SkirtSports TRIKini Tank Top
Initial
Report - May 21, 2008
Field Report - July 29, 2008
Long Term Report -
September 30, 2008
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 50
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
Bust:
40 in (102 cm)
Normal bra cup: B
Waist: 35 in (89 cm)
E-mail
address:
pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location:
Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
|
Backpacking Background:
Pursuing
a long-time interest, I started
backpacking five years ago, beginning with day-hiking and single
overnights. Currently I’m mostly a ‘weekend warrior’, hiking and
backpacking mainly in the hills and valleys of West Virginia, but have
started
a project to section hike the Appalachian Trail (AT), accruing a little
over
200 mi (300 km) in the last two years. My usual shelter is a
hammock, but
occasionally I use a tent. In general my backpacking style is
lightweight and
minimalist and I try to cut as much pack weight as I can without
sacrificing
warmth, comfort, or safety.
|
|
Initial Report - May 21, 2008
Product
Information:
Manufacturer: SkirtSports
Year of manufacture: 2008
Model: TRIKini Tank
Size tested: Women's X-Large
Color tested: Blue Paradise
Advertised weight: not specified
Actual Weight: 150 g/5.3 oz, size XL
Website: www.skirtsports.com
MSRP: $44.00 US
Product Description:
The
SkirtSports TRIKini Tank is a racerback style sleeveless top with
what I consider 'full' coverage; that is it has a relatively high
neckline, moderately cut snug fitting armholes, and is long enough that
it reaches to the 'bend' area of my hips. The stretchy 80%
nylon/20% spandex fabric falls into what I consider the mid-weight
category. It is similar in feel to most of my swimsuits, and like
them, stretches in all directions to provide a snug, trim, but not
overly tight fit. The fabric is thick enough that it is opaque;
no skin shows through the fabric when I wear it.
The top has a built-in bra of similar fabric to the outer layer, only
white in color, and perhaps just a bit heavier weight material.
Both the outer layer and the built-in bra have flat lock seams at the
sides, and small diagonal regular seams at the shoulder. The bra
also has a small pocket on the top portion of the center front.
The pocket measures approximately 2.5 in (6.5 cm) wide at the top, 2 in
(5 cm) wide at the bottom, and is about 4 in (10 cm) long.
SkirtSports calls this pocket "Cleavage Alley" and suggests using it
for energy gel packets or a key. Since I don't normally use
energy gels, it will be interesting to see just what I end up storing
here. The pocket is open at the top, without any sort of
fastener, so I don't think I'll be storing my car keys here for a
multi-day backpacking trip!
Two flat lock stitched seams secure the pocket in place, and continue
to
the bottom of the bra. A 1/2 in (1.25 cm) band of elastic is sewn
into the fabric at the bottom of the bra. The outer layer and the
built-in bra are joined at the neck and armholes with a flat lock
stitched white binding made from the same fabric as the bra. A
flat lock seam runs down each side of the outer layer. The 1/2 in
(1.25 cm) folded hem is finished with a double top stitch. Both
the front and back of the shirt measure about 20 in (51 cm) from
neck to hem. The hem measures about 36 in (91 cm) around the
bottom.
An imprinted rectangular 'tagless' white label with pink printing is
located at the center back of the bra, featuring the company logo and
name, the size, and the country the TRIKini Tank is made in (Costa
Rica). A traditional care label is located under the right
armpit area, slightly to the back. This label has the company
name and address, the website address, and the fabric content (in 3
languages) on the front side. The back side gives laundering
directions (also in 3 languages) and has the international fabric care
instruction symbols at the bottom. The instructions say to
"Machine wash cold with like colors; Do not bleach. Do not use
softeners; Line Dry".
The company name is imprinted in white on
the lower left side, a little over an inch (about 3 cm) from the bottom
of the hem. Their logo, a sporty looking skirt, is imprinted in
silver on the center back, about 1 in (3 cm) from the top.
