Reviews > Shelters > Tarps and Bivys > Integral Designs Silshelter Bug liner > Bill Jeffrey > Initial Report

Integral Designs Silshelter Bug Liner - Initial Report

Tester Personal Biographical Information

Bill Jeffrey
47 year old male, 6'4" (193 cm) tall, 225 pounds (90 kg)
San Diego County, California
Email: wjj2001 "at" yahoo "dot" com I have over 30 years backpacking experience, starting with Scouting as a youth. I am currently the High Adventure Leader for a Scout Troop. I try to get out once or twice a month, plus at least one week-long trek each year. My trips are of two types. First, I am hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in sections, and generally use a lightweight approach on these typically solo trips. Other trips involving family involve more traditional backpacking equipment. Terrain varies from sea level to 14,000 feet (4,300 m), desert to mountain, and trail to cross country, occasionally including snow travel.

This is the first of three reports of the Integral Designs Silshelter Bug Liner and is based solely on inspection at home. Future reports will describe my experiences with the Bug Liner over two and then six months.

Product Description:

According to Integral Designs (http://www.integraldesigns.com), "This liner is designed to be in conjunction with the Silshelter, or as a stand-alone refuge from no-see-ums and bugs." (The Silshelter itself was previously reviewed by BackpackGearTest in 2001.)

The Bug Liner arrived May 20, 2005, stuffed in its stuff sack with a single-sided card describing the product and a catalog. The MSRP is US $100.

The Bug Liner has a bathtub-style floor with 2 inch (5 cm) high side walls. The floor, black in color, is said to be "a lightweight 70 denier urethane-coated taffeta nylon." The floor has no seams other than up the four corners, and those seams are taped. The floor measures 84 inches (210 cm) long and a bit over 44 inches (110 cm) wide, which agrees with the manufacturers dimensions. Integral Designs says it is for "1 - 2 people." It would be a bit cozy for two people my size.

At each corner are loops made of 1/2-inch (1 cm) webbing. With the ladder lock adjustments fully extended, these loops can extend 14 inches (35 cm) out at the front of the Bug Liner and 12 inches (30 cm) out at the back. This adjustment is needed so the Bug Liner can use the same corner stakes as the Silshelter.

The walls and roof of the Bug Liner are grey no-see-um netting, with a D-shaped zippered door that opens about two-thirds of the front.

A single trekking pole (not included) fits into a reinforced pocket at the top of the Bug Liner, with a height of 38 inches (97 cm). The manufacturer says that "a single loop above the pole cap enables the front to be staked out," although my liner has two guy lines at this location, of which only one appears necessary.

The roof slopes back down to 16 inches (40 cm) high at the rear of the Bug Liner, where three tie-outs provide options for guying and slightly elevating the back. I wrapped a tie-out around a trekking pole to give it a bit more height at the rear.

The stated weight of the Bug Liner is 17 ounces (485g). I measured the Bug Liner itself at 19.7 ounces (559 g). Including the stuff sack brings the total weight to 20.1 ounces (571 g). This weight does not include stakes, which are not provided.

Set-up: Only minimal instructions are included. They are:

Optimum setup, for use with the Silshelter, is with trekking pole adjusted to 38" (97 cm) high and the corner loops at 135 degrees outwards from the sides, with the ladderlocks almost fully extended. Silshelter apex pole cap fits over top of Bug Liner pole cap and main corner stake points can be shared with Bug Liner stake points."

Here's what I did to pitch the Bug Liner under the Silshelter:

1. Pitch the Silshelter itself first to protect the Bug Liner from the rain.
2. Lay the Bug Liner under the Silshelter.
3. Slightly lower the pole holding the front of the Silshelter so the Bug Liner pole cup can be placed between the pole handle and the Silshelter. The pole goes just outside the Bug Liner mesh door.
4. With the corner loops fully extended, place first the rear corner loops and then the front loops around the corner stakes supporting the Silshelter.
5. Tie the front and rear guy lines of the Bug Liner to the front and rear stakes supporting the Silshelter.
6. Adjust the corner loop ladder locks until the Bug Liner is reasonably, but not excessively, taut.

Of course, the Bug Liner can also be used without the Silshelter for a light, airy, bug-free night under the stars.

Initial Impression: The Bug Liner offers a bug-free addition to the popular Silshelter. At a total weight of 39 ounces (1,106 g, including the Silshelter and ten stakes), it makes a very useful shelter.

The floor appears durable enough that I will use the Bug Liner without my usual 2-mil plastic ground cloth. Overall construction is very good as I expected from Integral Designs, with no flaws noted.

My only complaint so far is that it is a bit ackward to stake out the Bug Liner under the Silshelter from the inside. I would prefer nylon cord loops for attaching the Bug Liner to the underside of the Silshelter. As it is, it appears the choices are to reach down from inside, which is difficult at the rear end, or go outside and reach under the Silshelter to stake out the Bug Liner.

Next: Initial testing will be on a week-long backpack in the mountains of Southern California. Elevations will range from 700 to at near 10,000 feet (200 to 3,000 meters). The weather could be anything from a warm and dry 85 degrees F (30 C) to a pleasant 30 F (-1 C). I expect wind and anticipate rain.

I will test the Bug liner both in conjunction with the Silshelter and as a standalone refuge from the bugs. While I enjoy sleeping under the starts, I don't much care for creepy crawlies, having once awoken at midnight to find large ants swarming over my sleeping bag, which I had tossed between some downed logs late one night. Testing will include:

• Ease of setup as a standalone bug shelter.
• Ease of setup with the Silshelter.
• Ease of entry without letting bugs in.
• Stability in wind.
• Bugproofness.
• Waterproofness of the bathtub floor
• Durability.
• Roominess, inlcuding ability to keep me and the bugs separated.

Reviews > Shelters > Tarps and Bivys > Integral Designs Silshelter Bug liner > Bill Jeffrey > Initial Report