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Reviews > Clothing > Shirts > REI Power Stretch Shirt > Owner Review by Sam Stamey
REI POWER STRETCH SHIRT
TESTER INFORMATION
Backpacking background: I started backpacking two years ago with my wife and two children (ages 8 and 10 at the time). We have been car camping for 20+ years. Most of our backpacking has been three season camping in the Sierras, 6000-12,000 ft (1800 m -3658 m) and on the Northern California Coast. We do a combination of car camping and backpacking where we will setup car camp for a few days and then backpack 3-5 days with lots of day hikes in between. Our family recently switched from one 4 person tent to using two 2 person tents. I usually carry most of the weight and my internal frame pack weighs between 40-50 pounds (18-22kg). PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: REI FIELD USE
I have owned this shirt four months and have worn it on icy mornings and warm afternoons. This shirt is worn two to three times a week in various activities ranging from lounging around the house, jogging on the streets and Cross Country, hiking the local state parks and backpacking. FIT
I have a long torso and often I need to wear a large shirt or pullover so that the bottom will reach past my waist. Also on Medium shirts the sleeves can be slightly short on me. WARMTH The PowerShirt is warm by itself and very warm with an undershirt. I have found myself too warm on occasion while jogging until I remember the half zip on the front of the shirt. I have several running shirts with a quarter zip of the front that I use for ventilation. The half zip on this shirt makes for a wide range of ventilation or warmth settings. While jogging I can zip the zipper all the way down to ventilate and when I stop for my cool down I zip the zipper up to the top of the high collar which keeps my body heat from escaping. COMFORT
The fabric is very soft and warm on the inside and soft on the outside. Almost a smooth as a softshell jacket but softer and not as good at cutting the wind as a softshell .The outside does not collect lint, leaves, dirt, etc like fleece does. DURABILITY My fears were that the fabric would get snagged by brush while hiking or backpacking but the shirt did fine even while I was hiking through brush. It comes out of the washer looking bright and new and dries on a hanger very quickly. So far I have not had any loose threads, rips, or snags. THINGS I LIKE
Size THINGS I DON'T LIKE The shirt has a pocket on the front which is too small for anything useful. Designed to be used for an MP3 type device, I feel that it would be very uncomfortable to have anything in there that would not be smashed against my chest. In my opinion it is added weight and nothing more. SUMMARY
This shirt is light and very packable. Stretches where needed and always comes back to the correct shape. 13% spandex makes for a very comfortable fit even though the shirt is snug. SIGNATURE
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