Preliminary
impressions/fit:
The top looks about like what I expected from the manufacturer website,
other than the blue has more of a turquoise or teal shade to it than
the more cobalt appearing shade featured on the website, and the white
is a little more cream than the bright white shown. The overall
effect
of the color scheme is a little more muted than I would have expected
from the photo.
The TRIKini appears to be well made, with no obvious flaws. The
stitching appears even, and there were no loose hanging threads or
missed stitches.
The fit is snug, similar to a bathing suit. The large arm
openings created by the racer back style allow full range of movement
without any binding or pulling. The bra gives light, unstructured
support. The top feels very comfortable when I've worn it around
the house a bit. The bottom does have a tendency to slide upward
somewhat after wearing it a while, creating a few wrinkles in the
fabric. Due to the length of the shirt it still provides good
coverage over a pair of shorts or pants even when it does this, and so
far has not pulled up so far that it exposes my stomach or back.
While I don't normally wear snug fitting tank tops backpacking, I'm
looking forward to testing this one. It will probably mean a bit
of adjustment to my typical hiking attire, but one that I hope is
positive. Instead of a sports bra and wool T-shirt, I plan to
wear the TRIKini tank and the loose button up shirt pictured with it
near the top of this report. I think this will be a versatile
combo. I look forward to seeing if the TRIKini dries quickly in
the field, meaning I could wear it for a cooling dip in a trailside
swimming hole at lunch time, then still continue to wear it around camp
in the evening with additional layers as it cools off.
This concludes my Initial
Report.
Field Report - July 29, 2008
Field Conditions and use:
I wore the TRIKini tank top during a 27 mi (43.5 km)
3-day, 2-night
backpacking trip in the Canaan Mountain area of the Monongahela
National Forest in eastern West Virginia. I used my GoLite Quest
pack, carrying about 18 lb (8 kg) total weight. Weather
conditions ranged widely on this trip. The
first day
was cool, with temperatures in the 50 - 60 F (10-16 C) range, dropping
to just above freezing (around 33 F/1 C) the first night. I wore
the TRIKini under a loose nylon button-up hiking shirt while on the
trail. Camp
that night was in a relatively damp area near several small streams and
a lot of boggy ground, which added to the chill. Soon after
setting up camp, I removed the nylon shirt, leaving the TRIKini as my
against the skin base layer and added a chest warmer, arm warmers, and
a light wool shirt. Later I added the nylon hiking shirt also,
and still later a light down jacket. I slept in all these layers
under a light down quilt. The
second day of the trip was warmer, with night temperatures only falling
to around
52 F (11 C). Camp this night was on a high ridge, in dry
conditions, and I was comfortable in the TRIKini and nylon shirt for a
while, then removed the nylon shirt and wore a light wool shirt over
the TRIKini, adding the nylon shirt back over the top later in the
evening. In the warmer temperatures, I did not use the TRIKini
for sleeping, using a light wool base layer shirt only.
In late June, I wore the TRIKini tank top on an 11.4 mi/18.4
km day hike on the
Appalachian Trail in the southern part of Shenandoah National
Park. I used an Outdoor Products day pack (without a hip belt),
carrying around 9 lb (4 kg) total weight. The weather was humid
and hot (in the 80-90 F/27-32 C
range) with bright sunshine for the most part, although a moderate
storm kicked up
toward the end of the hike, cooling things down a bit, and we ended up
hiking about 2 mi/3 km in
varying amounts of rain. Most of the trail was a single width
dirt path interspersed with roots and rocks with fairly good tree
cover. A couple of small
sections consisting of 'jeep trail' type roads and single file paths
through grassy fields had more sun exposure. I started the hike
wearing a nylon shirt over the TRIKini, but it was soon so hot I
removed the nylon shirt and used the TRIKini for my sole top
layer. After the rain kicked in, I added a Frogg Toggs rain
jacket over the TRIKini and was very warm on the uphills and pleasantly
warm on the downhills.
