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Long Term Report: Integral Designs Silshelter
Bug Liner
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Personal Biographical Info: |
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| Name: |
Todd Martin |
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| Age: |
42 |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Height: |
5'11" (1.8 m) |
| Weight: |
155 lbs. (68 kg) |
| Email Address: |
todds_hiking_guide (at) yahoo (dot) com |
| Location: |
Phoenix, AZ USA |
| Date: |
December 6, 2005 |
| Background: |
As an avid hiker all of my adult life I have thru-hiked the
Appalachian Trail in the eastern US and sections of the Pacific Crest Trail
in the western US. I currently reside in the desert southwest and spend most
weekends and all vacations hiking and exploring. I prefer long hikes and
traveling with a light pack. My current base backpacking weight (not
including food or water) measures about 10 lbs (4.5 kg). My web site:
http://www.toddshikingguide.com/
contains information, descriptions and photographs of many hikes and canyons
in Arizona and Utah. |
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Product Information: |
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Manufacturer: |
Integral Designs (http://www.integraldesigns.com/) |
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Style of Product: |
Bug Liner - designed to be used with the Integral
Designs Silshelter |
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Color: |
Black floor, grey netting |
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Year of Manufacture: |
2005 |
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Listed Weight: |
17oz (485g) |
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Weight as Delivered: |
Bug liner alone: 19.8 (561g)
Stuffsack: 0.4oz (11g) |
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Listed Dimensions: |
Length 84" (210cm)
Width 44" (110cm) |
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Material: |
Floor fabric - 70 denier urethane coated taffeta nylon
Bug screen - grey no-see-um netting |
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MSRP: |
$100 |
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Field and Test Information: |
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Location(s) of test:
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The bug liner was taken on several trips in the forests, grasslands and
deserts of Arizona. |
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Terrain:
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Terrain consisted of juniper and pine forests at higher elevations to rocky
desert lowlands. Elevations ranged from 1500 to 7000 feet (460 to 2100
meters). |
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Weather Conditions:
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Night time temperatures ranged from lows in the 40's F (9 C) to the 70's F
(21 C). Nights were clear with occasional wind. |
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Description of Experience and Comments on Product Performance: |
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The Bug Liner was used on both solo trips and hikes with my wife during the
course of this test period. For solo trips, I have found the Bug Liner to be
very comfortable, with enough room for myself and gear. When camping alone
I’d typically place my sleeping bag running down the center of the shelter
so that when sitting up my head would be at the highest point of the liner.
This allowed me to sit up comfortably without bumping my head. A book,
headlamp, water and other miscellaneous items that might be needed during
the night were placed at the head of the shelter, while spare clothes and
other gear were placed along the sides. I’d typically place my empty pack
under my feet below my ¾ length sleeping pad to keep my feet off the ground.
The liner is decidedly less comfortable when used as a shelter for two. With
two sleeping pads, sleeping bags and people in the Bug Liner, there is
little room for any extraneous gear inside. It is also less comfortable
since neither occupant can sit up without distorting the sides of the liner.
The other problem that arises is that because the door is so small, and the
hiking pole blocks half of the opening, it is not possible to get in or out
of the shelter without disturbing the other occupant. This is particularly
bothersome for late night runs to answer the call of nature. With 2 people
in the liner, I placed gear to which I needed easy access immediately
outside the liner on the ground. Because the liner is transparent it was an
easy matter to identify the needed item and retrieve it through the doorway
when desired. The transparency also made it a bug free area from which to
view the night sky.
On two trips, the liner was pitched using a guy line to secure and
elevate the head of the Bug Liner in place of a hiking pole. This eliminated
the entry/exit difficulty associated with having the pole obscure half of
the doorway (though the tree the guy line was tied to was somewhat in the
way).
I have a preference for shelters that don’t cut me off from nature. Between
the visibility and the fact that breezes pass fairly easily through the
no-see-um fabric, the Bug Liner provides a safe haven from insects without
cutting the hiker completely off from nature. The liner breathes very well
and I have not noticed any buildup of condensation on the interior walls or
floor. In a breeze the fabric does rustle somewhat, but does not snap and
shake noisily like some tent fabrics are apt to do.
Durability:
The Bug Liner is well made and the materials are durable. I have not
noticed any stretch or wear the netting or the nylon floor to date.
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Conclusions: |
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My experience is that the Bug Liner performs the task it was designed to do,
I have found the liner to do an excellent job at keeping the insects at bay.
My experience is that the Integral Designs Bug Liner is most comfortable
when used as a solo shelter. In this configuration the shelter provides
ample room for both the hiker and gear, plus enough head room and space for
typical camp activities like changing clothes, sitting and reading. Because
the shelter is best used for a solo hiker, weight becomes particularly
important since there is no one else to split weight with. My preference
would therefore be that the Bug Liner be as light weight as possible. At
approximately 20 oz (567 g), the shelter is certainly light, but I believe
that with a few material changes (perhaps replacing the floor with a lighter
weight fabric) additional weight savings could occur. The other option would
be to make it slightly larger to make it more attractive as a shelter for
two. Likes: |
- Light weight
- Packs fairly small
- Sets up quickly
- Doesn’t have a lot of guy lines to trip over
- Completely enclosed, keeps the bugs out
- Very breathable when used as a stand alone shelter
- Quiet in the wind
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Areas for Improvement: |
- No set up instructions, particularly for the foot
- A little small for my tastes with two people inside
- Not possible to sit up when two people are in the shelter
- Sides of the shelter bow inwards
- Between the location of the hiking pole and the lip, the door is a
little difficult to get in and out of
- Fabric hiking pole cup is too small for the handle of my hiking stick
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Read more reviews of Integral Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Todd L. Martin
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