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Reviews > Clothing > Base Layers and Undies > adidas Outdoors Agravic LS Base Layer > Test Report by Alyssa Kimber

adidas Agravic LS Base Layer

Test Series by Alyssa Kimber

Initial Report - April 15, 2019
Field Report - June 14, 2019
Long-term Report - August 14, 2019

Tester Information
Name: Alyssa Kimber
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 10" (1.8 Meters)
Weight: 130 Pounds (59 Kilograms)
Email address: alyssakimber at hotmail dot com
City, Province, Country: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada

Backpacking Background: I started backpacking two years ago after moving from the prairies to the Kootenay region of British Columbia. I’m relatively new to backpacking but I have significant outdoors experience having enjoyed camping and day hiking for many years. My trip length is generally one to three nights and ranges from prairie hikes to mountainous terrain. I am a 4-season hiker and typically a 3-season backpacker. My pack weight varies depending on the trip, but I tend to sacrifice weight savings for comfort.

Initial Report

April 15, 2019

Product Information & Specifications
Manufacturer: adidas
Year of manufacture: 2019
Manufacturer website: https://www.adidasoutdoor.com/

Manufacturer's listed specifications:
  • Material: 91% Polyester, 9% Elastic
  • Weight: 6.5 oz (185 g)
  • Sizes available: Women's size XS, S, M, L, XL
  • Available Colours: Black
  • MSRP from website: $119 USD
Zipper
Actual Specifications:
  • Material (from inside tag): 91% Polyester, 9% Elastic (Main Material) and 100% Polyester (Padding)
  • Weight: 6.5 oz (185 g)
  • Size tested: Women's Size Small
  • Colour tested: Black
The adidas Agravic LS (Long Sleeve) Base Layer (I will refer to it as a long sleeve shirt or shirt for the remainder of the report) arrived in good condition with no loose threads, holes, or any other defect. The package included the long sleeve shirt with tags describing the "Performance Base Technology" and the "Performance Insulation Technology". The shirt is mainly black in colour, with a wicking fabric making up the material on the sleeves, back, and interior of the shirt. The front of the shirt is padded and composed of the wind-resistant fabric which is black with tiny white dots.

The shirt is actually not described on the adidas website as a base layer, it is referred to only as a "long sleeve" shirt. However, the tags suggest that it does act as a base layer. The adidas website describes the shirt as providing breathable insulation with a wind-resistant shell that will provide lightweight warmth and regulate temperature during aerobic activities such as hiking, running, and cross-country skiing. The "Polartec Alpha" padding is intended for lightweight warmth and insulation even when wet. The tag describes the insulation as breathable, warm, packable, fast drying, and easy to care for. The wicking base fabric is described on the tag as "Polartec Power Dry" with wicking properties, fast drying, breathable, lightweight, and easy to care for.  The website also refers to the "Polartec Power Grid" construction for enhanced wicking efficiency and breathability. The photo to the right shows the "Power Grid" interior fabric, as well as the white-dotted design of the padded area on the front of the shirt.

The shirt is described as a snug fit with a stand up collar and raglan long sleeves. For anyone wondering what a raglan sleeve is, it is defined as "a sleeve that extends in one piece fully to the collar, leaving a diagonal seam from underarm to collarbone." Below are photos of the front and back of the shirt. As you can see in the photos, the sleeve length is slightly longer on the outside of the sleeve than the inside. I'm not sure what type of benefit this would provide apart from style.

Front of shirt    Back of shirt

Reading the Instructions
The care instructions for the shirt can be found on the inside tag. The instructions indicate to machine wash in cold water on the delicate cycle and line dry. Do not bleach, iron, tumble dry, or use fabric softener. Use a mild detergent and wash with like colours.

Trying It Out
I've tried the shirt on and worn it around the house for a few days. I'm testing a size small and usually wear a size small unless I plan to layer underneath. The sleeves feel as though they are just long enough with the inside sleeve length (shorter side) just hitting my wrist. I would prefer if they were half an inch longer but I would not go up a size to achieve this as I like the snugness of the body and the length of the body. Based on these factors I would say this shirt fits true to size.

