The Integral Design thru-hiker jacket is my new shell of choice. I purchased it to save about 600 grams over my winter alpine shell, a MacPac Prophet.
After researching into the latest fabric advances and never being completely happy with the 'breathability' of Gore-tex XCR I decided to try out eVENT. The goals for the new jacket were:
- Lighter weight
- Greater breathability
- Less pack spack
So the thru-hiker was chosen as one of the most likely candidates. I still had some questions that only using the rain jacket in the field would answer.
- Would it be tough enough for off trail use (bush bashing)?
- Would I miss the features of an alpine jacket (pit zips, better hood etc)?
- Would the front zip without storm enclosure keep rain out?
- Would it perform well enough for long extended rain on long remote trips where getting wet is a serious risk?
Use on track
