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Integral Designs Denali Pants
Initial Report - October 31, 2003
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Height: 5'8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 229 lb (104 kg)
Waist: 40” (102 cm)
Hips: 46” (117 cm)
Inseam: 30-32” (76-81 cm), depending on shoes
Email address: ckime AT nelsononline DOT com
City, State, Country: Norwood (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: October 31, 2003
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: Integral Designs
Model: Denali Pants
Year of Manufacture: 2003
URL: http://www.integraldesigns.com
Listed weight, pants: 1 lb 3 oz (535 g)
Measured weight (size XL, standard length): 1 lb 3.2 oz (544 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
Listed weight, stuff sack: 0.7 oz (20 g)
Measured weight: 0.6 oz (17 g)
Color: Black (other colours by request)
Other Colors Available (per catalog): Red, Cobalt (blue), Teal (green)
MSRP: $130 USD
Features (from web site) [return to top]
- Insulated with single layer of 4oz Primaloft Sport (0.8" loft)
- Pertex P565 ripstop microfibre shell fabric
- Pertex microlight taffeta inner lining (black)
- Fully separating YKK # 5 vislon leg zippers with inside weather flap and anti snag webbing
- Elasticised waist with front drawcord and side velcro adjustments
- Front fly / belay ziip
- Supplied with Silcoat stuff sack
Arrival [return to top]
The pants arrived by mail from Alberta, Canada, in a reused/recycled cardboard box with a packing slip attached. The box measured approximately 13½ in L x 10 in W x 5½ in H (34 cm x 25 cm x 14 cm). Upon opening the box, the first thing I saw was an Integral Designs catalog. Under the catalog I found the pants folded into a thin clear plastic bag, similar to the plastic I get from the cleaner’s with my shirts or other dry cleaning. I opened the plastic bag to remove the pants and discovered the included Silcoat stuff sack wrapped inside the folds of the pants.
There were hang tags attached to the clothing tags on the inside waistband of the pants. One is a single 2-sided card for Pertex (www.pertex.com), written in English. The other is a 2-sided tri-fold card for Primaloft Sport (www.primaloft.com), written (as nearly as I can tell) in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and an Asian language.
Description [return to top]
The Denali pants appear to be a basic pant design. Starting at the top, they have a 1½ in (5 cm) wide elastic waistband with an internal (front) drawstring and large hook-and-loop tabs at each side. Inside, where the waistband attaches to the pants, are 3 tags: one for Primaloft, one for Pertex, and a garment tag from Integral Designs. The garment tag is hand-marked on the front with the size, and on the back with the date checked. The back of the tag also has the washing instructions, which read:
MACHINE WASH, RINSE WELL
DRIP DRY OR TUMBLE
DRY ON LOW HEAT
DO NOT DRY CLEAN OR BLEACH
A patch with the Integral Designs logo is sewn on to the left front of the pants, approximately where a pocket would be located – if there were any pockets. There is a fly/belay zipper in front, 7 in (18 cm) long, allowing the wearer to answer the call of nature or to access his or her climbing harness for belaying. Running down the outside seam on each leg is a fully separating 2-way zipper with a webbing-reinforced storm flap on the inside. The bottom cuff is nearly as wide as the waistband, with a short section of elastic to keep it from slipping down over the wearer’s footwear, even if the pants are too long. Both the microfibre shell and taffeta lining are light, very soft, and flexible. All components of this pair are black – the taffeta lining would be black regardless of the exterior color. Workmanship appears excellent, with straight seams and no noticeable loose threads.
The included Silcoat stuff sack is marked as a size Small – 5 in x 14 in (12 cm x 35 cm) and 0.7 oz (20 g), according to the website – and is light grey in color, with a black pull strap on the bottom and a black cord with cord-lock at the top. A patch with the Integral Designs logo is sewn on to the sack near the top. The seams are folded over and double-stitched, but not sealed. The grey color is partially see-through, and the silicone impregnated ripstop nylon – which I have never used or experienced before – has a slick feel to it. It is somewhat crinkly when relaxed, with just a bit of stretch under tension. I would think that the cord and cord-lock weigh significantly more than the rest of the sack, as this stuff is *extremely* lightweight.
