Hey,

While I can't speak from the experience of using Inov-8s for backpacking or hiking, I wI'll say that I have loved the two pairs I've owned. One pair was my daily wearing shoe for two years (x-lite 210) and I've worn a hole in the sole. The other was my running shoe (f-lite 230) all last season with a lot of pavement and some cross-country mileage on them and they are still going strong. I've found the brand to be the best made minimalists I've managed to try (relative to NB and another brand I can't think of the name of atm).

It does sound as though you know enough about minimalists that this next bit is most likely unneeded but... If you haven't worn minimalists before make sure you take the time to convert yourself slowly. It is a very hard transition for a lot of people. It was totally worth it for me but often people will just start running/trekking their normal mileages in them without transitioning and it can easily result in injury.

Anyways, hoped this helped even though it's not directly answering your question.