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Reviews > Packs > Pack Accessories > Integral Designs Sil Pack Cover > Curt Peterson > Field ReportIntegral Designs Silcoat Pack Cover - Field Report - August 2005
1) Integral Designs Silcoat Pack Cover Specifications
2) Integral Designs Silcoat Pack Cover Field Report Background Information For a brief description on how I have kept my pack dry in the past and comments on other pack covers, please refer to my Initial Report. Field Report Features The most standout feature of the Integral Designs Silcoat Pack Cover is the material. The Silcoat nylon is a nearly perfect choice for keeping water off a backpack while staying light and out of the way when conditions aren't nasty. Below are my comments on features and fit and my usage to date, but the greatest attribute of this pack cover is the fabric it's made out of. Construction is top-notch - there have been no durability or construction flaws that have appeared in testing so far. The two ways of stowing the Silcoat Pack Cover I mentioned in my previous report have both been utilized. While I do save a couple grams by using the sewn-in stuff sack, I have found that I prefer the separate stuff sack due to the sizing. The sewn-in sack works, but it's a tight fit and without a rubber band or something similar to keep it all in, it can slowly unstuff. If the sewn-in pocket were just a tad larger, it would be my preferred choice as it's one less thing to carry and keep track of. For now, however, the mini stuff sack is my choice. The hip belt slots have proven very functional. On other pack covers, when I reached back into the side pockets of the backpack while wearing it the bottom shock-cord of the pack cover would occasionally get stretched back far enough to slide off the bottom of the pack. This would require me to take off the pack and re-attach the bottom of the pack cover as I couldn't reach the back of the pack while wearing it. If I was with a hiking partner, this wasn't that big of a deal as I could get their help, but it was still inconvenient. With the hip belt slots, it is impossible for the pack cover to slide up the back of the pack. They do require an extra couple of seconds when deploying the pack cover, but it's well worth it for the extra security it provides. The drawcords for the hip belt slots - and the pack cover itself - are easily reached and used.One of the only features - or lack thereof - that has shown up is the omission of any attachment points on the outside of the pack cover. I actually like the clean shell of the no-frills pack cover, but discovered that I would really appreciate one or two simple sewn-on loops on the pack cover exterior to attach items. I didn't think this would be an issue at all, but on my first multi-day trip realized that my garbage bag - which I usually clip on the outside of my pack - had to go inside the pack cover. I could still keep it on the outside of the pack, but the garbage was still in between the pack and pack cover where any gross smells or messes could get on the pack. I just made sure the garbage was double-bagged and sealed tight to compensate, but clipping it on the outside of the pack cover would be a nice option. Fit The Silcoat Pack Cover has fit everything I've tried it on. It easily handles a small daypack setup. I used it once on a half-full Kelty Flight and another time on a GoLite Day pack. Both times it had a lot of extra room, but cinched snug and didn't present any fit problems. The primary use, however, has been on a full Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone. The Silcoat Pack Cover has proven to be a perfect partner with this pack. I prefer to pack all of my gear inside my packs, and a stuffed-full Nimbus Ozone provides an ideal pack size for the Silcoat Pack Cover to envelope. I have a little room left - particularly towards the end of a trip when food space is opened up - and am now pretty confident that I could cover the pack even with a bit of climbing gear on the exterior of the pack. One challenge I anticipate for the Pack Cover is how to handle an ice axe. I'm not sure how this will work, but may be going on a climb next month that will require an axe to be strapped to my pack during most of the approach. I will report on how I figure this out - or don't - in my Long Term Report. The estimate I made in my Initial Report that the small Silcoat Pack Cover could cover streamlined backpacks up to around 60 to 65 liters has held true. Field Use I have used the Silcoat Pack Cover at least once on every trip I've been on - four dayhikes and three overnights. The dayhike trips saw use in conditions I would admittedly not normally use a pack cover. Conditions were dry