Long Term Report: Integral Designs Silcoat Backpack
Date: December 12th, 2005 Manufacturer Name: Integral Designs Website: http://www.integraldesigns.com/	Product Information Manufacturer: Integral Designs Model: Silcoat Backpack Year of Manufacture: 2005 Color: Gray Size: N/A Capacity: 1500 cu in (25 l) Dimensions:          Diameter: 10 in (25 cm)          Height 18 in (46 cm) MSRP: $50.00 (US) Listed Weight: 4.5 oz  (125 g) Measured Weight:           Main sack: 3.6 oz (100 g)          Waist belt 0.9 oz (25 g)          Total  4.5 oz (125 g)

Tester Information & Background

Name: Andy Rad

Gender: Male

Age: 48

Height: 6 ft (1.83 m)

Weight: 165 lb (75 kg)

Email: aisrad@cableone.net

I started backpacking 21 years ago, most were short three-day trips, but are now generally five-day.  By backpacking, I’m referring to summer, winter camping, and fall hunting.  About half my trips are lightweight solo and the other half with my family.  I used to own a llama, thus allowing me to continue backpacking with my small children.  In recent years I’ve substituted a collie for the llama. When I’m not with the family I tend to take less-traveled trails or bushwhack the hard mountainous terrain in and around Idaho.  The majority of my trips are in central Idaho, with a few into northern Idaho, eastern Idaho, and eastern Oregon.

Long Term Review

It has been a pleasure using this pack for the last six months.  As I mentioned in my field report, the pack is more of a stuff sack with shoulder straps, than a day pack.  Thus, it has performed multiple functions over the test period, and I suspect a couple of these were probably beyond the pack’s intended purpose.

As a stuff sack, I used it inside my primary backpack for my sleeping bag when there was a possibility for rain.  I also used it to double wrap my wet tent so the moisture wouldn’t transfer to other items. I also used it as a hanging food bag.  

On two occasions, winter storm conditions set in and I was using every piece of gear possible to stay warm.  At night I used the pack as a vapor barrier around one foot in my sleeping bag and fortunately I also had another silnlyon stuff sack for my other foot.  I also used the pack and stuff sack as over-boots in the evening and during the night for walking around camp in the snow while in dry socks.  I just turned the stuff sack inside out, thus keeping the shoulder straps to the inside.  

As a day pack, the Silcoat Backpack is a minimalist article.  It has no padding whatsoever and is uncomfortable over about 10 lb (4 kg).  I also found that when placing bulky items in the pack, the shoulder straps tend to pull and slide off my shoulders.  I first experienced this when I left base camp and threw in a down vest instead of a light rain jacket.  They both weighed about the same, and I never considered that the bulk might affect the pack’s performance.  The vest, food, water, and camera filled the full volume of the pack, and was about 6 lb (3 kg).  The puffy pack was uncomfortable as the straps pulled on my shoulders.  I had carried this weight several times before with a jacket instead, and never noticed the shoulder straps pulling.  Lesson learned was to keep the volume down.

There was one experience that caught me completely off guard.  Generally I wear a shirt when packing, but one afternoon I left base camp and put my shirt in the pack.  It was a strenuous hike and I was sweating to the point that it was dripping off my back and I could feel it hitting my legs.  When I opened the pack for lunch the lower portion of the pack contents were wet.  I would have expected this from a non-coated pack, but this pack’s back panel is waterproof polyurethane coated nylon.  I observed that the sewn channel for the hip belt directed the sweat running down my bare back to the inside.  I think the hip belt is a worthless accessory to the pack, but others might disagree.  The photo below is of sewn channel.

 

Other that this one issue with the hip belt channel, the pack performed well and I have not noticed any material or workmanship issues.  I am especially looking forward to using this pack for winter camping, where I have no ultra light primary pack alternative in which to leave base camp with as is often the case in summer.  Even though the volume is on the small side for winter camping, it will be satisfactory when leaving camp involves just climbing ski slopes close to camp.

Test Conditions:

I don’t know the exact number of trips I took this pack on, but it would be at least 15 nights in the back country.  I didn’t bring it on several trips, because I knew the schedule would not allow me to leave base camp, and the weather didn’t require protecting my sleeping bag.  Trips included hot treks in the sun, a few rain showers, and a couple of snow storms.  Locations were north west Washington, eastern Oregon, central Idaho, and varied geography from plains to mountains. 

Summary

Pros:

• Lightweight

• Waterproof material

• Integrated self storage sack

Cons:

• Hip belt is not required