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Reviews > Rain Gear > Jackets and Pants > Integral Designs eVENT Rain Pants > Christine Korhonen > Field ReportIntegral Designs eVENT Rain Pants Field
Report Name: Christine Korhonen Age: 32 Gender: female 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 summer pack weight is around 19 lb (9 kg) with a tent, but my winter pack hovers around 25 lb (11 kg). Product Information: Manufacturer: Integral Designs URL: www.integraldesigns.com Item: eVENT Rain Pants MSRP: US $250 Color: Black Size: Large
Listed Weight - medium: 10.5 oz (298 g) Measured Weight - large: 10.8 oz (306 g) Stuff Sack Dimensions: 9.25" tall x 9.5" wide (23.5 cm x 24 cm) Stuff Sack Measured Weight - 0.4 oz (11 g) eVENT Rain Pants Description: The eVENT Rain Pants are a waterproof outer layer made from 40 denier nylon trilaminate eVENT. eVENT is advertised to be able to vent like cotton through microscopic pores without absorbing body oils that would clog those pores. Field Conditions: I tested the eVENT Rain Pants while skiing, snowshoeing, and backpacking in Michigan and Montana. Elevations ranged from 1400' to 6500' (430 m to 2000 m). Temperatures went from 30 F to 37 F (-1 C to 3 C). Conditions were sunny to overcast with light snow and winds up to 20 mph (32 km/h). Field Use: I've worn the eVENT Rain Pants over either a thin wool or silk base layer by itself or a with a base layer and Gramicci hiking pants. Either way, the rain pants fit well and provided ample freedom of movement, even while cross-country skiing. The pants are a little wrinkled when they come out of their stuff sack, but these wrinkles smooth out when I put them on, and they look great. The eVENT material is light and soft, even warm to the touch. The material does not stretch, but is slightly slippery on the inside, so the pants slide on easily. After opening the ankle bellows, the pant legs are wide enough for me to put them on over trail shoes and even over my hiking boots. ID states in their literature that the pants don't fit over hiking boots, so I'm glad I can get mine on without taking my boots off. The pants barely fit over the boots, so some finesse is required. Once on, the Velcro portion of the waistband is easy to adjust and stays fastened even when only part of the Velcro strip is used. I haven't noticed any discomfort from the inside seams or tags. In fact, these pants are very comfortable. Once I put them on, I forget I'm wearing them. I've even slept in them with no complaints. I've worn these pants more in snow than in rain. Snow tends to slide off the pants. The small amount that remains melts and beads up without wetting out the material. In the field, the pants haven't wet-out at all. They do not have elastic or any other fastener around the ankles to keep snow out, so when I walk through calf-high drifts, snow comes in under the pant leg and wets out my socks. Since I can get these pants on over my boots, on me they may be wider at the ankles than intended. Regardless, I have to wear gaiters with these pants to prevent snow from coming in at the ankles.. The eVENT material breathes well. I haven't noticed any discomfort from my legs overheating while wearing these pants. On my last snowshoeing trip I was sweating all over, even my feet were sweating, but my legs were fine. The pants also work as a windbreak. In 20 mph (32 km/h) winds, my legs didn't feel a thing. No matter what the outside conditions have been, my legs have consistently remained comfortable in these pants. I haven't felt too warm or too cool, I've only felt just right. Since I didn't run into rain yet in my testing, I decided to try out a simulation in my shower. I wore the pants under a constant spray for 5 minutes. Most of the water beaded up and rolled off of the pants, but after about 3 minutes the tops of the thighs wet out. I wore only underwear underneath the rain pants, and once the pants wet out, they felt pretty clammy against my skin. After the 5 minutes was over, I took the pants off and noticed some water had leaked in through the front zipper, which is not waterproof but instead has a flap to cover it. The pants didn't appear to have wet out or leaked in any other area. I put the pants back on to see how fast they would dry. After 3 minutes they no longer felt clammy. They were mostly dry after 10. Durability: I was surprised to find I'd punched holes in the leg of the rain pants my first time wearing them in the field. I didn't notice these holes until I was back home, so I'm not sure what caused them, but it looks like the material has been cut. I must have snagged them on something, but I have no idea what that could be. Since that first trip, the holes have remained stable and don't appear to be getting any bigger. Otherwise the pants are holding up well. There are no stains or frayed areas. Despite my use, the pants have remained clean-looking and odor-free. Likes Nice and light Comfortable Dry quickly Dislikes Snow gets in at the ankles Wet out with enough water Developed holes on first trip Test Plan: I will test the eVENT Rain Pants along the trails of Montana and Wyoming. I hope to run into more snow and rain. I will see if the pants behave any different in the field than they did in my rain simulation. I will also pay attention to durability. I will see if the pants develop any more holes and how they stand up to washing. Conditions are expected to be snowy and wet. Read more reviews of Integral Designs gear Read more gear reviews by Christine Korhonen Reviews > Rain Gear > Jackets and Pants > Integral Designs eVENT Rain Pants > Christine Korhonen > Field Report | ||||||||||||||||