A
PAIR OF LONG HIKING pants are essential in my outdoor activities.
Bushcraft and survival demands such apparel for it protects you from
scratches and some harmful plants as the playground it chooses to be
are thickly wooded areas and jungle. There is a big difference when
you wear a pair of long pants that I decide to purchase a few pairs.
One of these is made by SILANGAN OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT.
SILANGAN
OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT is a local company based in Talisay City, Cebu that
had made its name making quality tents like the REV 20, the REV
20+II, the AMIEL 5 and the EIS 8. These tents had taken by storm the
local mountaineering community because of its revolutionary designs.
The tents had been to all of the most notable peaks in Luzon, Visayas
and Mindanao and had stood toe-to-toe with imported brands when it
comes to weight and resistance to the elements. Its prime advantage
is its price.
When
Jay-R Serviano thought of experimenting about branching into outdoor
apparels, he begun to produce rain pants and wind breakers. Then he
made a prototype short pants that Wil Rhys-Davies of Snakehawk
Wilderness School volunteered to test. I liked the fabric that he
used that I insisted to order a pair of long hiking pants, based upon
a simple design. I even suggested to make it custom-made for me and
so the SILANGAN GREYMAN Hiking Pants was born. It is the only one of
its kind since the SILANGAN tab is stitched, by mistake, at a
different place.
Why
is it called a GREYMAN? Well, for one thing, it is in gray color.
Gray is a neutral color. When you are wearing something gray, you
could blend well on any environment, whether you are in an urban area
or in the mountains. Gray had been associated with people who remain
inconspicuous or go unnoticed in places where they live or operate
and these are people with dangerous occupations or doing clandestine
jobs. The street lingo “grey man” is meant to describe these
certain individuals.
In
fact, when wearing gray, you could pair it with anything. Whatever
shirt or semi-formal upper attire you wear or whatever color, gray
seems to melt into the background and becomes one with what you have
on. The color is just so flexible and the SILANGAN GREYMAN had given
justice to the flexibility of gray by using a very flexible fabric
that stretch for almost an eternity. The GREYMAN is made from a
light synthetic cloth that is available locally.
It
has two main slip-on pockets on the front and another pocket at the
back, which has a zipper, found at the right. The front opening is
secured by a good-quality velcro tape and a durable zipper. Four
belt loops are stitched at the waistline which could accommodate
standard operator belts. A black PVC key ring is stitched at the
front to keep those small items handy all the time.
I
had worn and tested the GREYMAN for the first time during the Outlaw
Bushcraft Gathering held at Sibonga, Cebu in 2012. For three days
and three nights, I had not removed it away next to my skin. It was
a hot and humid three days yet the fabric had not caused suffocation
on my skin since it is very breathable. Its lightness had added to
the comfort. During the coldest temperatures brought on by dawn, the
GREYMAN surprisingly held my body heat in check, particularly at the
lower legs.
I
had also worn the GREYMAN on thick forests and jungles. Many times,
I got caught with the spines of rattan palms. This is a very
formidable vine-like plant where spines grow on its stems, leafstalks
and leaves. Its tendrils are thin and would always catch fabric and
skin unnoticed until you get tugged. Miraculously, the GREYMAN had
survived such ordeals with nary a tear except a few dismounted
strands which can be easily returned to its place with a few stretch
of the fabric.
One
time, it was accidentally sliced by a knife. I leave it be.
Instead, I observed the damage over a period of time, whether the cut
would extend to other areas like most wearable materials do. It had
not run and the edges had not frayed despite exposure to sustained
tropical outdoor activities. The cut had not widened either.
I
have used the GREYMAN as my main working pants during humanitarian
missions in Bohol, after the 7.2 earthquake, and in Northern Cebu,
after Typhoon Yolanda. It was soaked many times by saltwater when I
had to wade beaches to transport relief items from boat to shore. I
had also used this during a week-long filming sessions that
documented the Bajau people in Leyte. I was partly wet all the time
but I had not encountered chafing on the inner thighs by its smart
design.
The
GREYMAN fabric, not only is very light, flexible, breathable,
stretchable and tough, it is also quick-drying. You may get wet, but
as you walk by, it dries very quickly. Washing it with regular
laundry detergent is no problem inside a washing machine or by
traditional means. It is tough and could withstand rubbing and
wear-and-tear at its most vulnerable condition like being wet.
After
more than two years, my pair of SILANGAN GREYMAN Hike Pants is still
in good condition. It had received abuse by any conceivable form in
the furtherance of my outdoor activities. I would want another pair
because I am quite satisfied with the material used and the
workmanship of SILANGAN OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT.
Unfortunately,
this apparel is not sold openly on the market yet but you could order
it personally from Jay-R Serviano or thru me but it is best if you could visit the SILANGAN OUTDOOR SHOP located at Sangi, Tabunok, Talisay City.
Document
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