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Reviews > Clothing > Gloves > Integral Designs Down Mitts > Steve Nelson > Long Term ReportLong-Term Report: Integral Designs Down Mitts Reviewer's Information Name: Steve Nelson Backpacking Background: As an interface design and usability consultant by trade, I'm always excited by analyzing and improving designs and processes; backpacking provides a fertile and fun arena for that. I have been backpacking since I was a kid growing up in upstate New York: we backpacked and canoe-camped in all seasons, throughout the Adirondacks and nearby areas, ranging as far as La Verendrye Wildlife Reserve, Quebec. As an adult, I've backpacked and hiked extensively in California, but also have taken trips throughout the West, from New Mexico to British Columbia, and return often to the Adirondacks. Backpacking Style: In the last year I began educating myself about lightweight and ultralight backpacking, and have been applying more and more of this philosophy to my outdoor jaunts and gear upgrades. I like moving fast, and lightening the load facilitates that. I also enjoy urban strolls, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and aviation in addition to hiking and backpacking, so my gear gets exposed to a wide variety of uses and conditions. Product information Manufacturer: Integral Designs Overview The Integral Designs Down Mitts are lightweight camp mittens constructed of Pertex ripstop nylon shells covering baffled down chambers. I gave basic features and impressions in my initial report, and field use impressions in my field report, which you may wish to browse for that information. This report summarizes my impressions after six months of using the Down Mitts. Long-Term Testing Conditions I've brought the Integral Designs Down Mitts on pretty much every one of my camping trips since my field report. Trips have included snow camping, backpacking and car camping, in shelters including a tarptent, hammock, bivy sack, cabin and the inside of a vehicle. Locations have included Henry Coe State Park, Yosemite (three visits), the Lake Tahoe area, Mt. Shasta and the Snow Mountain Wilderness, with altitudes ranging from 2,000-7,500 ft (600-2,300 m) and temperatures from the 20s-70s F (-5-20 C). I also took them along on several day snowshoe/mountaineering hikes in the Sierra Nevada (with elevations up to 9,560 ft (2,940 m)) as part of an emergency bivy kit. Weather on these trips has ranged from dry and sunny to cold and windy to snowy (both wet and dry). Impressions and Findings My long-term testing of the Down Mitts has confirmed and reinforced my previous findings: the Down Mitts are pleasingly light, well-made, and effective. I've carried and used them on all of my winter trips this year, including day hikes, and consistently found that the shells block wind nicely, the mitts are adequately warm, and they resist all moisture I've encountered. Overall comfort is great when I'm not actively using my hands. As noted in my field report, the mitts are large and puffy enough to make them awkward for tasks like zipping up a sleeping bag or shelter door, and I always remove them to perform those tasks. While I wish that the drawcords were better-designed—easier to operate with just teeth or a mittened hand—I've taken to just leaving them set at the desired tightness and not adjusting them in the field. Frankly, I've really found no reason to adjust them while camping, so this is just fine. Durability has been flat-out excellent. There are absolutely no abrasions, tears, runs, loose stitching, leaking down, loss of loft or any other defects so far, though I do treat them with care, and I keep them uncompressed at home. I love the Pertex fabric, by the way—it looks and feels great, and really sheds water. In my field report I promised to get the Down Mitts thoroughly wet at home to see how well the seams and shell fabric protected the down filling when pushed to the limit, as well as how long it took everything to dry out. I did this by donning a mitt, then placing it under running water in a sink. As expected, the Pertex fabric shed the water quite well—only a small spot on the palm seemed to soak up water—but more surprisingly, not a drop leaked through the seams into the inside of the mitt. I was so surprised by this that I continued to let water gush over the mitts for several minutes. No change—still dry inside. After drying off the exterior of the mitt with a towel, the only moisture I could feel was just a bit that had soaked into the exterior of the seams. The down did not appear to have gotten moist at all and retained its full loft. I let the mitt sit in the shade at approximately 70 F (21 C) and the seams were dry within half an hour. So, while I would never expect these mitts to be exposed to even close to this much water in the field, this gives me further confidence in these mitts in wet and soggy winter conditions. Good stuff! Summary The Integral Designs Down Mitts are well made and attractive, and they have earned a permanent place in my cold-weather packs. Materials are high in quality and well-chosen. As noted in my previous report, I wish the wrist closures were a bit easier to adjust, but I found a fine workaround for that, and I look forward to many seasons of further use. Things I like:
Things I don't like:
Thanks to BackpackGearTest and Integral Designs for giving me the opportunity to participate in this test. Read more reviews of Integral Designs gear Read more gear reviews by S. Nelson Reviews > Clothing > Gloves > Integral Designs Down Mitts > Steve Nelson > Long Term Report | |||