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Reviewer Information
Gender:	Male
Height:	5' 6" (1.6 meters)
Weight:	159 lb (72.1 kg)
Email:	mike-at-pahiker-dot-com
Home:	Southwest Pennsylvania, USA
Background:	I’ve been hiking since ’65 with occasional backpacking trips (backpacking became a love affair in the early 80’s). My first sleeping bag weighed in at 8 lb (3.6 kg) by itself! These days my loaded pack only weighs about 15 lb (6.8 kg) sans food. While most of my adventures are in the Northeast I’ve also been spending a good deal of time in the desert Southwest and most places in-between. My trips tend be in the cooler months - September through May - as I’m not much of a hot-weather person.

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Initial Report - May 28, 2020

Lasting’s Quido Merino 160 Short Sleeve Shirt is a lightweight (5.6 oz, 160 g) t-shirt made from 16.5 micron Merino wool. The t-shirt is designed to be lightweight and breathable to keep the wearer comfortable even in situations where perspiration is heavy. Recommended for leisure and sports activities, including water based sports such as canoeing and diving in neoprene.

Product Information
Manufacturer:	Lasting, Inc. https://www.lastingmerino.com
Sizes:	S-XXXL. Tested size is medium.
Weight:	The shirt is listed as 6.3 oz (180 g), actual weight for the medium is 4.8 oz (136 g)
Material:	16.5 micron superfine Merino wool, non-itching.
Colors:	Blue, green, black, gray. Tested is green.
Care:	Wash in 85F (30C), no bleach, permanent press, no dryer, iron at 230F (110C), do not dry clean.
MSRP:	$62 US
Features:	Flat fine knitted, non-itching, lightweight, permeable, breathable, wicking.

Initial Impressions

The t-shirt is packaged in a cardboard box with information printed in six different languages (Czech, Russian, British English, German, Finnish, and Chinese). Inside it is also wrapped in a clear plastic bag. As a minimalist I am disappointed with the use of so much packaging (box is way bigger than needed) and the lack of recyclable material.

The t-shirt itself has nothing on the neckline (no tags, no printing) which I really like. I find even the best of tags to be annoying, and printing begins to disappear after even a few washes. Even the sleeves lack the annoying promotional tag found on some t-shirts that, just like the neckline tags, tend to be stiff and scratchy. Kudos on this feature. So, where are the all-important tags with the needed information? They are placed near waist level which, for me, are at or below the belt level, so I don’t feel them at all. The promotional tag is, of course, on the outside. Size, material, and care instructions are on the inside. The care tag states the following: 100% Merino Wool; Superfine 16 microns; made in the Czech Republic, with the actual care instructions given with icons. This has become a trend as clothing is made in, or made to be sold in, multiple countries.

Customer Service Experience

The shirt initially arrived as a large, though medium was ordered. I interacted with Customer Service via email regarding the issue, they were very kind and promised to ship the correct size out. The replacement was shipped two days later, and arrived two days after that, they allowed me to keep the wrong item instead of shipping it back to them.

Fit

This is supposed to function either as a base layer or as a solo layer during warmer weather. To achieve the wicking function the material, ideally, needs to be in skin contact. It is with this direct contact that moisture enters the fabric and is then moved to the surface where the air evaporates the moisture. The medium Quido fits me perfectly in this respect, sadly clinging to each poorly formed part of my upper body. The t-shirt does come below the belt line, if tucked in it is long enough not to expose portions when bent down.

First Use

The t-shirt feels light and comfortable, really barely noticeable that I have it on. The Merino Wool is indeed not itchy - I can’t wear standard wool material as it itches like crazy, but this is as soft and comfortable as my synthetic and cotton t-shirts (but a lot lighter than either).

Since this is supposed to be usable in all types of activities I decided to give it a try on my daily exercise, which usually involves 3-4 miles on a treadmill, enough to develop a good deal of perspiration, and it did. Humidity today was muggy, with the relative humidity at 75% according to my hygrometer.

After an easy 3-miler (82F, 28C; 48% Relative Humidity) the Quido was only lightly damp on the back, and after a less than 5-minute rest period was nicely dry again. There was a light breeze and I could feel it through the Quido t-shirt.

Summary

The Quido is going to be a pleasure to test, its light weight and soft feel make it barely noticeable when wearing. If it performs as promised (wicking, odor resistance, quick drying) I can see possibilities for it becoming a permanent part of my gear. I’ve not worn wool shirts before as I see them as a bit pricey to try, so I am curious to see if the Lasting Quido changes my mind. Also, considering how lightweight and thin this t-shirt is I’m curious to see how it holds up to regular use, the added rubbing from backpack straps, and (to be honest) the odor from several days on the trail.