The shirt is comfortable and I like wearing it around the house. The zipper moves easily and is comfortable against my neck. I can feel an obvious difference in warmth between the insulated front of the shirt and the non-insulated wicking material at the back of the shirt.

Initial Impressions
The shirt looks well-constructed and is composed of a mix of materials, providing warmth and wind resistance at the front of the shirt but also providing breathability and wicking throughout. The shirt has been comfortable to wear around the house and fits true to size with the exception of the sleeves which are slightly too short for my preference. I look forward to testing the shirt out in cooler temperatures and while performing more strenuous activities.

Field Report

June 14, 2019

Field Report Test Locations and Conditions

During the field test period I have worn the shirt on one overnight backpacking trip, one overnight bikepacking trip, and about five times while cycling or running outdoors. Trip conditions are listed below.

Location of Trip #1: Tunnel Creek Hut near Fernie, British Columbia
Length: 2 days, 1 night
Distance: 10 km (6 mi)
Pack Weight: 30 lb (13.6 kg)
Weather: Partly Cloudy
Precipitation: None
Temperature: -10 to 0 C (14 to 32 F)
Terrain: Hard, crusty snow in subalpine forest.
Elevation: 1000 - 1715 m (3300 to 5600 ft)

Location of Trip #2: Bikepacking around Lake Koocanusa, Montana
Length: 2 days, 2 nights
Distance: 215 km (134 mi)
Pack Weight: 30 lbs (13.6 kg)
Weather: Mainly Cloudy
Precipitation: about 5 mm (0.2 inch)
Temperature: 5 to 15 C (41 to 59 F)
Elevation: 650 to 900 m (2100 to 3000 ft)

Location of Trip #3: Basecamping Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Length: 2 days, 2 nights
Distance: N/A - basecamping
Weather: Partly cloudy
Precipitation: about 10 mm (0.4 inch)
Temperature: 20 C (68 F)

Location of Trip #4: Various running and cycling outdoors, British Columbia
Length: day trips (about five)
Distance: about 80 km
Weather: Various - cloudy to sunny
Precipitation: none
Temperature: 5 to 18 C (41 to 64 F)
Elevation: 1000 to 1500 m (3300 to 4900 ft)

Performance in the Field
Shirt

Over the field testing period I've worn the shirt for a variety of activities including hiking, running, cycling, and as a basecamping shirt. The shirt has an insulated front but a wicking back which was a nice balance for managing sweat but still staying warm in cooler temperatures. The shirt was a perfect balance to wear on a winter hike with a backpack as I always find my back sweats under a pack despite cool temperatures outside. The wicking material on the back of the shirt kept me cool and dried quickly. The half-zip allowed for further temperature control when I started to get too warm. Once temperatures reached around 10 C (50F) the shirt would become too hot for strenuous activity and I would remove it. Without strenuous activity, I find the shirt comfortable up to temperatures around 20 C (68 F). The photo to the right shows the fit of the shirt.

I wore this shirt while bikepacking and found it provides good wind resistance on the main body. However, the arms are composed of the thin wicking fabric and provide no wind resistance. I therefore found my arms would get too chilly in the wind without another layer overtop.

I find the shirt very comfortable and have no complaints in this respect. The shirt is fitted but not tight which I like because it allows for some additional breathing room. However, the condition of the shirt is worsening with each wash, despite following the directions to wash on delicate cycle and line dry. I've washed the shirt four times since receiving it and each time I wash it I find new threads have come loose on the front of the shirt. See photos below of the pilling. The loose threads have not affected the functionality of the shirt but it is disappointing to see the condition worsening this early on in the testing period.

Pilling2    Pilling   

Long-term Report

August 14, 2019

Long-term Report Test Locations and Conditions

During the long-term test period I have worn the shirt on one five-day backpacking trip and three day hikes. Trip conditions are listed below.

