Long Term Report

Integral Designs eVENT Rain Pants
Field Report
March 20, 2006

Tester Biographical Information:

Name: Ken Bigelow
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 9” (1.8 m)
Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg)
Waist: 42 in (107 cm)
Hip: 41 in (104 cm)
Inseam: 31 in (79 cm)
Thigh: 27 in (69 cm)
Email: krb84108 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA

Backpacking Background:

I was first dragged on a backpacking trip eight years ago and have been addicted to it ever since. My adventures vary in length from a weekend to over two weeks. I am slowly shifting my backpacking style to a lightweight approach. I recently upgraded to a hammock to reduce weight. From spring through fall I typically backpack in the mountains or desert, while in winter I often go snowshoeing. I typically see a wide variety of climates ranging from 10 F (-12 C) with snow to 90 F (32 C) and sunny with just about everything in between.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Integral Designs
Website: www.integraldesigns.com
Size Tested: XL 40 - 44 in (102-112 cm) waist, 50 in (127 cm) hip, 33 in (84 cm) inseam, 28 in (71 cm) thigh
Listed Weight: 10.5 oz (300 g), Medium
Pants Measured Weight: 11.2 oz (318 g)
Stuff Sack Measured Weight: 0.4 oz (11 g)
Measured Packed Size in Stuff Sack: 8 in x 9 in (20 cm x 23 cm)
Year of Manufacture: 2005
Color: Black
MSRP: $250 (US)

Field Conditions:

For the final two months of testing, the Integral Designs eVENT Rain Pants have been used in the Wasatch Mountains, the Uinta Mountains and in the desert of Southern Utah. I have primarily used the rain pants while snowshoeing in the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains, but I did pull them out while hiking in the desert when an unexpected snowstorm hit. The terrain has included snow covered trails (both broken and virgin snow), mud and slickrock. Elevations have ranged from 5,000 ft (1,500 m) to 9,000 ft (2,700 m). I have seen sunny days and heavy snow during the last two months of testing while experiencing temperatures ranging from 50 F (10 C) to -12 F (-24 C).

Long Term Report:

I'm happy to report that the eVENT Rain Pants are still performing well. I have not felt moisture penetrate the exterior fabric (including the zippers and cuffs) at all. On multiple snowshoeing trips I've taken off the pants (after exerting myself by breaking trail) and left them in the tent vestibule overnight. Temperatures have dipped as low as -12 F (-24 C). In the morning my boots were frozen rock solid from the previous day's sweat, but my pants have always slid on with no frozen spots. This, to me, proves that the rain pants are extremely breathable.

On a snowshoeing day trip in the Wasatch Mountains I encountered some heavy winds prior to reaching the high alpine basin which happened to be my destination. The gusts were between 25-30 mph (40-50 km/hr) at their strongest. For this section of the trail I zipped up the side vents to keep the wind out. With the Vents closed the eVENT Rain Pants did an excellent job of protecting my lower body from the wind. My legs did not experience the sting of winter wind that my face received.

The eVENT Rain Pants Providing Wind Protection

The eVENT Rain Pants Facing Wind Gusts in the Wasatch Mountains

While day hiking in Southern Utah I was caught in an unexpected snowstorm. The storm had been threatening all day occasionally dropping light precipitation every now and then. I was surprised when it finally unleashed its fury by dumping heavy snow (instead of the predicted light rain). I quickly put on the eVENT Rain Pants and my group and I started to return back to the trailhead. The snow and the temperature kept falling which made going back no easy task. Snow and slickrock, while beautiful to look at, do not make a great combination for hiking terrain. We had to proceed with caution over flat portions, but it was not too much of a problem. The downhill I enjoyed immensely as either sat on my butt or got on all fours and slid down. It was similar to going down a slide. Going up was substantially harder. It was comparable to scrambling or the ultimate game of Twister on a severely sloped floor. In a few sections we had to use my hands, arms, feet and knees to progress only a few yards.

Needless to say going back took a lot longer than heading out, but I was able to really stretch out and test the flexibility of the rain pants. I was able to swing my legs from boulder to boulder without any issues and had to use my bent knees and lower legs as wedge anchors more than once. I even had to jump over a few cracks in the slickrock and was not hindered at all by the rain pants. It should be noted that I am not that flexible of a person, but the pants were able to stretch and bend as well as I can.

The eVENT Rain Pants have held up through four months of testing with no problems at all. Sliding over slickrock and weekly snowshoeing excursions have not ripped or damaged the rain pants as far as I can tell. The Velcro straps still stick as well as the day they arrived and all of the zippers slide with the same resistance as best I can tell. Throughout the test I used an elastic cord tied to the hem loop tabs as an underfoot shock cord. While I've destroyed a set of cords (which were my own and not Integral Designs') the loop tabs survived unscathed.

The Integral Designs eVENT Rain Pants are quite comfortable to wear. I have not experienced any chaffing and after a day of snowshoeing I always leave the pants on until long after returning home. I even typically wear them to the laundromat with only underwear on underneath and do not receive any weird glances from others. The rain pants do fit loose when worn as a single layer. I suspect I could wear a size smaller if I decided to wear them as a single layer and never wear multiple layers underneath them. A rear belt loop would allow me to wear a belt with the pants solving my problem and provide even more adjustability. It should be noted that this problem is likely limited to me and should not be considered a typical problem. It's not even a huge issue, but I certainly would not like to do any plumbing work while wearing only these pants.

The eVENT fabric is covered with a durable water repellent (DWR) that breaks down with time. When the water no longer beads up on the garment a DWR finish should be re-applied to the exterior of the rain pants. I have not treated the rain pants during the testing period because the DWR is still working its magic. I have yet to wet the material out even after being caught in a Uinta Mountains snowstorm where both my rain jacket and softshell gloves did.

My Rain Jacket & Gloves Wet Out in this Snowstorm, but the
eVENT Rain Pants Repelled All Moisture & Remained Dry

Odor can build up on the eVENT Rain pants, but even one layer underneath them minimizes the buildup. Even when odor does cling the rain pants, washing them in warm water with liquid detergent then allowing them to drip dry (as suggested my the manufacturer) does an excellent job of cleansing the rain pants. Odor and mud are removed with this treatment and I have been unable to detect any deterioration in the performance of the rain pants after washing them.

Summary:

The Integral Designs eVENT Rain Pants have performed well in shearing wind, shedding both rain and snow while still allowing my legs to breathe. The do not hinder my mobility and adjust to multiple layering systems. They do fit a little loose when worn as a single layer, but this is probably unique to my measurements. The pants seem fairly durable as they still look new after four months of testing.

Things I like:

Windproof
Does not restrict movement
Durable
Comfortable to wear

Concerns:

A rear belt loop would be nice

I would like to thank Integral Designs and BackpackGearTest for allowing me the opportunity to test the eVENT Rain Pants.

Read more reviews of Integral Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Ken Bigelow

Reviews > Rain Gear > Jackets and Pants > Integral Designs eVENT Rain Pants > Ken Bigelow > Long Term Report

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