In early July, I wore the TRIKini on a day hike of about 5 mi/8 km in
western
West Virginia, but with the temperatures again approaching 90 F (32
C). I did not use a pack on this trip, being very familiar with
the trail and carried only a water bottle in a sleeve with a webbing
shoulder strap. The trail was mostly single width dirt with some
rocks and
roots and good tree cover, and a small section of weedy 'four wheeler'
path that was exposed to the sun. Although the trail was wet and
muddy from previous rains, the day was bright and sunny. I again
started out wearing a nylon hiking shirt over the TRIKini, but soon was
too warm and wore only the TRIKini as my top layer.
I have also worn the TRIKini on ten different packless 3 mi/5 km hikes
on old narrow
dirt county roads that are semi-maintained. Temperatures
ranged from 60 to 90 F (16 to 32 C), and conditions ranged from dry to
a moderate rain. Most of these hikes took place in the early
evening, when sun exposure is not intense. On these trips I wore
a nylon hiking shirt over the TRIKini, but nearly always grew too warm
and removed it after a short distance.
Experiences and conclusions:
One of the pleasant surprises of this test has been
discovering just how comfortable the TRIKini tank top is for hiking and
backpacking. I have found that I particularly like the way my
shoulders are free and uncovered. While I hadn't really noticed
my clothing being binding before, I didn't know what I was missing by
covering these areas. The increased range of motion in my
shoulder areas is very noticeable when wearing the TRIKini, and it
makes me feel very light and free even when wearing a pack.
On the downside, this sense of free motion comes from wearing less
concealing clothing and makes me more aware of just how much my figure
could benefit from working out more. Sigh... A thin,
athletic fashion model I am not. So sometimes I feel a little
self conscious wearing the top around others, and unless it is very
warm I prefer wearing a shirt over it.
With most of my trips so far in very warm weather, I have found the
TRIKini does an excellent job of keeping me as cool and dry as
possible. It does a great job of wicking away sweat, and I don't
have droplets rolling down my back or collecting in puddles under my
bust. Although the TRIKini will get very wet when I am sweating,
my skin feels comfortable, and the shirt feels cool and
refreshing. The material is fairly thick, and I find it dries
more slowly than many of my other wicking shirts. While this
works well keeping me cool in the heat of the day, the shirt can get a
little chilly when evening temperatures start to drop. On the
Canaan Mountain trip I found I could overcome this by layering a wool
shirt on top while sitting around camp, which kept me warm enough to
dry the TRIKini out before bedtime.
The built-in bra has offered good support while hiking and backpacking,
and feels much more comfortable than any separate bra I have ever
worn. It doesn't bind anywhere and never leaves 'elastic marks'
yet stays in place well. I used the pocket to hold a couple of
bags of mixed nuts during my Canaan Mountain trip, but I found the
plastic made my chest feel hot even with the layer of fabric in
between, and I have not used it since. I recently ordered some
energy gels and I will try it with a couple of them during the long
term test phase. So far though, I don't find this pocket very
useful for me as a hiker and backpacking since I usually have plenty of
pockets in my pants or pack to store snacks.
After my hike in the Shenandoah National Park, I realized my day pack
really needed to be washed, because it transferred a lot of dirt from
the
straps to the white trim of the TRIKini. Although I was able to
wash out most of the stain through a combination of Spray-N-Wash, hand
scrubbing with mild soap, laundering with Tide detergent, and finally
resorting to a bit of bleach from a Clorox pen, the white trim around
the shoulder and arm area still has a dingy grey tinge to much of
it. While this doesn't bother me while hiking, since I always get
grungy anyway, I would prefer that the trim were a darker color so that
it would not show stains as badly.
Between wearing and washing the shirt a dozen or so times, the label on
the back has cracked and deteriorated to the point it is just a few
bits clinging to the shirt. The logo on the bottom of the shirt
has begun to peel away at the left side, but for now is still mostly
intact and readable. Other than this, the shirt has held up well,
and I am pleased with the overall quality of the materials and
construction of the top. I am especially pleased that the TRIKini
seems to hold less odors than most synthetic shirts. While it
develops a little more of a stench than my wool shirts do, it is
relatively mild rather than overpowering, and so far a single cycle
trip through the washer removes all trace of hiking sweat smell.
