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Coolibar Travel Shirt
Long Term Report
5 December 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 and Field
Report.
Field Information
Date: October 21, 2006
Location: Garcon Point Trail, Avalon, Florida
Weather: Temperatures began at 55 F (13 C) reached a high of 75 F (24 C) during
the day. No precipitation was experienced during this trip.
This trip was a dayhike through a local nature preserve. Elevations for the
entire hike ranged from 5 ft (1.5 m) above sea level to 15 ft (4.5 m) above
sea level. The trail at several points has brush that narrowed the trail to
less than 2 ft (61 cm) wide, which causes the brush to rub against whatever
clothing is being worn.
Date: November 10-12, 2006
Location: Hurricane Lake Campground, Munson, Florida
Weather: Temperatures reached a high of 70 F (21 C) during the day and dropped
to 40 F (21 C) the first night and 30 F (-1 C) the second night. During the
day on the second of the three days, we experienced pretty significant rainfall
(about 2 in (5 cm) in less than 2 hours).
This trip was an overnight in a local state forest campground. While this is
an organized campground, the camping area I was in is a primitive camping area.
Date: November 25, 2006
Location: Big Lagoon State Park, Pensacola, Florida
Weather: Temperatures ranged from 45 F (7 C) at the beginning of the hike to
a high of 60 F (16 C) at midday. This was a very sunny day, with no discernable
cloud cover at all.
There are several nature trails in Big Lagoon State Park, and on this trip I
hiked two of them, for a total of 6 mi (9.6 km). There are several areas that
are open to full sun for extended periods of time, and in a few locations the
trail narrows somewhat with brush. Elevations ranged from 5 ft (1.5 m) above
sea level to 15 ft (4.5 m) above sea level.
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?
The Travel Shirt has held up to the numerous wearings, especially
during the Field Report Phase. I have experienced one small snag on the left
sleeve from getting too close to a thorny bush, but have not had any other
noticeable snags. One of the buttons near the bottom of the shirt has begun
to become unstitched, which is a common occurrence for me due to the hip belts
of the various packs I use catching on them.
- 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?”
The Travel Shirt is not retaining any dirt stains. Any small dirt
spots the shirt has developed have come off with regular laundering. I also
have not noticed any sweat stains that remained after 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 hiking, however, I do
notice a difference in my back. It seems the backpack prevents the vent from
opening and allowing my back to cool. In cool, windy weather, I have noticed
a slight chill develop when heading into the wind, as the vents open somewhat
from the wind and cool air circulates around my body from this.
- 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?
As experienced during the Field Report Phase, I have continued
to not experience 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 continue to find 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?
As stated previously, I have noticed one button begin to come
loose. However, that is after numerous wearings and having the hip belt of
my various packs snag on the button during wearing. I don't feel this is a
fault of the shirt, but of the wearer.
- 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.
The Good and The Bad
Pros
- Ventilation during warm weather
- Zippered security pocket
- Comfort and fit
Cons
- Ventilation during cool, windy weather
- Difficulty with the "triple-fold" collar
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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