I came across the Integral Designs eVent Pullover while on my seemingly endless search for hard shell bliss. Honestly, my first thought was something along the lines of "Huh! These guys actually make some cool stuff!" In my experience, Integral Designs is not a company that has much brand recognition with the majority of US consumers... and I think many of those who have heard of the company think of it as "that other brand." My experience with the eVent Pullover, however, clearly places Integral Designs in the top echelon of gear purveyors.
Paper appeal was what drew me in... the specs of the eVent pullover. It is a 10-ounce, three-ply eVent shell. The design is clean, the aesthetic uncluttered and purposeful. The 17-inch chest zipper allows for excellent ventilation, and the shell sports merely one more small zipper for a Napoleon pocket on the left chest. The hood is an integral part of the collar design, and the drop tail, while not allowing for full head to toe protection, provides good rain protection from head to sit pad. I liked that the shell doesn't have pit zips, because I generally feel that if a jacket needs to be unzipped that much, it probably shouldn't be worn, and I'd rather not have the extra weight, bulk, or frills.
If you've spent some time researching lightweight eVent shells, you might notice that the Integral Designs eVent Pullover looks remarkably similar to the Rab Demand Pull-On, and for good reason. Rab now owns Integral Designs, and particularly plans on incorporating light and fast gear into the Integral Designs brand.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Initial Impressions
- Build Quality and Material
- Fit... It's Great, Up a Size
- Contemplating the Hood... Some Considerations
- Field Performance
- Overall Impression
# WORDS: 1810
# PHOTOS: 7
Member Exclusive
A Premium or Unlimited Membership* is required to view the rest of this article.
* A Basic Membership is required to view Member Q&A events
Discussion
Become a member to post in the forums.
Companion forum thread to:
Integral Designs eVent Pullover Review
these jacket seems to be unavailable. being that Integral designs no long has apparel on its website…
"If you’ve spent some time researching lightweight eVent shells, you might notice that the Integral Designs eVent Pullover looks remarkably similar to the Rab Demand Pull-On, for good reason. Rab now owns Integral Designs, and particularly plans on incorporating light and fast gear into the Integral Designs brand."
Here is a link to the Rab Demand Pull-On: http://rab.uk.com/products/mens-clothing/shell/demand-pull-on.html
Thanks for pointing that out!
Huh. Whaddya know, they decided not to go into full production! All is not lost, however. The jacket reviewed is, for all intents and purposes, a Rab Demand Pull-On. The cord going around the outside of the hood (instead of through a tunnel as on the ID tested) on the Rab is different, but that's pretty much it… right down to fit and sizing.
Looks like Rab has shut down ID clothing production, and sleeping bags.
The hood was clearly designed to fit over a mountaineering helmet. It's shortcomings would probably be mitigated if it were used as per this design. With jackets like these, it would be nice if they offered helmet and non-helmet hood sizes.
I saw several references to weight, but don't see an actual weight listed.
Although the hood is helmet compatible, as many hoods are, I've worn the Pullover with a helmet and the problems that I noted are not mitigated. The concerns I noted here are particularly unique to the Pullover/Demand and have largely not been issues I've seen with any number of other shells. Part of what's going on is that the collar rises higher than many others; the brim, well, it's just what it is…
Actual weight of the large is 10.6 ounces on my scale.
I own several Integral Designs products (slow learner) and they all have two things in common: quality construction and poor design.
lmao Frank!
I used the Rab Demand Pull-On on as thru-hike of the Pacific Northwest Trail last year and it was excellent – and it was worn more than I'd hoped as September was very wet. Cinched down the hood was fine.
Hi Chris,
I just ordered a RAB Demand Smock yesterday, largely due to your review of it!
Hi Douglas, I hope you like it!
I bought an ID Thru Hiker jacket several years ago while preparing for a hike of the Snowman Trek, and it was an absolutely stunning solution to those cold and damp conditions. It was also great some years later on a bike ride from Lhasa to Kathmandu. I was very lucky, as ID made a custom version for me with longer arms, something I gladly paid for. The jacket is my favorite, even hanging alongside top-end Arcteryx gear, both Paclite and Proshell, both with pit zips. The success of the Thru Hiker (and ID products in general) is a combination of the eVent they use and the superior fit/sizing/clean lines. I suppose Rab may not continue to do any custom work, but -in case they are reading – there is a market for customization which can command premium prices to cover the labour. In this (and any other) review, I would appreciate knowing the height/weight/chest size/sleeve length of the reviewer to guauge the fit better when thinking about myself in future. Cheers!
I very recently received a Rab demand and so far think that it's excellent. But I haven't been able to trail test it yet. Event breathes as well as advertised. I personally like the hood and haven't had the problems with the collar mentioned in the ID review. I too wear glasses. I'm 5'9'' and 137lbs; the medium fits me perfectly with a base layer, a merino second layer (or two) and a not too puffy down vest worn beneath. I would probably need to size up if I wanted to wear a puffier, sleeved full down jacket underneath, especially as the Rab sleeves are narrow. As it is, I'm really happy with this.
Where does one find a size medium for sale?
"Where does one find a size medium for sale?"
You probably have to go for a RAB Demand smock/pullover.
Can't find a medium in that either.
Mediums are available at TowerRidge in the UK. I just ordered one from there. Total around $200, including shipping. Takes a while for the order process, as they have to contact you about how much it will cost to ship and you have to agree to the shipping charge before they ship. But they back out the VAT automatically. Mine shipped today, we’ll see how long it takes to get here!
Brad wrote:
"Actual weight of the large (Pullover) is 10.6 ounces on my scale."
For 11.1 ounces (weighed on my scale), I got an Event Rain Jacket (Not sure if you can still find them, but love mine!).
It's over-sized to wear on top of WM & Montbell puffy under-layers. (My sleeping bag is VERY light, so I use down under-layers to augment my bag and to wear around camp, but I don't hike in them).
For me the option of being able to unzip my rain jacket is worth the extra .7oz.
And the price for all this goodness is?
I don’t remember what I paid for my rain jacket, but there are some on sale here in a couple of sizes. The regular price is also listed.
I’m not sure how many of these jackets are still available, but here’s a former BPL string that anyone who’s considering one might find helpful.
review
Become a member to post in the forums.