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Field Report - Aug 16, 2020

Date	Location	Trail	Distance Hiked	Altitude	Weather
June 11, 2020	Chapman State Park, Pennsylvania	Warming Hut / Hunter Ridge Trails	5.5 mi (8.8 km)	1,426-1,728 ft (435-527 m)	Overcast; 65-75F (18-24C); 66%-45% Relative Humidity
Observations:	Not a strenuous hike, so not much in the line of perspiration to report on. An occasional cool breeze could be felt through the t-shirt. The outside felt a bit scratchy.
Jun 17, 2020	Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania	Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, miles 0-6.	12.5 mi (20 km)	1,224-2,040 ft (373-622 m)	Overcast; 67-74F (19-23C); 64%-61% Relative Humidity
Observations:	Very strenuous hike, about a quarter of the front of the t-shirt was damp and about a third of the back when the hike was finished; it dried in about 20 minutes during the drive home. The occasional breeze felt good coming through the t-shirt. Outside still feels scratchy, though the inside feels good.
Jun 26-27	Pymatuning / Goddard State Parks, Pennsylvania	Kayaking	9.2 mi (14.8 km)	n/a	Sunny; 72-75F (22-24C); 68%-90% Relative Humidity
Observations:	Considering I was wearing a floatation vest and a long-sleeve shirt I was nicely dry and comfortable the entire trip. The t-shirt did a good job of moving the perspiration away from my body to the outer layers.
July 30	Roaring Run Natural Area	Painter, North, and Roaring Run trails	8.7 mi (14 km)	1,859-2,767 ft (567-843 m)	Sunny; 76-87F (24.0-30.5C); 83%-51% Relative Humidity
Observations:	The hike started off well, but quickly deteriorated as the trail blazes disappeared, the trail became overgrown, and I ended up doing more bush-whacking than hiking. By the end of the day I was hot, sweaty, and worn out, the Lasting T was saturated with sweat. When I got back to the Jeep and cranked up the air the wet shirt started feeling too cold so I switched shirts. Not sure how long it took, but by the time I got home (2 hours later) most of it had dried out, and the odor had mostly disappeared. Examining the shirt I found a small hole in it (see photo on right), probably from thorns during the bush-whacking part of the hike.
Aug 6	Black Moshannon State Park, Pennsylvania	Bog, Indian and Moss-Hanne trails	16.6 mi (26.7 km)	1,864-1,951 ft (568-595 m)	Sunny; 78-73F (25.6-22.8C); 69%-65% Relative Humidity
Observations:	"The hike started off uncomfortable (temperature and humidity) but got better as the day passed. Regardless I was sweating pretty good when the hike started, and the Lasting T showed it with heavy sweat before the hike was half over, the air moving through felt good. By the time I was about 3/4 of the way through the hike the temperature and humidity started to decrease as a cold front began moving in, the Lasting T started drying out, by the time the hike was over it was almost dry. Taking it off and doing the sniff test the T didn’t smell too bad at all, I wouldn’t go into a nice restaurant, but felt okay stopping at a pizza shop on the way home. The one problem I did notice on this hike was bugs. I never noticed bugs biting before, but through the thin shirt it was evident they were getting through the material. I’m going to want to pay attention to this in the future."

Summary

After two months of use I find that Lasting’s Merino 160 T-Shirt does deliver as promised - it is cool, dries quickly, and keeps away most odor from activities. I’ve washed it several times (once after each trip) and it is holding up nicely, seems to get softer with each wash, the itching has disappeared. To date the only problems I’ve encountered were the development of a hole while bush-whacking through thorn bushes. Other shirts I have held up better during this type of activity. I attribute the hole to the thinness of the material. The other problem I had was with bugs biting me through the material. I’ve never experienced that with my other, thicker shirts.

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Long Term Report - Sept 20, 2020

Date	Location	Trail	Distance Hiked	Altitude	Weather
August 20, 2020	Kinzua State Park, Pa	Kinzua Bridge Trail	4.4 miles (7 km)	1,790-2,106 ft (546-642 m)	Sunny, temps ranged from 68-78F (20-26C)
Sept 2, 2020	Ohiopyle State Park, Pa	Whitewater Rafting	7.6 miles (12.2 km)	N/A	Hot, sunny, temps 78-84F (26-29C)
Sept. 7, 2020	Laurel Hill State Park. Pa	Numerous	8.4 miles (13.5 km)	1,922-2,087 ft (586-636 m)	Sunny, cool, temps from 54-60F (12-16 C)
Sept. 17, 2020	Little Buffalo State Park, Pa	Little Buffalo Loop	7.14 miles (11.5 km)	453-724 ft (138-221 m)	Sunny, cool, temps from 58-65F (14-18 C)

Summary

Lasting’s Quido Merino 160 Short Sleeve Shirt has seen extensive use over the last month in conditions ranging from wet rafting and kayaking trips to the dry, cool temps of an early fall (as a base layer), more than listed above. I have been very pleased at how comfortable it is (seeming to become softer with each wash) and how quickly it dries out, whether from sweat, rain, or water splashed on me from whitewater. It has also shown remarkable wearability, with over three months of weekly usage the shirt only has the one hole in it that I reported in the Field Report, and I am now convinced that was due to a thorn puncturing the shirt during a bushwhacking experience on the North Loop of Roaring Run.

Things I like:

Quick drying.

Soft, comfortable.

Breathable.

Fit was perfect.

Things I didn’t like:

Honestly, there is nothing I did not like about this t-shirt.

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Acknowledgements

This ends my Long Term Report, I’d like to thank Lasting and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this wonderful t-shirt.