First Impressions [return to top]
Well, when I first tried these pants on, I had a little difficulty pulling them on. According to the Integral Designs website Sizing Information, size XL pants fit a 40-42 in (102-107 cm) waist, and 47-49 in (119-124 cm) hips. As noted in my Reviewer Information above, I have a 40 in (102 cm) waist and 46 in (117 cm) hips, so this size seemed to be perfect. I did not, however, take into account the contents of my pockets (my larger-than-necessary wallet in my back pocket, too many loose keys in one front pocket, and my Victorinox Climber in the other front pocket) and items on my belt (cell phone on one hip and leather case with my 2-AA MagLite and Leatherman PST on the other hip) prior to putting the pants on. Once I wriggled the waistband past these items, the pants fit comfortably, if snugly. As I usually do not carry the cell phone or wallet on my person in the field, and the knife and Leatherman go in my pack while actually hiking, the pants should fit adequately in actual use.
Field Information [return to top]
Our Boy Scout troop camps monthly. Almost all of these outings include a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures expected to be from lows around 25 to 30 ºF (-4 to –1 ºC) to highs around 95 to 100 ºF (35 to 38 ºC), although I don’t expect it to be this warm during the testing period for these pants. Elevations will range from sea level to approximately 2,000’ (610 m). We have two cold-weather trips definitely on our schedule so far for this winter: Thanksgiving weekend, and a Winter Survival campout that is usually held the first weekend in January. Temperatures last year for these events were perfect for testing insulated clothing, with Thanksgiving weekend ranging from a low of 23°F to a high of about 43°F (-5 to 6 °C) outside – maxing out at 50°F (10 °C) indoors – and Winter Survival ranging from a low of 21°F to a high of about 31°F (-6 to 0 °C). Temps this year should be comparable. I am also trying to talk the troop into attending the Valley Forge Pilgrimage and Encampment in February, where conditions are historically (pun only slightly intended) as bad as when Washington was there over 200 years ago, generally with a fair amount of snow on the ground, if not actually falling during the event. All of these events will likely involve a significant amount of time spent just standing around, watching and/or supervising the boys.
I will be attentive to and/or test the following:
- Fit. Do they fit me? I am not tall, and my height is mostly torso, so my inseam is shorter than the average for my size (that’s a nice way of saying I could stand to lose some weight). Do they move well with me? Do they fit (while wearing) in my sleeping bag with me?
- Zippers. Do the zippers work smoothly? Does the anti snag webbing work as intended? Can I actually get the pants on while wearing my boots without a great struggle?
- Fabric. Is the Pertex durable (I have no prior experience with the fabric)? Does it stretch? Does it fade? Is it windproof? Waterproof? Does it pill, pull, or snag readily?
- Warmth. How cold can it get and still keep me warm? How much warmth do they add to my sleep system?
- Packability. How packable are the pants? I will attempt to pack the Denalis as part of my 3-season load in/on (preferably in) my Deuter Futura 32. At 10 in x 5 in (25 cm x 12.5 cm), it shouldn’t be too difficult.
- Washability. Are the instructions easy to follow? Do they dry well? Do they hold much dirt in the first place?
- Stuff sack. How well do the pants fit in it? How do they look when they come out?
Things I like [return to top]
- Soft.
- They go on over my boots.
- Well made.
Things I don't like [return to top]
- A bit snug at first. Time will tell how functional the fit is.
- A bit long on me. I will be attentive to any specific issues with the length.
Backpacking Background [return to top]
I started car/trailer camping with the family when I was about 5. I enlisted in the Army Reserve during my first year of college and spent 17 years fine-tuning my packing methodology - by the time I separated from the service, I was down to what I thought was a respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load. When my son started Cub Scouts, I brought my 60 lb (27 kg) ALICE pack (review may be found here) for a weekend. We got to Boy Scouts in the Spring of 2002. We camp, monthly, in locations ranging from the Chesapeake Bay area (flat and lightly wooded), to the Pocono Mtns (flat spots hard to find and very wooded), and in all seasons.
Lightweight (and ultralightweight) sites have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices. I plan to start doing more hiking/backpacking on our monthly scout trips, taking along as many scouts as are willing, to a) get in shape (yeah, yeah, I know... round IS a shape), and b) determine what I really need to take along. I am relatively confident that I will be able to reduce my 3-season pack to 20 lb (9 kg), before food, fuel and water, by the time this season is over.
Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
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