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Coolibar Travel Shirt
Field Report
3 October 2006
Tester Bio
Name – Anthony (TJ) Smith
Age – 31
Gender – Male
Height – 5’ 10” (1.78 m)
Weight – 175 lb (79 kg)
Chest – 40 in (101 cm)
Neck – 15.5 in (39 cm)
Arm Length – 32 in (81 cm)
Email Address – tjsmith1946@gmail.com
City, State, Country – Pensacola, Florida USA
Backpacking Background
I have been camping for a little over 5 years now, mostly car camping. I have
recently begun backpacking, and I am constantly adding new gear to my “collection”
in an effort to get my gear list tailored more towards backpacking. Most of
my backpacking trips are short duration, not more than one or two nights. I
am planning some longer trips in the near future.
My current pack weight is around 15-20 lb (7-9 kg) without food and water, depending
on if I'm solo camping or taking my son along, as I have to carry some of his
gear. I am a dedicated hammock camper and have tailored my personal gear to
that aspect of camping.
Product Information
 Year of Manufacture –
2006
Manufacturer URL – www.coolibar.com
Stated Weight – N/A
Weight as Delivered – 7.75 oz (220 g)
Size Tested – Medium
Color Tested – Cactus Green
Other Colors Available – Stone, Fog Blue, Cloud White, Desert Tan
MSRP – $59.95 USD
From Coolibar's Website: Combining the innovative features a globetrotter needs
with the sun-protective features a savvy traveler depends on, our Travel Shirt
includes a discreet but easy-access zip security pocket, triple-fold collar
for neck protection, and hidden mesh ventilation that allows air to circulate.
Fabric wicks away moisture and is wrinkle-resistant for day-after-day wear.
Made of dri SUNTECT™ rated to block 98% UV.
Initial Information/Observations
The Coolibar Travel Shirt upon receipt met most of my expectations. For full
details on my initial observations, please see my Initial
Report.
Field Information
Date: August 11-12, 2006
Location: Blackwater River State Forest, Munson, Florida
Weather: Temperatures reached a high of 95 F (35 C) during the day and dropped
to 71 F (21 C) that night. No precipitation was experienced during this trip.
This trip was an overnight camping trip in the state forest. Total elevations
for this trip ranged from 30 to 60 ft (9 to 18 m) above sea level.
Date: August 16, 2006
Location: Various locations throughout Santa Rosa County, Florida
Weather: Temperatures ranged from 80 F (27 C) to 90 F (32 C) during this trip.
Skies were mostly sunny, and no precipitation was experienced.
This "trip" was a geocaching expedition. I traveled to several different
locations throughout the area in search of geocaches. Distances from parking
to each cache ranged from 100 yd (91 m) to 2.5 mi (4 km).
Date: August 31, 2006
Location: Juniper Creek Trail, Harold, Florida
Weather: Temperatures ranged from 75 F (24 C) at the beginning of the hike to
a high of 91 F (33 C) at midday. This was a very sunny day, with no discernable
cloud cover at all.
The Juniper Creek Trail is listed as 8.8 mi (14 km) in length, and is a linear
trail. Having hiked this trail several times before, I am very familiar with
the topography and ecology. There are several areas that are open to full sun
for extended periods of time, and there are numerous other areas where the vegetation
has grown in to almost close off the trail if it hasn't been maintained recently.
Date: September 6, 2006
Location: Karick Lake Loop Trail, Baker, Florida
Weather: Temperatures ranged from 76 F (24 C) to 87 F (30 C), with sunny skies
experienced yet again.
The Karick Lake Loop Trail makes a 4 mi (6.4 km) circuit around Karick Lake
in the Blackwater River State Forest, the largest state landholding in the state
of Florida. The area is averages 75 ft (23 m) above sea level, with some minor
elevation changes along the trail. Most of the trail is also relatively close
to the water of the lake, so some cooling is noticeable at these locations.
Date: September 12-13, 2006
Location: Ocala National Forest, Ocala, Florida
Weather: Temperatures reached a high of 84 F (29 C) during the day and dropped
to 71 F (21 C) both nights. No precipitation was experienced during this trip.
This trip was a car-camping type trip in the Ocala National Forest. I did not
do any backpacking to the campsite for this trip; however, I did wear the shirt
for both days of this trip.
