I love my Riggs Ranger pants.  Love them in shorts, too.  I've been wanting to do a video review for a while now, as I always hate getting clothes by mail or from the internet because it is so hard to tell exactly how they will look and fit by just looking at two dimensional pictures; the video thing hasn't been happening, but I wanted to get a review out in case it would help with people's decision in the meantime.  I've been a lifelong fan of denim jeans for just about every occasion until these came along.  Here's why:

*  Durability:  I have found the fabric used for these pants to be far superior to denim.  Just last month, I tore a small hole in the leg of my Riggs from some barbed wire.  I really got snagged in full stride, and the only result was a tear about 1/4 inch long - had this happened to my jeans, my pant leg would have torn halfway off.  Heck, the tear is so small it's repairable by needle and thread.  Impressive.  The cotton ripstop material is strong and resists tears and abrasion over time.  The front of the pant legs are double-layered, putting more fabric where they're likely to wear the most.  The inside of the rear pockets are lined with super-tough cordura nylon - very handy for those of use who tend to put our tools back there.  one improvement suggestion - Wrangler, are you listening? - line the inside of the back pocket, not just the outside  Lastly, the front right pocket comes with a leather patch on the outside, presumably to protect the pocket edge against damage from tape measures, EDC folding knives, or any other kind of tool with a clip likely to land there.  In addition to being practical, the patch also looks cool.  Belt loops are wide and heavily stitched and the rearmost loop is fully 1.25 inches wide.  Stitching is doubled and even tripled in areas of stress.  Nice.

*  Comfort:  These are really, really comfortable pants, at least to this reviewer.  Though tough, the fabric is not terribly heavy or overly stiff.  I've worn them in the heat of the Southwestern US summer and they've been more tolerable than most.  they also come in a shorts version  The sizing of the legs is generous without being baggy.  Adding greatly to ventilation as well as overall comfort, this also allows long underwear to be worn with comfort during cold weather.  Sizing strikes me as being just a tad on the small side, though not much, and they've resisted shrinkage well.  All the pockets are located sensibly and are easily reachable.  Lastly - but huge in the comfort area - the crotch area is gusseted, allowing plenty of room down there and virtually eliminating binding, um, down there.  (Wrangler:  THANK YOU)

*  Utility:  These pants come with a hammer loop on the right side, which is nice, though I find it to be on the smaller side.  Wrangler:  Please make sure you test your hammer loop with a proper framing hammer!  I found that most of my larger hammers, with their slight flare at the end of the handle, will catch annoyingly as it's being pulled out.  But proper work is done with a good tool belt, so no biggie there...  Also on the right are two other smaller pockets for smaller tools:  One is decent for a box cutter, or small wrench, etc., and the other is good for... a small mobile phone.  That second one is pretty shallow and I've even had my mobile phone bounce out of there when I've taken a hop or two to avoid some hazard.  What I DO like, however, are the two gigantic cargo pockets positioned slightly to the outside of each pant leg.  These babies are downright capacious, and the positioning allows you to lean your leg(s) against something without crushing the contents every time.  In addition to being large, these pockets are baffled, really allowing them to swallow some gear.  try three soda cans, each!!)

*  Style:  These are good looking pants.  What, you say?  These are work pants!  Yes, and unless they are covered with manure or axle grease I don't think twice about wearing these into my local bank or grocery store.  As such, they also happen to make terrific casual wear.  In this way, they beat out any other work pants out there, in my opinion.  The material is attractive and stays looking good over time; the snap buttons on the cargo pockets are hidden under the flap, a nice touch.

*  Value:  These represent good value if they can be had on sale.  Otherwise, it strikes me that these tend to be more than some others, but even so I think the value is there due to their superior comfort and durability.

Other thoughts:

When it comes to serious workwear, one can't reasonably rate anything without some comparison to Carhartt products, which are excellent.  My Carhartt cotton duck work pants wear about as well as chain mail, and they are my go-to pants when I've got to do something really, truly awful, like wading through cactus, porcupine wrestling, scrubbing the inside of the septic tank...  They're that good.  But they also look like work pants - even when brand new - and aren't nearly as comfortable as my Riggs Ranger pants.  I also prefer the cargo pockets on the Ranger's.

Now I have to say that the pockets on the Riggs Ranger pants aren't as geared towards heavy work as most you would find on a pair of Carhartt's.  The cargo pockets are awesome and huge, but I find these more suited to hiking or camping activities than to tool use.  That doesn't bother me too much, as I figure that's what my tool belt is for.  Five stars for a great pair of pants that work just as well protecting you on the job as having a family picnic on the weekend.

Bottom line:  If you are looking for tough pants that will stand up to abuse, look great, and be comfortable to wear all day long in any conditions, these may be your pants.

***** UPDATE 12/1/2011 ******

Just got a new pair of Ranger shorts the other day and noticed they added two belt loops in back for a total of seven rather than the previous five.  I'm not sure if they are all coming with this revision, but it's a great improvement.  When the pockets are full, I've had these pants sag a tad between belt loops in the back.  It's not a big deal, but it does improve the comfort somewhat and better suspends the pants under load having those additional two loops if you are wearing your Ranger pants or shorts with a belt.