Name: Kathleen Waters
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Weight: 128 lb (58 kg)
Email address: kathy at ring dot com or TheMiddleSister at usaring dot com
City, State, Country: White Lake, MI USA

Backpacking Background: My husband and I started hiking in 1998 on a gorgeous fall day, starting with Mt. Hahn located just north of Steamboat Springs, CO.

Since then, we have returned to Colorado, mostly to the Vail Valley area twice a year, both summer/early fall and winter to play outdoors - we snowshoe in the winter.

When we are home in Southeast Michigan, we make it a point to hike 2 or 3 weekdays, usually 6 to 8 miles (10 to 13 km) and then one whole weekend day. Our weekday hikes generally take place in the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, which is a decent mixture of moderately steep hills and flat terrain, heavily wooded. Our weekend hikes can end up being anywhere!

Product Information (from website) <back to top>
http://www.integraldesigns.com

Manufacturer: Integral Designs
Year of Manufacturer: 2005
Model: eVENT® Rain Pants
Weight: 10.5 oz (300 g), Medium
Sizes:

Color: Black
MSRP: $250.00 USD

Product Information (from tester)

Size: Small
Weight: 9.5 oz (269 g) + .5 oz (14.2 g) for zip storage pouch

For a more detailed description of the Integral Designs eVENT® Rain Pants, please see my Initial Report.

Field Conditions/Completed Tests Results <back to top>

Michigan is one of those states where it's more likely to be gray and rainy than not! While I don't actively seek hiking in horrid weather, if I didn't venture forth into weather threatening rain, misty rain/heavy fog or snow, I wouldn't get much outdoor time at all. For the purposes of testing the eVENT® rain pants, I deliberately hiked when weather would have normally caused me to postpone.

Colorado, on the other hand, where I do most of my out-of-state testing, is usually dry, if not sunny. So, all of my testing of the eVENT® rain pants, so far, has been in Michigan. Most of it in Pontiac Lake Recreation area on my every-other-day training/conditioning hikes. These hikes are between 5 and 6 miles (8-10 km) with weekend hikes stretching out into 8-10 miles (13-16 km). On my current set of trails, the terrain is moderately hilly, hard-packed dirt and heavily treed. Of course, during this test, the trees haven't offered any shelter from the elements since they are deciduous and currently, leafless.

We had unseasonably warm temperatures in November and December 2005 and I wore the eVENT® rain pants in temperatures up to 58 F (14 C) and as low as 30 F (-1 C). So, I was able to wear a variety of pants under the rain pants. At no time, was I ever uncomfortably warm and I hike hot. I was able to "vent" using the long side zippers when needed. There was never any condensation from perspiration on the insides of the pants.

Even though, Integral Designs makes no claims for it, I found that the eVENT® rain pants were great protection against wind.

What Integral Designs does advertise is "waterproof pants" and in two total downpour, 3 steady showers, and 2 snow/sleet combos, the eVENT® rain pants delivered! While my upper body was soaked and cold in the downpour, and various degrees of wet in the other situations, from the waist down, I was as dry and warm as toast.

Summary to Date <back to top>

I really like these pants! They wear comfortably over a variety of pants, including jeans, hiking pants, tights and long underwear. The eVENT® rain pants are generously sized enough to not be constrictive over these various layers, but still slim enough to not be bulky. They do not gather up in wrinkles or cause discomfort in the crotch. When just wearing tights or long underwear, the waist, even with the adjustable Velcro® tabs, is a bit too big for my taste. However, thanks to the belts loops, I can further adjust the pants with the addition of a belt.

The design of the eVENT® rain pants is stylish and with the addition of a belt, I have no problem with self-consciousness when walking in town after a hike in the hills. The rain pants shed dirt almost as easily as water. The only "give-away" to the technical aspect of the pants is the slight "rustling" sound when I'm walking.

On the trail, the eVENT® rain pants have lived up to their advertising and have been stellar at keeping me dry - well at least from the legs down! I'm going to HAVE to get a good jacket now! I've been in a couple of good soaking rains and have encountered snow, but have yet to experience any wetness at all. Drying time is negligible - a quick shake when I take them off and by morning they are ready to go. I have even dried them off with a towel when I was in a hurry to pack them away!

So far in my testing, I haven't really had much bushwhacking experience with the eVENT® rain pants, so the occasion for snagging hasn't come up. However, the sturdiness of the pants has been tested with "putting on and taking off", rubbing of back and day packs, sitting on rocks, etc. and I don't see any weaknesses so far.

While it is a "pain" to have to remove my boots to don the eVENT® rain pants on the trail, the positive features of these rain pants far outweigh this one negative. I guess I'll just have to add "trail runners" to my gear-shopping list!

Continuing Test Plan <back to top>

The eVENT® rain pants will continue to be tested for the rest of winter in a wide range of nasty weather and locations. Most of the testing will be 2-3 day trips in western and northern Michigan on lakeshore trails, ranging from sandy, open areas, to rocky, heavily treed terrain and short 2-3 hour day trips, hiking and when weather permitting, snowshoeing. The rain pants will most likely get damp, if not wet from rain, freezing rain and snow.

Some questions still be to answered

I will also report any other issues that arise during the testing period.

Kathy Waters

Read more reviews of Integral Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Kathleen Waters

Field Report

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