mountain hardwear chiller long-sleeve (Ls) shirt (pct thru-hike)
I rarely get the opportunity to wear a single shirt every day for almost 5 months. In the case of this particular shirt, I was surprised in more than a few ways. I had very strict guidelines for a LS shirt for my PCT hike, and they were as follows:
LIKES: This shirt met all of my criteria, and performed beyond what I was expecting. I found this shirt to breathe better and have a nicer feel next to the skin, than any RailRiders, ExOfficio, REI, or EMS synthetic hiking shirt that I've tried. Having worn this shirt under backpack straps, I was amazed at how long the stitching held up under constant wearing. The shirt dried in under 15 minutes in a light breeze or the sun, and always felt softer next to my skin than other synthetics I have tried. A+ across the board. A good shirt. My size large weighed 9.5 ounces, had UPF 40 sun protection, and the COOL Q-Zero fabric that was supposed to make the shirt actually feel cooler when you're sweating into it. It was a cool hiking shirt in all regards, and I'd use it again.
DISLIKES: A retail price of $100 dollars for any hiking shirt is too high. I spent only $45 on my new shirt however, and thus I was willing to give it a go. The secondary flip up collar needs to be a little stiffer for it to actually stay up when you flip it up. A personal mistake on my part, was to purchase the shirt in WHITE, assuming that that would be a good desert color. And while it didn't get that hot in the sun, or attract bugs with any bright colors, it did get very dirty, very quickly. Machine washing it with a strong cleaner did keep it remarkably clean all the way to the end considering the use I was putting it to. It will be a throw away item once its hiking use was expired, as it is still functional for my uses, but not even close to clean or in good condition.
SUMMARY: If you are looking for a nice comfy synthetic LS shirt that dries quickly and breathes well, then look no further. Well thought out shirt with a ROOMY FIT and good looking design. The 2,650 miles that this shirt has behind it, are evidence that I liked it. A+
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SHIRT CAN BE FOUND HERE
- Must provide good UV protection from the sun.
- Must breathe very well and dry fast.
- Must be durable enough to wear everyday and wash in streams more often than machines.
- Must have a soft feel and not be abrasive against my skin.
LIKES: This shirt met all of my criteria, and performed beyond what I was expecting. I found this shirt to breathe better and have a nicer feel next to the skin, than any RailRiders, ExOfficio, REI, or EMS synthetic hiking shirt that I've tried. Having worn this shirt under backpack straps, I was amazed at how long the stitching held up under constant wearing. The shirt dried in under 15 minutes in a light breeze or the sun, and always felt softer next to my skin than other synthetics I have tried. A+ across the board. A good shirt. My size large weighed 9.5 ounces, had UPF 40 sun protection, and the COOL Q-Zero fabric that was supposed to make the shirt actually feel cooler when you're sweating into it. It was a cool hiking shirt in all regards, and I'd use it again.
DISLIKES: A retail price of $100 dollars for any hiking shirt is too high. I spent only $45 on my new shirt however, and thus I was willing to give it a go. The secondary flip up collar needs to be a little stiffer for it to actually stay up when you flip it up. A personal mistake on my part, was to purchase the shirt in WHITE, assuming that that would be a good desert color. And while it didn't get that hot in the sun, or attract bugs with any bright colors, it did get very dirty, very quickly. Machine washing it with a strong cleaner did keep it remarkably clean all the way to the end considering the use I was putting it to. It will be a throw away item once its hiking use was expired, as it is still functional for my uses, but not even close to clean or in good condition.
SUMMARY: If you are looking for a nice comfy synthetic LS shirt that dries quickly and breathes well, then look no further. Well thought out shirt with a ROOMY FIT and good looking design. The 2,650 miles that this shirt has behind it, are evidence that I liked it. A+
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SHIRT CAN BE FOUND HERE