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Reviews > Clothing > Shirts > DryShirt UK Prowik Short Sleeve Shirt > Test Report by Nancy Griffith

DRYSHIRT UK PROWIK SHORT SLEEVE SHIRT
TEST SERIES BY NANCY GRIFFITH
LONG-TERM REPORT
December 17, 2008

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Nancy Griffith
EMAIL: bkpkrgirlATyahooDOTcom
AGE: 42
LOCATION: Northern California
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 6" (1.68 m)
WEIGHT: 132 lb (60.00 kg)

My outdoor experience began in high school with involvement in a local canoeing/camping group called Canoe Trails. The culmination was a 10-day canoe voyage through the Quebec wilds. I've been backpacking since my college days in Pennsylvania. I have completed all of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Now I usually hike in the Sierra Nevada of California. Most of my trips are section hikes or loops from a few days to a week. I carry a light to mid-weight load, use a tent, stove and hiking poles.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: DryShirt UK
Year of Manufacture: 2008
Manufacturer's Website: www.dryshirt.co.uk
MSRP: £19.99 ($37.20 USD)
Listed Weight: Not listed
Measured Weight: 5.4 oz (153 g)
Other details:
Size tested: Small
Other sizes available on the website are Medium and X-Large (Large does not show. Maybe because it is sold out.)
Color tested: Titanium (light grey)
No other colors show on the website as available.

Photo courtesy of DryShirt UK
IMAGE 1

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Prowik short-sleeved shirt arrived in size S in color titanium as requested.

It is made of a 100% nylon helix micro fiber knit and has an Invasan AM 110 Anti Microbial anti odor system.

The website claims a UPF 50+ rating, anti-static, stain release properties and 100% made in the USA.

The shirt appears to be well-constructed. The collar is round and the shirt tail is square with no slots in the sides of the hem. There is a Prowik logo on the right sleeve.
IMAGE 2

The seams are neat and straight with no loose or stray threads. The hem seam is such that the material is slightly gathered at the bottom.
IMAGE 3

The shoulder seams do not lie flat. Photo is taken with shirt inside out.
IMAGE 4

However, the collar, sleeve and hem seams do lie flat. Photo is taken with shirt inside out.
IMAGE 5

TRYING IT OUT

I tried the shirt on and it is loose fitting and slightly large for me. The shoulder/sleeve seam is about 1" (2.5 cm) off of my shoulder and the tail is a bit long. I used the sizing chart on the website and chose the smallest size available. It fits just about exactly as I would expect based on the dimensions shown on the chart. It is a men's shirt, so it is not tailored for a woman's body as expected.

I like the softness of the fabric. It isn't as stiff as some other synthetic fabric shirts that I own, but it is not quite as soft as cotton. It is slightly stretchy. It also does not catch on dry skin on my fingers as some of my other shirts do. The fabric feels cool to the touch.

I shuffled around in rubber-soled shoes on carpet to check out the anti-static properties. It didn't cause any clinging problems. I tried the same thing with another 100% nylon shirt and although the shirt did not cling, I was able to build up a shock easily. Then I put the Prowik shirt back on and found it very difficult to build up a shock in the same way. Then I tried rubbing my other 100% nylon shirt between my hands with a pair of wool socks and it became clingy. I tried the same with the Prowik shirt and was not able to make the fabric cling to itself.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

The shirt is tagless. Printed on the inside of the shirt below the collar is the size, material, washing instructions and country of manufacture. There was no hang tag or other product information included.

The washing instructions are: Wash in mild detergent in cold water. Hang dry out of direct sun.

TESTING STRATEGY

During the test period, I plan to wear this shirt as often as possible for athletic activities. I will wear it for running, backpacking, day hiking and mountain biking. In cooler weather conditions, I plan to wear it as a base layer under a light fleece or jacket.

My strategy is to evaluate the comfort, fit, ease of washing/drying on the trail and durability. I will also check out the claims of being odor resistant, anti-cling, stain release and the SPF 50 rating. Since the shoulder seam is right along the top of the shoulder and the seam does not lie flat, I am also interested in how the shoulder seams will feel with a backpack on.

SUMMARY

Overall, my initial impression of the shirt is that it seems to be of high quality and as advertised on the DryShirt UK website.

Thanks to DryShirt UK and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to test this shirt.

This concludes my Initial Report. The Field Report will be amended to this report in approximately two months from the date of this report. Please check back then for further information.


FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I wore the Prowik shirt during the field test period an average of once per week primarily for hiking, backpacking and running. I wore it a total of 14 times including one time for mountain biking. Except for the few hikes noted below, I wore the shirt over a sports bra with no other layers. For my hikes and mountain biking, I carried a small hydration pack. For backpacking, I carried a 20 - 25 lb (9 - 11 kg) backpack.

Some examples of conditions follow.

Hiking:
White Mountain: White Mountains (California): 10 miles (16 km); 12,470 to 14,246 ft (3,800 to 4,340 m) elevation; 45 to 70 F (7 to 21 C); packed dirt to rocky conditions. For part of the hike I wore it alone and for part I wore it with a light fleece.

