Back before there were as many choices in nylon outdoor pants available, I sometimes used BDU style pants in 50/50 cotton/nylon. I would coat the bejeezus out of them with water repellent spray. They sort of worked OK, the water repellent coating kept them dry longer and being 50% nylon they dried somewhat quicker than cotton. And they were tough. There was an outfit that made them in other than just camo, so I didn't have to look quite so much like a "tacti-cool" geek.

However, once the all nylon pants made specifically for outdoor use became widely available I quit using the 50/50 stuff. For serious outdoor use I've never looked back.