Summary:
The TRIKini tank top is a comfortable and cool top for summer hiking,
offering great range of motion, good support, and excellent wicking
properties. Simple laundering removes all odors, but staining is
difficult to remove from the white trim and the labels are
deteriorating. Still, the positives out weigh the negatives so
far, and I look forward to continued testing of the SkirtSports TRIKini
tank top.
This concludes my field report.
Long Term Report - September 30,
2008
Field Conditions and use:
In early August I wore the SkirtSports TRIKini tank top on an 8 mi (13
km) day hike in Shenandoah National Park. The trail was mostly
shaded, with a few exposed sunny areas. Terrain varied from
smooth soil to exposed roots and rocks. Temperatures were in the
80 F (27 C) range, and I wore the TRIKini as my only upper body layer
and carried a day pack relatively heavy with water, at around a 10 lb
(4.5 kg) total weight. I tucked an energy gel pack in the bra
pocket.
In late August I wore it on a two day section hike of the Appalachian
Trail in Shenandoah National Park, which included two day hikes
interspersed with an overnight at one of the park's campgrounds.
I wore a day pack while hiking, loaded similar to the prior trip.
The first day was a 10.4 mi (16.7 km) section of trail consisting of
similar terrain as the earlier August trip, with temperatures in the 70
F - 80 F (21 C - 27 C) ranges. The trail was mostly shaded, but
with two longer exposed sunny areas. The second day was a shorter
2.3 mi (3.7 km) hike, with similar temperatures. The trail
included a short section of dirt interspersed with root and rocks, and
a longer section with soil and grass underfoot and tall grass and
bramble bushes along the sides, including blackberries in bloom which
were being visited by scores of bumble bees! Due to the warm
temperatures, I again wore the TRIKini as my only upper body layer
while hiking, even though I was a little worried about the proximity of
some of those bees! With a nice campground shower house nearby, I
took advantage of the opportunity to clean up in the evenings and don
fresh clothing and did not wear the TRIKini in camp.
Also in
late August/early September, I wore it on a weekend (3 day/2 night)
backpacking trip in the Seneca Creek area of the Monongahela National
Forest in eastern West Virginia. While the days were warm (70 F -
80 F/21 C - 27 C), the evening temperatures dropped quickly into the 50
F - 60 F (10 C - 16 C). Most of the trail the first and last day
was shaded, and I wore my fully loaded, around 20 lb (9 kg) GoLite
Quest pack. The second day was actually day hiking from our base
camp, and included some sunny meadows. I wore my Quest pack, but
compressed it to carry only water, food, rain gear, and the typical
'essentials', estimated at around 10 lb (4.5 kg). While hiking I
wore the TRIKini as my only upper body layer, but added a light wool
top over it in the evenings for warmth, and also added a light down
jacket in the early mornings until I started warming up. I found
the TRIKini dried nicely in a reasonable time after the exertion of
hiking, and wore it to sleep in as well as for hiking. In fact, I
never took it off the entire weekend.
I also wore the TRIKini on four short (3 mi/5 km) day hikes in western
West Virginia, on old, rough dirt semi-maintained county roads.
Temperatures ranged from 60 F to 80 F (16 C to 27 C). These were
'packless' trips, carrying only water, an energy bar in my cargo pants
pocket, and an energy gel in the bra pocket. On these hikes, I
sometimes wore a light weight long sleeved nylon shirt over the
TRIKini, but ended up shedding it soon after warming up.
Experiences and conclusions:
I have been surprised by how well I have come to like hiking in the
SkirtSports TRIKini tank top. I normally like to hike in short
sleeved shirts in warmer weather, both for comfort from pack straps and
buckles and for coverage from the sun or scratchy branches along the
trail. I was pleased to find that I did not experience any
chafing or discomfort from either my day pack straps or my GoLite Quest
pack straps. Because I have noticed chafing with other sleeveless
tops (and with some short-sleeved models), I mulled it over a bit and
decided that this must be due to the fairly good coverage of the
armhole area of the TRIKini.
