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Reviews > Clothing > Shirts > Chill Angel Sereni Tee > Test Report by Gail StaisilChill AngelSereni-Tee Test Series by: Gail Staisil, Marquette, Michigan Initial Report - July 08, 2018
Long Term Report - November 6, 2018 July 8, 2018 Tester Information Name: Gail Staisil Age: 65 Gender: Female Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m) Weight: 160 lb (73 kg) Location: Marquette, Michigan USA Email: woodswoman 2001 AT yahoo DOT com Product Information
Initial Impressions and Product Description The Chill Angel Sereni-Tee arrived in the size of XL and the color of spring green. The tee is described as loose-fitting and I would agree that it does not fit tightly. The tee is actually a pajama product as the manufacturer makes only sleepwear. However, the tee is simply designed and will be worn for backpacking and other endeavors as well as sleep. The tee comes in three additional colors of black, silver and blue jay. All colors have contrast stitching. US sizes available include women's XS (0-2), S (4-6), M (8-10), L (10-12), and XL (12-14). As referenced the Sereni-Tee is one of many products designed by the manufacturer for sleep. According to the company, it was founded to help with solutions for sleep disruptions that result from body temperature fluctuations. Many times disruptions can happen if a person is too hot or cold. Wearing wool may help the latter as it regulates temperature. Sereni-Tee Features The Sereni-Tee is fabricated with 100 percent superfine Merino Wool. The 200 gm lightweight jersey knit allows temperature regulation and manages moisture. Although the wool is described as lightweight, it is heavier than some other very light wool tees that I own. It feels soft to wear and the cut of the tee is very comfortable with a small cap sleeve to cover the shoulders. The armholes are an extension of the main body of the tee (T-shaped) and are seamless except for the shoulder seams. The neckline of the tee is generous but provides enough coverage. The underarm seam measures about 17 in (43 cm) to the hem. The seams on the tee feature contrast stitching. Featured on the spring green tee is a golden yellow flatlock stitching around the neck and lower hem edge. The hem of the tee is curved adding a little extra coverage (approximately 25.25 in/64 cm from neck to hem). A sewn-thru gold-colored ribbon loop with the company logo is on the front lower edge. There is also a screened company logo on the back center of the tee just below the neckline. The tee has simple care instructions printed inside just below the neck opening of the tee. They are to machine wash cold on gentle, dry flat, no bleach and no dry cleaning. Because I do not like to wear new clothing without washing it first, I have already laundered the tee with good success. It didn't shrink or change its shape. Summary The Chill Angel Sereni Tee appears to be a versatile and comfortable piece of clothing. I have already worn it for sleep as there have been a few heat records here this week. Combined with the humidity and no air conditioning, it was an ideal time to test it out. I didn't feel sweaty and the tee stayed cool on my skin. Can't wait to get out in the field with it. Top of Page Field Report: September 15, 2018 USA Locations and Conditions During field testing I have taken four Michigan backpacking trips totaling nineteen days, and did many other day outings in Michigan. The forests included boreal and deciduous settings and lakeshore. Elevation ranged from above 600 ft (183 m) to almost 2,000 ft (610 m). Location of Trip #1: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Length of Backpacking Trip: 2 days, 1 night (July 17-18) Distance: 15 mi (24 km) Pack Weight: 21 lb (9.5 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Sunny Precipitation: None Temperature Range: 43 F to 69 F (6 C to 21 C) Location of Trip #2: Grand Island National Recreation Area Length of Backpacking Trip: 2 days, 1 night (July 23-24) Distance: 22 mi (35 km) Pack Weight: 21 lb (9.5 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Sunny Precipitation: None Temperature Range: 56 F to 69 F (13 C to 21 C) Location of Trip #3: Isle Royale National Park Length of Trip 12 days/12 nights (August 17-29) Pack Weight: 28 lb (12.7 kg) Distance: 91 mi (147 km) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, rain and some sun Precipitation: Heavy rain twice (many hours each time) Temperature Range: 46 F to 82 F (8 C to 28 C) Location of Trip #4: Grand Island National Recreation Area Length of Backpacking Trip: 3 days, 2 nights (Sept 10-12) Distance: 13 mi (21 km) Pack Weight: 23 lb (10.4 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Sunny Precipitation: None Temperature Range: 45 F to 83 F (7 C to 28 C) Trip Talk During field testing I went on a variety of backpacking trips. Most of my wear of the Sereni-Tee was over a long-sleeve wool shirt or under a long-sleeve button-down shirt. I just don't care for the sun exposure of a short sleeve shirt. That said it performed well for all my endeavors. I have also used it for sleep at home with good results. This summer has been very humid and hot by Upper Peninsula