REVIEW: LEO KÖHLER Combat Pants KBS

Who's in charge during the operation? Hopefully everyone. The German Bundeswehr is partially excited about new clothing, we have actually captured the pants: at least in style. This Leo Köhler belongs to the Bundeswehr Combat Clothing Set Armed Forces (KBS SK), which also explains the acronym in the pants name. By 2023, all VJTF forces should have this stuff, by 2031 the entire Bundeswehr. At first glance, you have of course noticed that this is not the camouflage pattern commonly used by the Bundeswehr. We have the KBS Operations Combat Pants in the German PHANTOMLEAF WASP II. Better camouflage. Sometimes the pants are hardly visible against the background. Take a look at the pictures.

Front view. Great combat pants, in which we felt very comfortable right from the first time we put them on. The Germans did a good job with this.

Here are the details at a glance:

• Semi-elastic waistband.
• Thigh compression straps.
• 2 front pockets with button closure loops.
• 1 back pocket with flap and button closure.
• 2 thigh pockets with flap, button closure loops, elastic fastenings, Cordura reinforcement, and water drainage eyelet.
• 1 knife pocket in the right thigh pocket.
• 2 lower leg pockets with zipper and Cordura reinforcement.
• 8 belt loops (50 mm).
• 2 loops for suspenders.
• Internal side zipper with mesh fabric for ventilation of the pants.
• Ergonomic knee sections reinforced with Cordura with insertion options for knee protectors.
• Cordura reinforced crotch area.
• Sewn-in mesh gaiter with elastic drawstring.
• Boot fastening loop.
• Outer fabric according to Bundeswehr TL.

Anyone can be a little Napoleon. The front opening is secured with a zipper, and a button closes the pants above it.

The soldier likes wide belts: 50 mm fits perfectly here.

The horizontal bars are the external mountings for any suspenders.

You can safely close the pockets on the right and left with buttons.

Side view of the same passage: the friendly oak leaf above in the middle is the logo of PHANTOMLEAF, which is repeatedly incorporated into the camouflage pattern. The fabric of the pants is a very lightweight RipStop in 80/20 cotton/polyamide. We showed you how the green pattern of the German manufacturer looks in nature in a field test HERE.

The thigh pocket is large and square. Not much else to say there... 

Big like Russia. And really no compartments inside. There's a pocket on the leg where you can put a pocket knife or a flashlight.

What's extremely great is the elastic band that allows you to tighten the top of this pocket. You can adjust the width of access yourself.

Closed and opened with proven Canadian buttons. Works even with gloves on.

The straps around the thigh from the old KSK pants by Leo Köhler are still there, with which you can tighten the thigh pocket, so that nothing wobbles too much during movement.

The straps are hidden on the front and back. Only the adjustment loop is actually visible.

In the side view, you can see the comfortable fit.

The preformed knee area is reinforced with Cordura.

The pocket here surprisingly opens with a zipper. But why not, padding goes inside. So it won't press on the knee. Sliced foam pad or elaborate protector - the choice is yours. The Hard knee pads from UF PRO, for example, fit, we don't know what the Bundeswehr issues.

But we do know she likes zippers. So there are also zippers on the inside of the trousers for good ventilation.

This is like the built-in air conditioning. The soldier will be happy when it gets hot or he is deployed in arid regions.

Here again, the whole knee area in portrait.

Viewed from the back. Enjoy the camouflage effect of PHANTOMLEAF.

There is also a back pocket. You don't need more.

Instead, at the bottom of the leg, there are two "car driver pockets", also zippered. And they are really on the back of the calves.

Also, at the bottom, the zipper reigns and you can open the pants and let the air flow through. The mechanism you see here is the adjustable width of the built-in gaiters.

This is not just open for a reason: mesh prevents insects from entering.

The inside is reinforced against abrasion with Cordura.

And there they are, the integrated gaiters.

You can also attach them nicely to the field boots. A practical solution.

The KBS combat pants are a world champion in movement, you can even kneel comfortably. For more pictures of the various PHANTOMLEAF patterns in the field, see PHANTOMLEAF on Instagram.

CONCLUSION: Exciting what the Bundeswehr presents here. The KBS combat pants are a great pair of pants that fully convince us. The relatively lightweight fabric, the comfortable fit, efficient ventilation, and a practical pocket layout. There is nothing to complain about. We would love to rummage through the rest of the Armed Forces combat clothing set. Here the advantage is that the pants are in wonderful PHANTOMLEAF. HERE we interviewed the creators of PHANTOMLEAF.

The LEO KÖHLER combat pants KBS in Phantomleaf WASP II are available directly from RECON COMPANY for 149.95 euros. The KBS pants in Flecktarn cost 119.95.

LEO KÖHLER online

PHANTOMLEAF online

RECON COMPANY online