Date: September 24, 2006
Location: Section hike of the Jackson Red Ground Trail, Baker, Florida
Weather: Temperatures ranged from a low of 80 F (27 C) at the beginning of the
hike to a high of 89 F (32 C). No precipitation was experienced, although the
day was overcast.
Like the Juniper Creek Trail, the Jackson Red Ground trail provides a similar
ecology and topography. For gear testing, there are several locations where
the brush closes in quite close to the trail.
Date: September 27, 2006
Location: Naval Live Oaks Preserve, Gulf Breeze, Florida
Weather: Temperature ranged from 73 F (23 C) to 85 F (29 C). The sun remained
in full force for the duration of this hike, with no clouds visible.
This hike was on a 2.2 mi (3.5 km) loop trail through old-growth live oaks.
The trail itself is fairly well maintained, with little chance for snagging
of clothing. However, there are several open areas that expose hikers to direct
sunlight.
The following items have been addressed from my test plan:
Durability
- How well has the Travel Shirt held up to repeated wearings? Several areas
I have hiked have close brush and I tend to snag shirt sleeves. Does the Travel
Shirt show marks from these snags, or has the fabric held up well?
So
far, the Travel Shirt has held up to the numerous wearings. I have experienced
one small snag on the left sleeve from getting too close to a thorny bush.
- Has the shirt held dirt and stains, or did it readily shed these? Has surface
dirt easily cleaned off or has the shirt require laundering for every little
“dirt exposure?”
So far, the Travel Shirt is not retaining any dirt stains. Any
small dirt spots the shirt has developed have come off with regular laundering.
Comfort
- Has the “hidden mesh ventilation” actually allowed for adequate
ventilation, especially given that I have worn the shirt in 90+ F (30+ C)
weather?
I have noticed my torso remaining cooler than with most
of my other hiking shirts. When wearing my backpack while camping, however,
I do notice a difference in my back. It seems the backpack prevents the vent
from opening and allowing my back to cool.
- How well has the fabric wicked away moisture from my body? Has it work as
well as other garments I have used that are specifically designed for wicking?
How quickly do the wet spots from sweat dry after removing the shirt?
I
haven't really noticed a difference at this point in the fabric wicking moisture
away any better or worse than other garments I own. The Travel Shirt does
appear to dry out relatively quickly when it absorbs my sweat during wearing.
Function
- How well has the shirt actually protected my skin from sunburns? I am relatively
fair skinned, and am prone to sunburns if I don’t have some type of
sun block. Has the Travel Shirt really protect me as well as a 50 sun block
will?
I have not experienced any sunburns or even excessive darkening
of my skin when I wear the shirt with the sleeves down. After rolling the
sleeves up during use, I can tell that I have had sun exposure within a few
hours.
- How does the zip security pocket actually work? Where is it located, how
easy is it to access, how functional is it in actual use?
I have found the zip security pocket (located inside the right
breast pocket) to be very functional for me. I carry my identification and
a small amount of cash in the pocket, and have no worries about losing either
item while hiking.
- How does the triple-fold collar work? How easy has it been to adjust? How
well has it stayed in position?
I have "played" with
the collar some, and have yet to figure out the exact purpose of the triple-fold
collar. It does allow the collar to come several inches up the back of my
neck, but does not remain in that position for very long, especially while
hiking.
Construction
- Are the seams well constructed, or are there loose threads? Are the buttons
well sewn, or have they come loose at the slightest snag or tug?
I
still have not found any poorly constructed seams or loose threads in the
construction of the shirt. All the buttons appear well sewn, and I have not
had any of them come loose, even with rough trail usage.
- Are there any seams that sit in odd spots, such as right under my pack straps?
I have found the seams to be fairly unnoticeable, even when wearing
my Granite Gear Vapor Trail pack with about 20 lb (9 kg) of gear in it.
Continued Test Plan
The Coolibar Shirt will continue to be tested in a variety of locations throughout
Northwest Florida and Southeast Alabama. During the testing period, expected
weather conditions for the remainder of the period should range from a high
near 85 F (29 C), and lows approaching or just below 50 F (10 C). I also anticipate
varied levels of precipitation, from bright sunny days with low humidity all
the way to torrential downpours. The terrain throughout the testing area ranges
from very sandy soil to old and new growth pine forests as well as areas of
marshy bogs.
I will continue to address the above listed items for the remainder of the
testing period.
My thanks to Coolibar and BackpackGearTest for allowing me to test this item.
Read more reviews of Coolibar gear
Read more gear reviews by Anthony Smith
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