1)Tester Background and Contact Information

Name: Curt Peterson
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Height: 6'3" (1.91 m)
Weight: 270 (122 kg)
Email address: curt<at>boopants<dot>com
Location: North Bend, Washington, USA

I live in the Cascade foothills, just 20 miles (32 km) from the PCT via trails leading right from my backyard. My outdoor time in Washington is spent dayhiking, backpacking, climbing, and skiing everywhere from the Olympic coast to rainforests to Cascade volcanoes to dry steppe.

I played football in college and often evaluate products from a big guy perspective. I tested gear for Seattle's biggest gear retailer in the mid-90s, and guided backpacking tours for a few summers. My typical pack load ranges from 12 - 19 lbs (5.4 - 8.6 kg) and usually includes wet weather gear.

2) Integral Designs Silcoat Pack Cover Specifications

Size Tested: Small - Manufacturer recommends up to 3000 cu. in. (50L) pack. *Also available in Large - up to 5500 cu. in. (90L)
Measurements: Small - Length: 33 in. (84 cm) Width: 12 in. (30.5 cm) Depth: 11 in. (28 cm) *Manufacturer specs: verified as accurate.
Stuff Sack: 3 in. (7.6 cm) by 4 in. (10.2 cm) *Manufacturer spec: verified as accurate
Weight of Pack Cover: 2.5 oz. (73 gms) *Manufacturer spec: claimed as 2.6 oz. (75 gms)
Weight of Stuff Sack: 0.2 oz. (6 gms) *Manufacturer spec: none given
Color: Grey (also available in Jade and Yellow)

3) Integral Designs Silcoat Pack Cover Long Term 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 and Field Report.

Long Term Report

Overall, the Integral Designs Silcoat Pack Cover has proven to be an almost flawless pack cover that has a nearly ideal balance of weight, simplicity, and function. While there are a couple of small things that could be improved, it is as well-built and sized as any pack cover I've used or seen.

After a pretty dry summer that found Washington in a statewide drought emergency, the fall rains returned with a sense of urgency. Weeks of rainy weather came, and most of it wasn't the wimpy drizzle we are accustomed to, but downright deluges. By Thanksgiving we had more snow in the mountains than the entire winter of 2004-2005. This provided plenty of opportunity to get the Silcoat Pack Cover out in wet weather. Due to work and family obligations, the fall has been one primarily of dayhikes for me, as overnight trips have been hard to schedule. Trips have ranged between 1000' (300 m) and 5000' (1500 m), almost exclusively in the Cascades between Snoqualmie Pass and North Bend. Temperatures have ranged from the 80s F (25-30 C) down to the low 20s F (-7 to-4 C). While the majority of the time was on established trails, there was a little use off-trail on both talus and brushy slopes.

I have just two small nitpicks with the pack cover that could improve it's use.

The first is the sizing of the sewn-in pocket. If it were sized appropriately, it would allow the elimination of the stuff sack. The stuff sack weighs very, very little and works just fine, but it is one more thing to bring and the sewn-in pocket provides for a simpler solution. It's a bit puzzling why it is undersized, and this would be a very simple thing to change in future production.

The only other thing I would change about the Silcoat Pack Cover would be to add a very simple, very light attachment strap or two to the outside of the cover. For long items in particular, the pack cover presented some limitations. At two different times during testing I wanted to put items on my pack during wet conditions but found it pretty tough to do without significant compromises. The first time was when I wanted to attach my 3-section trekking poles to the pack. They pack down pretty small, but not so much that they could go inside the pack or attach in a place where they were shorter than the pack itself. This left me with the choice of strapping the poles to the outside of the pack and placing the pack cover over them - a sure recipe for punctures - or strapping them on the side and having the pole tips come out the side of the pack cover. This leaves the poles too far forward on the pack side (so the points are near my ear) and leaves the bulk of that side of the pack exposed to the rain. The other time I wished for the same change was while carrying an ice axe. This presented a similar scenario to the trekking poles. Even a simple axe loop and retention loop would solve this problem. As I noted in my Field Report, I would have liked an attachment point for garbage. That was a problem that there are a number of other solutions for. The trekking pole / ice axe issue has left me scratching my head, and a solution to this would be a welcome improvement.

Fit

The Silcoat Pack Cover has continued to fit everything I've tried it on. I have used it on a Kelty Flight, GoLite Day pack, REI Half Dome pack and mostly on a Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone. All have worked out just fine. If I were to use more traditional packs with volumes over 4000 cu. in. (65 L), I'd go with the larger sized Silcoat Pack Cover, but for most lightweight, ultralight, and weekend traditional backpacks, this size has proven plenty capable.

To wrap up the testing of the Silcoat Pack Cover, here are my final thoughts on the questions I originally posed at the outset of testing:

Questions I Set Out to Answer During Testing: 1) Does the pack cover fit a variety of backpacks that fall into the range specified by the manufacturer?

* So far, the pack has fit everything I've tried it on. A little tucking and cramming is necessary on small daypacks to prevent creating a kite on windy days, but this cover certainly has the range to cover small daypacks as well as moderate multi-day packs.

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. This is probably the main feature that separates it from other silnylon pack covers, and worth the fraction of an ounce it adds to the cover in my opinion.

3) Does the Silcoat material stand up to backpacking usage which will likely include contact with brush regularly, and full-on bushwhacking occasionally?

* The cover looks about the same as it did the day I got it. I didn't dive into blackberry bushes or anything like that, but I most definitely didn't baby it, either. It has brushed up against plenty of bushes and stray branches and is no worse for wear. The only time I even thought about wear was when I'd lay my entire pack down on abrasive rock. A gentle set-down instead of a toss has kept it looking new.

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?

* It takes longer to take the backpack on and off than it does to put on the pack cover, so time isn't much of a hurdle in getting the pack cover on. With a hiking partner, deployment is particularly easy with no need to remove the pack at all. The hip belt shock cord is flexible enough to put on the belt while the pack is on.

6) Does water leak in around the closure of the pack cover? How tight does it wrap around the pack frame?

* I did get rain between my pack back and neck, but the the cover doesn't cover the pack here, so that's hardly a criticism. Every part of the pack it covered stayed dry. As it's main function, this was a complete success.

7) Does it flap excessively in the wind? Is there any kind of compression system to minimize flapping?

*On a very small pack that's not tucked particularly well, it can flap. It's not ferocious or super loud, but it can be annoying. I've thought that perhaps some sort of compression strap that would bunch the fabric on the back could greatly minimize this, but the weight trade-off would have to be considered.

8) Does it hold water after prolonged exposure to moisture? Does it dry quickly and fully?

* Even after pretty major downpours, the pack cover would seem dry after a few good shakes. It performs as would be expected of silnylon - a lot of beading and rolling.

9) Does it have any non-intended functions? For example, can it be rigged as a small vestibule? Opened up as a mini-tarp?

* It primarily functions as a pack cover, as was intended. The length of the shockcord makes it pretty tough to use in any kind of flat configuration. One thing I did do a few times during brief but intense downpours was to put the bottom of the cover over the top of the pack and grab the top of the cover and extend it over my head as a temporary "roof". This requires two hands, obviously, but for passing downpours or rest stops this is an effective small shelter akin to an umbrella.

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. No complaints here at all.

"Thank you" to Integral Designs and BackpackGearTest.org for participating in testing the Silcoat Pack Cover!

Read more reviews of Integral Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Curt Peterson

Long Term Report

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