One thing I did not like as well was that I felt my pack straps got
somewhat sweatier since there was not as much shirt fabric absorbing
the sweat in the armpit area. This wasn't a huge issue - I simply
ended up rinsing out my pack after each trip, which probably isn't a
bad idea to get rid of the salts that build up from sweating against
the back of the pack anyway.
A positive from the lack of fabric in the armpit area is that I did not
have as much sweat build up on my shirt and it was therefore less
smelly than a sleeved shirt. In fact, odor did not build up very
badly on the shirt at all. On my last backpacking trip, our group
posed for a photo on the last day, and the lady standing next to me
made the remark "I don't know how you do it, but even after three days
you don't stink". I laughed and said her nose must not be working
properly, but after thinking about it, I do believe there was less
overall odor build up with the TRIKini than many other shirts I have
worn.
I also liked that it was very easy to wash salts and sweat off of my
arms and most of my back at the end of each day since I did not have
sleeves getting in the way. I had hoped to use the TRIKini as a
swimming top on a backpacking trip, but that just did not work
out. While it was hot we were busy hiking in areas away from
water holes, and when we were near the waterholes, the temperatures
dropped too much for me to be comfortable in getting soaked through and
then sitting around while I dried out. I found it nearly as
refreshing though to be able to wade out a bit and splash off
thoroughly without worrying about getting wet sleeves. The little
bit of splash that landed on the top dried relatively quickly.
The TRIKini seemed to wick very well. I never felt dripping wet
with sweat under the tank top and felt it absorbed and dispersed the
moisture very well.
The TRIKini was very pleasant to wear. I liked feeling that I had
a full range of motion in my arms and shoulders when I wore it. I
had not realized how much even a loose fitting sleeve can sometimes
restrict motion, but noticed a remarkable feeling of freedom in the
shoulder and upper arm area with the TRIKini. Another positive
was the built in bra. Normally I wear an athletic type bra when
hiking and backpacking, but I found I really liked the less structured
built in bra - so much that it was even very comfortable to sleep in,
which is not something I can say about my separate bras. Even
though it wasn't very structured, it felt supportive enough for
backpacking and hiking activities.
A neutral feature was the bra pocket. Although I used it a few
times, I was always conscious of what I had in there, and it did make
the fabric lumpy in that area when I had anything in it. When
it's empty it is not even noticeable, which is why I consider it
neutral - okay, but not a feature I like or need. I could see
that it might be more useful if I were a runner and did not have a pack
or cargo pockets handy to carry a snack or a lip balm, but as a
backpacker it adds no real value.
The only real negative about the TRIKini was that it did become rather
grungy looking on the white trim in the back and around the armholes,
and I was never really able to get it fully white again even though I
used a couple of brands of laundry pre-treatment and did some hand
scrubbing. The stains appeared to be mainly from my day pack
which is an inexpensive older model, and seemed to bleed color onto the
trim. If I were purchasing another shirt, I would likely go for a
darker color this time around. I would like to see a somewhat
wider choice of fabrics available to choose from, maybe one or two
solid colors, since I'm not a big fan of bold prints.
The labels on the neck and near the hem have peeled significantly, and
the one on the back is starting to peel slightly, but I don't feel this
adversely affects the shirt.
Overall, I have to say that I really like the SkirtSports TRIKini tank,
and will definitely consider replacing this one with another when the
time comes for it to be retired.
Likes:
Comfortable, with good range of motion and decent bra support
Odor resistance
Ease of splashing off sweat salts while wearing
Neutral:
Bra pocket not very useful to me
A wider choice of colors/patterns (including more neutral or solid
colors) would be nice
Dislikes:
Stains remain on the white trim (result of my choice, darker trim color
is available in other color choices)
This concludes the test series.
Thanks to SkirtSports and BackpackGearTest.org
for
the
opportunity to test the TRIKini Tank.
Read more reviews of Skirt Sports gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
|