and warm. I tested primarily for fit on these trips. The overnights saw similar fair weather fit testing, but I did get the chance to test the Silcoat Pack Cover in a little bit of rain and wind. The Pack Cover definitely kept my pack dry in 4 or 5 hours of light rain and constant drizzle. Water getting in the covered part of the pack was essentially a non-issue. The shock-cord is tight enough that there really aren't places for the water to sneak in. Obviously it can get on the shoulder straps and a little behind the neck as they're not covered, but most of this area is in contact with my back or covered by a hat. I haven't had the Pack Cover in a downpour (yet), but look forward to testing in those conditions. The Silcoat fabric did not retain water at all during wet weather usage. A quick shake or two and it was virtually dry and ready for its stuff sack. In the wind, the Silcoat Pack Cover does as well as could be expected. It does tend to flap a bit more than other pack covers I've used, but the fabric was so much heavier and became so soaked on those covers that this is no surprise. Many of them essentially became wet towels clinging to my pack. As the Silcoat Pack Cover stays completely dry and is incredibly thin, it catches even relatively gentle breezes. Granted, I haven't had it in gale force winds, but the flapping I've experienced so far has not been loud or annoying at all. I've spent most of my backcountry time just east of the Cascade crest this summer hiking and camping in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Temperatures have ranged from the low 40s F (4-7 C) to the mid 80s F (27-29 C). Elevation has ranged from 2500 ft (760 m) to about 7000 ft (2130 m). All trips so far have been on established trails and near lakes. With the exception of a couple drizzly and windy days, weather has been mild. Future trips during this testing period include more visits to the Alpine Lakes, an alpine tundra route at Mount Rainier, and hopefully a summit trip to Mount Adams.
3) Integral Designs Silcoat Pack Cover Test Plan Test Plan * So far, the pack has fit everything I've tried it on. If anything, the manufacturer specs on the small size test unit are conservative. 2) How effective is the attachment method? In particular, how well does the hip belt slot attachment work? * The hip belt slots work as advertised. They're a neat feature that makes reaching back into the pack with the cover on a lot more secure. 3) Does the Silcoat material stand up to backpacking usage which will likely include contact with brush regularly, and full-on bushwhacking occasionally? * I haven't done significant brush hiking yet, but durability of the fabric and construction have been a non-issue to date. 4) Does the pack cover pack small and take up little pack space when not deployed? * The Pack Cover takes up about the same space as a small apple. 5) How easy is it to put on and remove from the pack? When rain suddenly starts, can it be put on in a few seconds? * I haven't had an "emergency" deployment yet, but it's about a 30 second process, which is plenty fast enough for me. 6) Does water leak in around the closure of the pack cover? How tight does it wrap around the pack frame? * While I haven't had it in a downpour yet, the tight wrap has kept out any light rain it has been in. 7) Does it flap excessively in the wind? Is there any kind of compression system to minimize flapping? *It does flap a bit due to the light weight and ability to stay dry, but so far it's not excessive or loud. 8) Does it hold water after prolonged exposure to moisture? Does it dry quickly and fully? * Completely dry after just a shake. 9) Does it have any non-intended functions? For example, can it be rigged as a small vestibule? Opened up as a mini-tarp? * To be tested. 10) Finally – while not the most important consideration – how does it look? Is it obnoxious to look at? Will I attract passing airplanes when it's on my pack, or will I blend in subtly to my mountain surroundings? * The Silcoat Pack Cover is a very low-key grey color that blends in well with natural colors. It's streamlined and doesn't even have logos on the visible cover.
4) Tester Background Information Name: Curt
Peterson I live in the Cascade foothills,
just 20 miles (32 km) from the PCT via footpaths leading right from my
backyard. Most of my outdoor time here in Washington is spent on dayhikes,
backpacking journeys, climbs, and ski trips everywhere from the Olympic coast to
the rainforests to the massive Cascade volcanoes to dry steppe. Read more reviews of Integral Designs gear Read more gear reviews by Curt Peterson Reviews > Packs > Pack Accessories > Integral Designs Sil Pack Cover > Curt Peterson > Field Report | |||