of Michigan standards. I don't have air conditioning in my older home which is normal here. Usually a ceiling fan or open window is sufficient at night. I felt comfortable throughout the night. In the early days of summer I wore the tee while backpacking with a long-sleeve wool layer underneath. On other trips I often started the day wearing the tee beneath my long sleeve button-down shirt. I would remove it when I got too hot. On most other trips it served as one of my base layers at camp. As soon as I arrived at camp each day, I took off my sweaty long sleeve shirt, cleaned up a bit/swam and immediately put on my Sereni-Tee. Sometimes if it was chilly the long sleeve light wool would be worn too. I would definitely have both layers on when I went to bed. Often I slept in a light vest over those two layers as well. I use a sleeping quilt so it was just lightly over me. I have also worn the tee a few times for everyday life. I wore it while mowing the lawn several times and for other chores around the yard. I chose to wear it during cloudy weather although it was still warm and humid. It worked well as I felt more comfortable than when I wear a cotton or synthetic shirt. The tee has been very comfortable and is not tight at all. I do like loose layers better and it works fine for layering as I often had the long sleeve layer under it. It also stayed nicely in place and I didn't feel like it crawled up my backside. I have washed the Sereni-Tee a half-dozen times with my regular wash with cold water. I placed it on a drying rack with all my other tops and it dried quickly enough. That is about 7-8 hours in my basement. So far, it looks as good as new. It hasn't stretched out or shrunk. I haven't noticed any fading to the color. It is still very bright green! Long Term Report: November 6, 2018 USA Locations and Conditions During long term testing I have taken three Michigan and Minnesota backpacking trips totaling twelve days, and did many other day outings in Michigan. The forests included boreal and deciduous settings and lakeshore. Elevation ranged from above 600 ft (183 m) to almost 2,000 ft (610 m). Location of Trip #5: Superior Hiking Trail, Minnesota Length of Backpacking Trip: 3 days, 3 nights (Sept 18-20) Distance: 24 mi (39 km) Pack Weight: 23 lb (10.4 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, misty rain Precipitation: Misty rain Temperature Range: 49 F to 55 F (9 C to 13 C) Location of Trip #6: Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Sate Park, Michigan Length of Backpacking Trip: 5 days, 4 nights (October 10-14) Distance: 16 mi (26 km) Pack Weight: 26 lb (12 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, heavy rain and snow Precipitation: Mostly rain and snow Temperature Range: 20 F to 46 F (-7 to 8 C) Location of Trip #7: Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan Length of Backpacking Trip to rustic cabin base camp: 4 days, 3 nights (October 25-28) Distance: 14 mi (23 km) Pack Weight: 28 lb (13 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, rain Precipitation: Some rain Temperature Range: 30 F to 50 F (-1 to 10 C) Trip Talk My long term testing included three backpacking trips. Two of these trips were low mileage compared to norm and included some base camping (and fresh food!). On all of these trips I wore the Sereni-Tee under either a light weight wool top or an R1 Patagonia hoody (waffle-weave insulator top) while I was backpacking. During some of the hiking, I did need to cover the layers with a rain jacket. I didn't overheat as the weather was cool and quite windy on the trips, especially the first two. All trips had a fair amount of high humidity due to rain, and snow (75-100 percent) but the wind helped with feeling comfortable. Chores also including wood gathering and cutting. I continued to wear the two layers at camp but added a synthetic quilted vest and a light down jacket. When it was time for sleep I removed the two outer layers. All of this worked as well as can be and I was pleased with the result. Normally a short sleeve shirt isn't very useful to me during the cool fall days but layering it worked well. I have also continued to wear the tee for sleep now and then and have been happy with its non-binding fit. It has also been worn several times as an underlayer for day hiking. I didn't find the tee to carry any body odor during or after the trips. On the second trip it did pick up a wood smoke smell as did all my clothes but it wasn't unpleasant and it washed out after the trip with no issue. The tee has been repeatedly washed with my regular trail clothes with no ill effects. It has only been dried on a drying rack. It dries quickly at this time of year as the basement humidity is very low right now. The tee is still flawless as far as I can see; no rips, pills, color changes, shrinking, or stains are apparent. Pros
Cons
Tester Remarks Thanks to Chill Angel and BackpackGearTest.org for this opportunity to test the Sereni-Tee. This concludes my Long Term Report and the test series. Top of Page Read more reviews of Chill Angel gear Read more gear reviews by Gail Staisil Reviews > Clothing > Shirts > Chill Angel Sereni Tee > Test Report by Gail Staisil |