Given my durability needs of my pants, it would appear that most synthetic pants FAIL. While appropriate when wet, they do not last in a rough environment. Workpants would apparently be the epitome of durable pants and virtually ALL are cotton. There appear to be SOME cotton/polyester blends but only a few.

Looking at both 5.11 and Duluth Trading, the pants listed as DURABLE (e.g. fire hose) are cotton. Synthetic pants are NOT listed as being durable.

On another note, Ray Mears is a fan of Ventile outerwear coats which apparently is a cotton canvas that is largely only available in Great Britain. This is in apparent contradiction to "cotton kills." It apparently swells and becomes waterproof but I am unable to find much information about its availability in the USA. Anybody familiar with this?

Thanks.
Conway Yee