Integral Designs Rundle Jacket SPOTLITE REVIEW Review

Overview

The Integral Designs Rundle jacket is a hoodless synthetic insulated jacket. Insulation is 4 oz/yd² Primaloft Sport, which is thicker than many lightweight synthetic insulated jackets. More insulation means more warmth, but also means a little more weight. Its outer shell is 30 denier Pertex Microlight, which at 1.4 oz/yd² is a bit heavier than popular 20 denier Pertex Quantum at 0.9 oz/yd², but it's also more durable, windproof, and water-repellent.

At 16.6 ounces (measured weight, size Large), the Rundle Jacket is on the heavy side for ultralight backpacking, but it's a highly versatile piece for cold weather snow sports and winter camping. Specifically, I wore the Rundle either as an outer layer or midlayer for casual wear, winter hiking, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing, and winter camping.

When worn as an outer layer over one or two baselayers, I found the Rundle to be a remarkably warm jacket for active pursuits in cold weather. Its Pertex Microlight shell is a good balance of durability and wind/water resistance. The downside of Microlight is that it is less breathable, but breathability is inversely related to wind and water resistance and the latter factors are more important for a shell fabric on an insulated jacket.

I chose the ID Rundle Jacket as part of my layering system for an eleven-day winter camping trip in Yellowstone National Park. On that trip, where temperatures ranged from -16 to 40 °F, I mainly wore the Rundle Jacket as a midlayer. I wore one or two wool base layers under it and a lightweight down jacket or shell jacket (Montbell Thunderhead Jacket) over it, as needed to maintain my comfort level. When actively skiing or hiking in temperatures down to 0 °F, I usually wore a wool base layer, the Rundle Jacket, and a shell jacket, with excellent results. Opening the front zippers of the jackets gave me a lot of temperature adjustment.

The Rundle has smooth fabrics on both the outside and inside, making it easy to pull it on over other clothing, or don other clothing over it. Its thumb loops are also a great aid for putting it on.

Overall, the Integral Designs Rundle Jacket is an excellent choice for cold weather pursuits, and it can be worn as a mid- or outer layer in a wide variety of clothing systems. It's not necessarily a good choice for ultralight summer backpacking, where a thinner synthetic jacket like the Bozeman Mountain Works Cocoon Pullover (9 ounces, size Large) is sufficient. The Cocoon's 1.8 oz/yd² Polarguard® Delta insulation is less than half the weight of the Rundle's four-ounce Primaloft Sport. More insulation means more warmth, and the Rundle is a good choice when more warmth is needed.

Specifications and Features

• Manufacturer: Integral Designs (http://integraldesigns.com/)
• Year/Model: 2008 Rundle Jacket
• Materials:: Shell is 30 d Pertex Microlight 1.4 oz/yd², lining is 30 d nylon taffeta
• Insulation: Primaloft Sport 4 oz/yd²
• Features: Full front zipper, two zippered front pockets, one zippered inside pocket, Lycra bound cuffs and hem, thumb loops on cuffs, silnylon stuff sack
• Weight: Measured weight men's Large 16.6 oz (471 g), manufacturer specification 17 oz (480 g)
• MSRP: $180 US