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 last of three reports of the Integral Designs Silshelter Bug Liner. The first report described the product in detail. This report builds on the second report.

Product Description:

Integral Designs Silshelter Bug Liner
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.)
Received May 20, 2005
Includes stuff sack
MSRP US $100
Bathtub-style floor with 2 inch (5 cm) high side walls
"Lightweight 70 denier urethane-coated taffeta nylon" floor
Floor measures 84 inches (210 cm) long and a bit over 44 inches (110 cm) wide
Integral Designs says fits "1 - 2 people." It would be a bit cozy for two people my size.
Adjustable stake loops at each corner, can use same corner stakes as the Silshelter
Walls and roof of grey no-see-um netting
D-shaped zippered door
A single trekking pole (not included) fits into a reinforced pocket at the top front
Height 38 inches (97 cm), 16 inches (40 cm) high at the rear
Stated weight 17 ounces (485g)
Measured weight 19.7 ounces (559 g), without stuff sack and stakes, which are not provided.
Integral Designs Bug Liner

Test Conditions

Testing included an extended-weekend backpack along the Pacific Crest Trail between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. Separate camps were made each night at about 8,500 feet (2,600 m), and low temperatures each night around 35 degrees F (2 c), but conditions varied from calm valleys to strong ridge-top winds to a damp river valley.

Long Term Test

My experiences with the Bug Liner are essentially unchanged since my last report. In summary:

Entry. A relatively small door, combined with the pole in the center of the front wall, slows my entry just a bit. I find making sure the wrist strap of my trekking pole faced the fixed mesh panel in front and not the door keeps the zipper pull from being hidden by the grip of the trekking pole.

Stability in wind. On the windiest night, the shelter rustled and rattled with the wind, although the noise came mostly from the Silshelter and not the mostly-mesh Bug Liner. Still, it held affixed to the planet Earth with no anxiety of becoming airborne.

Bugproofness. No critters penetrated the Bug Liner during my tests, in spite of setting up over an ant hill a couple times. The mesh does droop a bit at the rear, although three guy lines are available to elevate it slightly. I simply wrapped the center guy line around my second trekking pole before staking the line down.

Durability. The mesh shows no signs of snags or stretching. I used the Bug Liner without a footprint groundcloth, on surfaces ranging from grass to forest duff and sticks to sand and gravel, with no obvious wear on the floor. In fact, I would actually prefer a lighter mesh and a lighter floor to reduce weight.

Roominess. There is plenty of room inside the Bug Liner for one person and their gear, although I did brush against the mesh regularly when entering the shelter or sitting up. As previously mentioned, it would be a bit snug for two.

Set-up. Because of the cooler temperatures of autumn, my recent use of the Bug Liner has been under the Silshelter. While pitching the Bug Liner itself is rather simple (stake, raise pole, guy), I find doing so under the Silshelter slightly annoying. Because the Silshelter should be pitched first, I have to lie down on top of the Bug Liner to attach the loops to the tent stakes and then walk around the tent to adjust their tautness. While it is possible to reach under the Silshelter from outside to attach the Bug Liner to the stakes, I found this difficult in windy conditions, and frustrating if the stake loop was not readily accessible.

Summary. The Bug Liner is a very solid and simple solution to bug-free sleeping, especially when used by itself. When used with the Silshelter, it provides great flexibility in sleeping accommodations. In my opinion, the total system is rather heavy (39 ounces (1,106 g, including the Silshelter and ten stakes) for the space provided. I would like to see Integral Designs make an ultralight version of the Silshelter and Bug Liner, with lighter fabric and mesh, to get the weight total weight below 2 pounds (0.9 kg).

I thank BackpackGearTest and Integral Designs for the opportunity to test the Bug Liner and the Silshelter combination.

Read more reviews of Integral Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Bill Jeffrey

Long Term Report

All material on this site is the exclusive property of BackpackGearTest.org.
BackpackGearTest software copyright David Anderson