WARRIOR REVIEW: Silangan Greyman Hike Pants

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.

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