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PATAGONIA MEN'S CAPILENE 2 LONG SLEEVE CREW
BY CHAD POINDEXTER
OWNER REVIEW
February 04, 2010
TESTER INFORMATION
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NAME:
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Chad Poindexter
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EMAIL:
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cg-77 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com
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AGE:
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32
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LOCATION:
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Corinth, Alcorn County, Mississippi, USA
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GENDER:
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M
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HEIGHT:
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5' 10" (1.78 m)
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WEIGHT:
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200 lb (90.70 kg)
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I am a fairly new hiker and have hiked in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, and at a few state parks in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama. I have obtained some heavy gear, but dream of going light. I love my tent and appreciate a warm drink in the morning, as well as a warm meal at night. So far my distance has averaged around 10 mi (16 km) per day, depending on terrain. I usually hike with my fiancée or my son however I am currently planning my first solo hike!
PRODUCT INFORMATION
 | | Image Courtesy of Patagonia |
Manufacturer: Patagonia
Year of Purchase: 2009
Manufacturer's Website: www.patagonia.com
MSRP: (US) $ 40.00
Listed Weight: 6 oz (170 g)
Measured Weight: 5.8 oz (164 g)
Size: Large (Also Available in: S, M, XL, and XXL)
Color: Classic Navy (Also Available in Bonfire Orange,
Black, Seagrass, and Feather Gray)
Materials: 4 oz (113g) 100% Polyester (54% Recycled)
Extra Features: Raglan Sleeves, Gladiodor natural odor control,
open-knit weave, flat-ribbed underarm panels, slim fit
100% Recyclable through the Common Threads Recycling Program
Patagonia Ironclad Guarantee: "Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
We make returns and repairs easy and full refunds are available
for returned items that are unwashed and unworn."
Made in Mexico
The Patagonia Men's Capilene 2 Crew (hereafter referred to as the "shirt" or "crew") is a very light-weight durable performance base layer crew that can be used in a variety of conditions. The polyester has been made soft to touch which is good while wearing next to skin, and the raglan sleeves allows full range of motion and freedom. The raglan sleeves in conjunction with the flat-ribbed underarm panels prevent chafe while wearing a backpack. The polyester open knit weave allows maximum air flow through the shirt (breathability) and provides exceptional wicking capabilities, however, it still provides a considerable amount of warmth, and with the slim fit it is easily layered over without a bulky feel. And at the end of the day the shirt has battled the odors with the built in Gladiodor natural odor control system, which uses naturally derived amino acid chains, instead of metals or antimicrobials, to kill the actual odor-causing bacteria.
FIELD USE
After owning this shirt for the last 11 months I have worn it in numerous conditions. I have worn the shirt 14+ days on the trail, plus many more off trail or just car camping. I have taken it with me on all of my backpacking trips that I have been on and have worn it on very near all of them.
 | | Car camping at Big Hill Pond |
 | | Taking a break at Sipsey Wilderness |
It has been to Big Hill Pond (BHP) state park in Tennessee, Sipsey Wilderness (SW) in Alabama, the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Georgia, and most recently in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) in Tennessee. I have worn it in temperatures ranging from around 10 F (-12 C) in SW to as high as 90 F (32 C). I have worn the shirt in elevations ranging from 500 ft (152 m) at BHP to as high as 6,593 ft (2010 m) atop Mt LeConte in the GSMNP. Conditions have ranged from light snow to rain to nice beautiful cool dry days.
SUMMARY
When I first purchased the Patagonia Capilene 2 Crew I wasn't so sure about wearing it in warmer conditions simply because it was long sleeve, however, when I got home and opened it up and looked at it I thought differently. The open-knit construction is very obvious, I could see completely through the shirt when holding it up! Then I began to wonder if it would do well on cool mornings, let alone cold days or nights.
I immediately put it on and the first thing I noticed was how light it felt while wearing the shirt. Taking into consideration the slim fit the shirt clung to my body, however loosely. It almost felt like a very light second skin. I didn't know what to make of it so I wore it around home for a while and it grew on me. I enjoyed the way it moved with me and that the sleeves didn't slide up to my elbows when I reached my arms out. I liked the way that I could actually feel the wind blowing through the shirt and against my skin. I also liked that I didn't feel sweat building up under my arms or around my neck or on my back.
My first trip I took the shirt on was an overnight trip to BHP with my son. I did not wear the shirt going in but when we made camp I went ahead and put it on. It had been a little misty all day and I wanted to put on a dry shirt. I wore it to sleep in that night and it was very comfortable. Also, since it was a cool spring night the long sleeves made it even more comfortable. The next morning I went ahead and wore the shirt to hike out and I was glad because the trail we took was a little grown up so the long sleeves kept a lot of limbs and spider webs from rubbing against my bare arms. I was a little cautious with it because I was afraid that a limb would snag the shirt and rip it, but it never happened. The thing that I noticed at the end of this day however was the smell. It was a smell that I have come to associate with most synthetic materials after a long day of sweating in. I was a little disappointed, expecting less of an odor out of this Gladiodor-protected shirt.
I have worn the shirt a few other times, on day hikes and overnight trips in more preferred weather (cool and dry) and have always been very pleased with it, except for the odor at the end of the day. But the shirt always shined bright in every other aspect. The shirt breathed very well enabling me to really enjoy those nice breezes and it has always kept me dry, unless I was in the rain which in these cases the shirt was always very quick and easy to dry. The shirt has also stood up very well even while wearing it beneath my backpack, which at times has weighed as much as 55 lb (25 kg). I have not seen the first sign of wear on the shirt from the weight of my backpack beneath the shoulder straps or the hip belt . Actually, to this day I still see no sign of wear, even from around 12 or so washes except for the printed label on the inside collar. (As seen in picture below).
I have taken the shirt with me on two trips recently with temperatures dipping down past freezing, with the coldest temperatures reaching as low as 10 F (-12 C) at SW. The other was in the GSMNP where we experienced wet conditions (snow and ice) and subfreezing temperatures atop Mt. LeConte. On both of these trips I layered the Patagonia R1 Flash Pullover over the Capilene 2 long sleeve crew. The crew did not bunch beneath the pullover nor restrict my range of motion in any way. The Capilene 2 polyester allowed the pullover to slide easily over the top of the crew and it all fit very comfortable. The crew still maintained its ability to breathe well as well as wick any moisture away from my skin, just as if I was wearing only the crew.
The Patagonia Capilene 2 long sleeve crew will be my go-to shirt for many conditions. It has become my favorite base layer, and with the way it has held up this far, I believe that I will still get many more happy uses out of it.
THINGS I LOVE
Lightweight.
Comfortable.
Very versatile.
Durable.
Easy care.
Packs to almost nothing.
THINGS I WISH WERE DIFFERENT
The odor after wearing it.
SIGNATURE
Chad Poindexter
"Stick"
This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1.5
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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