learn more talk to your POC at 5.11.

Stop in for their grand opening this Saturday, 4 June and mention that you read about the store on SSD and you will receive a 10% discount. LE and Military receive a regular 5% discount which essentially pays the tax on your purchase.

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11 Responses to “5.11 Comes to the Tidewater”

  1. CQBG36 says:

    I can’t believe that you are lowering SSD standards to cover 5.11? Off shore junk that doesn’t last, the Walmart of tactical gear, one step above airsoft.

  2. Administrator says:

    I get some readers who complain when I cover brands like Arc’teryx because they can’t afford them. Now, when I do cover more affordable options, I get complaints that they aren’t exclusive enough.

    5.11 owns a very large market share and they don’t knock anybody off. They are news. Our standard is news.

  3. Reverend says:

    I appreciate you putting that out there! Thank you for letting us in VA know we’re having another tactical store. I’d rather have OPTIONS, than be priced out of the market. COMPETITION makes the markets STRONGER!

  4. Breacherguy says:

    First comment is hilarious and completely wrong, 5.11 puts out quality gear, plain and simple.

  5. SlapRackTap says:

    I agree with CQB, 5.11 is LAPG quality gear at exorbitant prices, prices that keep going up. 5.11s overhead is so high they are forced raise their prices and/or lower quality. Or at least farm it out to SE Asia.

    I also agree with Admin. They do own a huge share of the market. SSD is about news, not about determining who makes the best gear. That distinction falls to us.

    Sorry Breacherguy, CQB is right. Offshore and low quality. Perfect for weekend warriors and beat cops. Most of it would never last in the real world. I would only buy it on clearance and then only for trashing around in.

  6. Cqbg36 says:

    Buy a pair of their boots and report back in six months. Buy there patro uniform and they will turn purple due to bad dye lots. Innovation? Royal Robbins invented the pants. What unique gear have they come up with? Oh the light for life that was recalled and delayed for over a year. They have generic gear that meets a low price point because of off shore manufacturing. You don’t have to break the bank on arcteryx but there are better quality brands out there I went through my 5.11 phase and learned the hard way to pay a little more for quality that will last

  7. Breacherguy says:

    And I’ve had my fair share of crap gear from the high end guys as well. Oddly enough 5.11 is spec’d and worn for years running on defense contracts globally, must be doing something right. I stand by their gear, I’ve had some failures with it but the best thing is if it does you can sure as shit know they will correct it. Every company runs into QC issues from time to time.

  8. m4shooter says:

    I’ve used 5.11 off and on over the years. QA has seen it’s ups and downs. I still have a couple of the pants I bought years and years ago. Others have worn out fairly quick. I’d say my biggest concern is consistency.

    Top shelf stuff? Maybe not, but I have a jacket I got on a job that I still love. I think it’s called an Aggressor jacket. Wears like iron and came with a zip in fleece liner.

    Utilitarian, and a good price. Works for me.

  9. Anonym says:

    I only have a VTAC backpack and some VTAC pouches from 5.11 and I think they are quite alright products with good workmanship and material. They have been doing their job great so far. And absolutely they are higher quality than any standart issue backpack/pouch. I can’t comment on textile products of 5.11 since I don’t have any.

  10. Jeanette K. says:

    That’s interesting that they are looking to expand to even more locations. Hope to see one in the Midwest soon!

  11. Iraq Ninja says:

    Breacherguy,

    I am one of those guys on a DOD contract who has been issued these pants for the past seven years. Cost and availability are often more an issue than functionality. 5.11 is able to deliver high volumes at good prices when quickly required. I doubt Vertx could do the same, and even they have had issues with their QC.

    They are slightly flame resistant, and literally saved my skin one time. I doubt the lighter weight blended fabrics would have done the same. Even so, I consider the pants to be acceptable, but not “great” as stated in the news release. The superior brands are probably just too expensive for consideration.

    5.11 pants are some ways has become symbolic of the overseas contracts, just like baseball caps and Merrills.