Michal Činčiala: Kilpi HOSIO-M outdoor pants test
15. 01. 2021
Kilpi Racing TEAM Ambassador Michal Činčiala has tested the detachable Kilpi HOSIO-M outdoor pants.
Kilpi HOSIO-M outdoor pants test
Ultra-running in challenging terrain, such as the Gobi Desert, the bush of southwestern Australia, demanding mountain terrain in Oregon, or the Royal Arctic Trail in Swedish Lapland - in all these projects I can rely on Kilpi HOSIO-M outdoor pants being my loyal partner.
Although the HOSIO-M trousers are primarily intended for hiking and traveling thanks to the detachable pants legs and the overall design I use them in my multi-day ultratrail races. The main advantage is the possibility to make shorts out of the pants. This is especially useful in spring or autumn, when cold mornings can easily turn into a hot day.
Thanks to two side and one back zipped pocket, you can be sure that you will not lose anything important. However, bear on your mind that the inner part of the pockets is made of mesh, and therefore it is necessary to insert things sensitive to moisture for example into the ziplock.
The pants are equipped with belt loops, which is especially important when running. The areas that are extremely stressed, namely the knee and buttocks area, are therefore reinforced. The pants are made of SIBERIUM SRC SB material, which is flexible in 4 directions and provides a good protection in most climatic conditions. When it is very cold outside, it worked for me to wear running leggings under my pants and this combination was sufficient enough even in the Gobi Desert at altitudes above 4 km.
The pants legs are detachable and can also be unzipped on the side, which is especially advantageous if you do not want or cannot take off your shoes. Thanks to the cut and design, they are very comfortable to wear and in the available color variants, I would boldly stroll in the city wearing them.
I would primarily recommend Kilpi HOSIO-M pants for mountain hiking, especially in the spring or autumn seasons. If using a suitable thermal underwear, I would not be afraid to set off the trip even in a very cold weather. They are not primarily designed for running, but they have proved to be useful for multi-day running interspersed with walking. They then perform the function of universal pants / shorts very well and relieve me of the need to have other pieces of clothing in my backpack.
I usually use Kilpi HOSIO-M pants in combination with a functional MERIN-M T-shirt (which contains a proportion of merino wool) or a seamless LEAPE-M T-shirt or in the colder weather with another WILKE-M functional layer and with a HURRICANE-M or JOSHUA-M jacket.
Over the years I have been using HOSIO-M pants they have undergone gradual development and improvement. The result is “the adult product“ that will suit most climatic conditions, primarily intended for hiking but will also work very well in the demanding conditions of all-day or even multi-day ultratrail cross-country races.