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Coolibar Travel Shirt
Initial Report - August, 2006
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 240 lb (109 kg)
Email address: chuck_kime AT yahoo DOT com
City, State, Country: Upper Darby (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: July, 2006
Additional Information applicable to this test
Neck: 18”+ (46 cm)
Shoulders: 56” (142 cm)
Girth at chest: 57” (145 cm)
Chest: 46” (117 cm)
Waist: 40” (102 cm)
Hips: 46” (117 cm)
Torso: 21½” (55 cm)
Backpacking Background [return to top]
My family started car/trailer camping when I was about 5. After 17 years in the Army Reserve fine-tuning my packing methodology I was down to a fairly respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load in my ALICE pack. Advancing age, arthritic knees and injuries have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices, experiment with tarps and hammocks, make some of my own gear, and look closer at my ‘toys’ with an eye for multi-use and light weight. I now have a sub-30 lb (14 kg) 3-season load, and should be able to reduce it well under 20 lb (9 kg) – before food, fuel and water – without much more effort.
Additional Information applicable to this test
I have been wearing shirts for… lesseee… twelve times four… plus three… carry the one… oh, over 40 years now. I prefer synthetics over cotton for my hiking/camping shirts, but have not yet tried wool. I also wear my ‘technical/hiking’ clothing at other times, so as not to increase the storage space I require by having duplicate items, and to give me increased testing opportunities.
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: Coolibar
Model: Travel Shirt
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: http://www.coolibar.com
Listed weight: None
Measured weight (size XXL): 9.1 oz (258 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
Color: Cactus Green
Other colors available: Stone, Cloud Blue, Fog White, Desert Tan
MSRP: $59.95 US
Features/claims (from web site) [return to top]
- 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.
Arrival [return to top]
The shirt arrived on July 24, 2006, in a corrugated box. Inside the box I found a standard plastic warehouse bag containing the shirt. Attached to the shirt were 4 hang tags in a zipper-bag: one about Coolibar and its sun-protection products, one with the sun-protection rating for this shirt, one about the shirt itself, and one about the Skin Cancer Foundation and its Seal of Recommendation for Coolibar. The shirt was wrapped in a paper band with the Coolibar logo, and was folded with logo-printed tissue paper and plastic clips, like better dress shirts I have purchased. Even the tab on the security pocket zipper was wrapped in tissue to prevent undue marking of the fabric during storage and transit. I am impressed. All contents appeared undamaged.
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Description [return to top]
The Travel Shirt is constructed from dri SUNTECT, Coolibar’s 100% Polyester, which is a very light, thin fabric with a very soft hand. It uses double-needle tailoring throughout, except for the pockets which use single-needle. The buttons, which are subtly embossed with the Coolibar name, are sewn on with criss-cross stitches. The shirt has two-button cuffs, button-through sleeve plackets, and a hidden-button-down collar. On the inside of the shirt, below the collar, are standard garment, size, and care tags. There are two chest pockets with hook-and-loop flaps, plus bellows on both sides and center of each pocket. These details (other than the fabric) make the Travel Shirt like many other shirts I have owned. This shirt has many additional features, however, which combine to make the Travel Shirt distinctive. I will mention them from top to bottom.
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The Travel Shirt has what is listed as a “triple-fold collar”. For reference, a dress shirt would have a double-fold collar, meaning that once the collar is folded down – as normally worn – the fabric has been doubled. The collar on this shirt has an additional length of fabric sewn to the edge which can be extended to cover even more of the neck when the collar is turned up. This extra flap is kept tucked under by three hook-and-loop tabs when not turned up.
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The back of the Travel Shirt is lined with 100% Coolmax Mesh Polyester from the collar/shoulder seams to about half way down. This mesh is very close in color to the rest of the shirt. The caped back of the shirt, which overlaps the lower section by about 3 in (8 cm), is tacked at the center of the shirt, but is left open along the remainder of the width of the shirt to provide ventilation. A similarly vented section occurs at the back of each sleeve where it meets the back of the shirt, as well as in front of and behind each side seam from the pit all the way to the hem.
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On the outside ‘edge’ of each sleeve, roughly next to the wearer’s bicep, is a button. This button works in conjunction with a strip of fabric sewn to the inside of the sleeve at the same point to keep the sleeves rolled up if desired. In my experience, a shirt this lightweight needs a strap such as this, as the fabric does not have the stiffness necessary to stay up on its own.
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Upon lifting the flap of the right chest pocket, a zipper is revealed. The zipper, which opens from the center out, closes a security pocket about 6 x 6 in (15 x 15 cm) that is completely inside the shirt.
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First Impressions [return to top]
Based on the Coolibar website, I got what I was expecting, and then some. Coolibar has taken the concept of sun-protection clothing and made a business of it, with attention to detail in abundance. The packaging of the shirt alone suggests detail driven business, and the shirt is just chock full of unexpected but useful features. I noticed one or two untrimmed threads, but that is all.
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Field Testing [return to top]
Our Boy Scout troop camps monthly, generally in the wooded areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and the Pocono Mountains. Almost all of these outings include a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures expected to be from lows around 45 ºF (7 ºC) to highs around 95 ºF (35 ºC) during the 4-month test period. Elevations will range from sea level to approximately 1,500’ (457 m). Our new Scoutmaster has added monthly hikes to our schedule as well. My wife and I, who between us have 3 high-ranking boy scouts (ages 15, 15 and 16), are also looking into additional camping without the scouts, and there are possibilities of some AT section hikes (two down – many to go!) in Pennsylvania and New Jersey with my son as he works towards the Hiking Merit Badge.
I generally get by in just a t-shirt when hiking, adding only a wind vest below about 50 °F (10 °C), but I can sweat – a lot – when it gets warm. I am looking for a shirt that can keep me comfortable in a full range of temperatures.
I plan to wear the shirt on all coming outdoor trips, including camping and hiking, as well as wearing it around the house and to the office, checking for both comfort and durability.
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Things I am/will be looking for:
- Fit. Does it fit me? My chest puts me in the size category for the XL, while my waist and neck (and, possibly, shoulders) put me in XXL – I prefer slightly too big to slightly too small. Does it move well with me?
- Fabric. Is it durable? Does it stretch? Does it fade? Is it windproof? Does it pill, pull, or snag readily?
- Comfort. Does it stick to my skin if I am wet/sweaty? If so, does it bind or inhibit my movement? Does it itch?
- Packability. How packable is the shirt? I plan to put it in a relatively small pocket on my pack when I’m not actually wearing it (shouldn’t be often).
- Does it dry well? Does it hold much dirt in the first place?
- Durability. Does it stand up to wear and washing? Does it pill, pull, or otherwise abrade significantly under normal circumstances? If not, how long does it take for this to happen?
- Ease of washing. Would it be easy to wash in a trail town, for example? Are there particular washing instructions that must be followed? Does it dry quickly?
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My findings so far:
- Fit. The Travel Shirt seems to be sized to fit loosely, as I found myself swimming in the XXL. I have returned it for exchange with an XL.
- Fabric. The fabric is somewhat difficult – though not overly so – to breathe through, although the quantity and volume of vents sort of render the shirt un-windproof.
- Packability. This stuff is thin and light. If I am not concerned about wrinkles, it should get pretty tiny.
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Things I like [return to top]
- Very light.
- Comfortable to the touch.
- Well made with lots of details.
Things I don't like [return to top]
- None yet, other than sizing. It is cut much more generously than I expected.
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Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
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