Location of Trip #5: Sunshine Coast Trail near Powell River, British Columbia
Length: 5 days, 4 nights
Distance: 84 km (52 mi)
Pack Weight: 30 lb (13.6 kg)
Weather: Sunny
Precipitation: None
Temperature: 7 to 28 C (44 to 82 F)
Terrain: From rocky coastline to interior old growth forest to rocky alpine conditions
Elevation: 0 to 1200 m (0 to 3900 ft)

Location of Trip #6: Castle Mountain near Fernie, British Columbia
Length: Day trip
Distance: 12 km (7 mi)
Pack Weight: 3 lb (1.5 kg)
Weather: Sunny
Precipitation: None
Temperature: 25 C (77 F)
Terrain: Subalpine forest, dirt and shale trail
Elevation: 1150 to 1650 m (3800 to 5400 ft)

Location of Trip #7: Mount Hosmer near Fernie, British Columbia
Length: Day trip
Distance: 7 km (4 mi)
Pack Weight: 5 lb (2.2 kg)
Weather: Partly cloudy, very windy above treeline
Precipitation: None
Temperature: 20 C (68 F)
Terrain: Subalpine forest to the alpine, above treeline
Elevation: 1450 to 2350 m (4750 to 7700 ft)

Location of Trip #8: Old Growth Trail near Fernie, British Columbia
Length: Day trip
Distance: 5 km (3 mi)
Weather: Partly cloudy
Precipitation: None
Temperature: 22 C (72 F)
Backpack Terrain: Shady, old growth forest, dirt trail, many roots
Elevation: 1150 to 1350 m (3800 to 4400 ft)

This shirt has turned into my go-to shirt to take on any hike. It's perfect for almost any spring or summer conditions, the only exception being when temperatures get too warm in the heat of the day, especially in conditions with no breeze and no tree cover. This was the case on my Castle Mountain hike, however I still found condition to wear it while resting/cooling off at the summit. It's the perfect shirt to start out a hike in to warm up on a cool morning or wear as a base layer under a jacket on those cool, windy days. The shirt does not stand up to significant wind on its own, as I found out on the Mount Hosmer hike, which was so gusty at the peak we couldn't stand up without risk of falling over. I had to borrow a friend's wind jacket to help keep my body temperature up. However the shirt was great as a base layer under the wind jacket.

ThreadIn addition to wearing the shirt while hiking, I also consistently used the shirt as my lounge shirt while at camp on my five day backpacking trip. It's roomy and soft and also provides the perfect amount of warmth for the warm summer nights. On cooler nights, it was perfect with a down jacket over top. As I mentioned in my field report, the shirt works great under a pack as the light, wicking material on the back does a great job at breathing and evaporating sweat. Overall, it's a very comfortable and versatile layer. The photo to the right shows me wearing the shirt while preparing to start out on the 3rd day of the backpacking trip.

The condition of the shirt has worsened slightly over the long-term test period. I am happy to report that I have not observed any additional pilling but there is a long loose thread that has been pulled from the right sleeve cuff. I have caught this on my thumb a few times and worsened it, however I fear if I cut it then the cuff will unravel. Based on this and the initial pilling, I'm not overly impressed with the quality of the shirt. I have certainly put it to use but I hoped it would be in a little better condition at this point. The photo to the left shows the loose thread.

With the exception of the shirt's durability, I am very happy with this shirt and its performance over the last 4 months. It's super comfortable and versatile. I think it will continue to be my go-to hiking layer until it breaks down completely!

Summary


Pros
1. Comfortable
2. Warm yet breathable
3. Half-zip allows for additional temperature regulation
4. Versatile

Cons
1. I am not a fan of the different sleeve lengths on the inside and outside of the sleeve
2. Shirt is not very durable as threads have come loose on the front and the cuff

This concludes my long-term report. Thank you adidas and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this product.


Read more reviews of Adidas gear
Read more gear reviews by Alyssa Kimber

Reviews > Clothing > Base Layers and Undies > adidas Outdoors Agravic LS Base Layer > Test Report by Alyssa Kimber



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