Backpacking:
Mount Whitney, Southern Sierra Nevada (California): 22 miles (35 km); 8,366 to 14,497 ft (2,550 to 4,419 m) elevation. One day I wore it alone in warm conditions of 75 F (24 C) and one day I wore it with a light fleece and Gore-tex jacket over it in cool/windy conditions of 35 to 45 F (1 to 7 C).

Mount Rainer Northern Loop (Washington): 17 miles (27 km); 2,300 to 5,700 ft (700 to 1740 m); packed dirt to rocky conditions. I wore it two days in a row as my lone layer with temperatures ranging from 55 to 65 F (13 to 18C).

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

Although the washing instructions say to hang to dry, I threw it in the dryer on extra low heat just to see if it would shrink. I couldn't really tell if it did shrink at all, so I continue to dry it by machine on extra low. It is slightly big for me, so I won't mind if it shrinks somewhat.

The shirt gets REALLY wrinkled in my backpack. Let me emphasize that it looks like it had been rolled into a ball while wet and left to dry. It even gets incredibly wrinkled while packed in my suitcase or even just while folded in my drawer. But the amazing thing is that if I put it on, it seems to iron itself out pretty quickly. Here's an example of wrinkling from being in my suitcase just prior to a short run and then immediately after.
Before After

The shirt is surprisingly odor-free even during or after long hiking days in warm weather. Two separate times, I wore it for two days in a row without washing it. On the Mount Rainier trip, one day included a 3,000 ft (910 m) climb in 3 miles (5 km) and the next day included a 2,500 ft (760 m) climb in 3 miles (5 km). So, I was sweating as much as I ever do and for hours at a time. After the first day, the shirt aired out enough overnight that I really didn't mind putting it on again the next morning. It didn't have a body odor smell but just smelled like it had been outside. After the second day, I have to admit that the shirt didn't smell good and I stuffed it into the bottom of my pack hoping to not encounter it again until I was near a washing machine. But, it did smell better than what I would expect from any of my other synthetic material shirts.

Even though the shoulder seams are directly on top of the shoulder, it didn't rub with my backpack straps. The shirt does not show any pilling or abrasions from rubbing with my backpack straps. In fact, there is no evidence of deterioration of any kind.

The shirt dries quickly like other synthetic material shirts that I own.

SUMMARY

Thumbs Up:
Odor-free nature
Comfort - softness of material
Tendency to smooth out wrinkles during use
Durability

Thumbs Down:
Tendency to wrinkle in backpack, suitcase or drawer

TESTING STRATEGY

I plan to continue to wear this shirt for my outdoor athletic activity during the Long-Term test period. During this period, I will primarily be using it as a base layer since temperatures are now cooler.

Thanks to DryShirt UK and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to test this shirt.

This concludes my Field Report. The Long-Term Report will be amended to this report in approximately two months from the date of this report. Please check back then for further information.


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I continued to wear this shirt an average of 1-2 times per week for hiking, running and mountain biking. In total I wore it 13 times during this period including two times for mountain biking. I wore the shirt over a sports bra with no other layers about half the time. Due to cooler temperatures during this test period, the other half of the time I added a fleece and/or jacket over top. For my hikes and mountain biking, I carried one of my two small hydration packs.

Weather conditions varied from cool rain to warm sun.

Some examples of my hikes include:

Foothills of the Sierra Nevada (California): 743 to 1,262 ft (226 to 385 m); pine forest to rocky soil. I do this hike often, so conditions varied from 60 to 70 F (15 to 21 C) in dry conditions to 45 to 55 F (7 to 13 C) in pouring rain.

Lake Margaret, Sierra Nevada (California): 7,400 to 7,700 ft (2256 to 2347 m); 55 to 65 F (13 to 18 C); snow covered to wet trail.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

I was able to test the stain release properties of the fabric during this test period. While I was making dinner and still wearing my Prowik shirt, I dripped cream sauce on the front. I purposely did not quickly wash it. I wiped the sauce off and continued to wear the shirt. A few days later, the shirt was washed without any pre-treatment of the stain. I could still see a light outline of the stain. I pre-treated it just prior to washing the next time and the stain came out completely.

The durability of the Prowik shirt is outstanding. I wore this shirt many times and with various packs and there is no evidence of wear. Most of my other shirts show wear from straps by this point in their usage. I also washed the shirt 16 times overall.

The shirt breathes well even with layers of fleece and GoreTex over top. It wicks moisture away and keeps me comfortable.

SUMMARY

The two most notable characteristics of this shirt are both related to the fabric: the tendency to wrinkle and the durability. Overall this is a high-quality shirt ideal for outdoor athletic activity.

Likes:
Comfort
Durability
Odor-resistant nature

Dislikes:
Tendency to wrinkle

CONTINUED USE

I will continue to wear this shirt for outdoor activity until it wears out.

This concludes my Long-Term Report and the test series for this shirt.

I would like to thank DryShirt UK and BackpackGearTest.org for choosing me to participate in this test.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

Read more reviews of DryShirt UK gear
Read more gear reviews by Nancy Griffith

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