|
| Home | Guest - Not logged in | |||||||||||||||||||
|
» Register
» Login
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
» Contact
|
Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > Integral Designs PLQ Jacket > Christine Korhonen > Long Term ReportIntegral Designs PLQ Jacket Long Term ReportChristine Korhonen March 28, 2006 Personal Information: Gender: female Age: 32 Height: 5' 4" (1.6 m) Weight: 150 lb (68 kg) E-mail: chris@wormguy.com Location: Western Montana Backpacking Background: I'm in Montana enjoying the summers and becoming re-acquainted with winter. Now that I'm back above the snow line, I'm attempting some winter camping and snowshoeing. I'm a lightweight backpacker mentally, if not always in practice. My total summer pack weight is around 19 lb (9 kg) with a tent, but my winter pack hovers around 25 lb (11 kg) for an overnight trip. Product Information: Manufacturer: Integral Designs URL: www.integraldesigns.com Item: PLQ Jacket MSRP: US $200 Year Received: 2005 Color: Black Size: Large
Listed Weight - medium: 11 oz (315 g) Measured Weight - large (without stuff sack): 12 oz (340 g) Field information: I used this jacket in Montana and Wyoming at elevations from 4500' to 7500' (1400 m to 2300 m). Temperatures went from freezing to 50 F (10 C) with mostly dry conditions. PLQ jacket: The PLQ Jacket is a lightweight puff-style jacket with synthetic filling. More details are in my initial and field reports. Field use: For the long-term testing period, I wore the jacket as a top layer when I got to camp. Comfort: In my experience, this jacket has been warm and comfortable. I wore it as the third layer over a thin long-sleeve wool shirt and a thin short-sleeve wool shirt. While hiking, I wore a soft-shell jacket over the wool layers. When I got into camp I took the shell off and put on the PLQ. I didn't need any other layers to keep me warm. The jacket is quite long so never rode up on my back even when I was bending and twisting. Although I gravitate toward down in my sleeping bags and jackets, I found the Primaloft padding in the PLQ very comfortable. The jacket is soft, compacts small, and insulates well. Tags: There are three tags in the jacket, one at the neck, one along the inner side seam, and one on the zipper pull of the inner pocket. There is also a hang-loop made of grosgrain ribbon at the neck. I didn't had any problems with the tags scratching, mostly because I wore the jacket with a layer underneath. The inner seams are very smooth and haven't been scratchy, either. Shell: The shell material of the PLQ is cool and slippery. The jacket made a good pillow, but it tended to slide away from me because of the slick shell. I found wearing a layer underneath the PLQ was the most comfortable. The jacket got a little clammy when worn on its own. Because it kept in a lot of heat and wasn't very breathable, I tended to sweat slightly when wearing it. The inner lining does not absorb moisture. Collar: The best part of this jacket is its large, stand-up collar. When I zip the jacket, it covers my entire neck up to my ears. The puffy collar kept my neck nice and warm and was a comfort. Thumb loops: I found the thumb loops useful. With my thumbs in the loops, the jacket's cuffs stayed down and my wrists stayed warm. The jacket's arms were long enough to easily accommodate my thumbs. Pocket: I haven't found the inner chest pocket useful. While wearing the jacket, I often wished I had a front pocket were I could put my gloves or hat since I'm always taking those layers on and off. The pocket on the PLQ is awkward for me to open and close and I found it difficult to get things in and out of it. Zipper: The front zip slides easily. It hasn't caught on the fabric surrounding it. Durability: The jacket has held up well over the past four months. I've washed it twice and it's bounced back admirably. It looks the same as when I got it. There hasn't been any compression of the filling or loss of loft. It hasn't absorbed any odor. There haven't been any snags or spots on the fabric. The bindings on the cuffs and hem have retained their elasticity. Likes: Light Comfortable Packs small Dislikes: Pocket is awkward Read more reviews of Integral Designs gear Read more gear reviews by Christine Korhonen Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > Integral Designs PLQ Jacket > Christine Korhonen > Long Term Report | |||||||||||||||||||