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Ibex Outback L/S Jersey
Field Report – July 21, 2006
Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Chest: 42"/ 107 cm
Neck: 16"/ 41 cm
Sleeve: 28"/ 71 cm (from the middle of my chest to my wrist)
Email address: c4jc "at" hotmail "dot" com
City, State, Country: Snoqualmie, Washington, U. S.
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping and backpacking for about 18 years. My introduction to the outdoors started with the Boy Scouts of America and has continued as an adult. I have hiked mostly in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. I am generally a lightweight hiker, but will carry extras to keep me comfortable. I have recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and spend most of my time hiking and backpacking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, but I can be found exploring the other wild areas of Washington!
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Ibex
Model: Outback L/S Jersey
Size: Large
Color: Kingfisher (received) Red Pepper, Rope, Acid, Stone, and Terracotta.
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL:www.ibex.com
Listed weight: 6.9 oz (196 g)
Measured weight: 6 oz (170 g)
**Disclaimer: the closest my scale will measure is in whole ounces**
Listed Dimensions: Chest 42-44” (107-112 cm), Neck 16.5-17” (42-43 cm), Sleeves 35-36” (89-91 cm)
Measured Dimensions: Chest 44” (112 cm), Sleeves 32” (81 cm) measured from the middle of the chest to the end of the sleeve while laying flat.
Fabric Content: 18.5 micron Superfine Merino Wool
MSRP: $79 US
Country of Manufacture: USA of imported fabrics
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Product Description:
This is a semi fitted long sleeve t-shirt made of 18.5 Superfine Merino. It has flatlock seams and flat (non-elastic) cuffs. The shirt is a solid color with a contrasting vertical stripe down the center of the back. In my case, the main shirt is Kingfisher (Royal Blue) with a Rope (gray) stripe down the back.
Ibex recommends the Outback for year-round, lightweight, temperature regulating performance while running, skiing, hiking, backpacking, travel, and everyday use. For more information please see my initial report.
Summary:
I am torn with this shirt (literally)!!! It is super light, and very comfortable. However the thin material has not worked out well for me. I have managed to put three holes in the shirt.
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Field Conditions:
I have worn the shirt for 15 plus days over the last two months. The shirt has been worn while day hiking, backpacking and on a mountaineering trip. The locations included the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the Mt. Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest, the Buckhorn Wilderness in the Olympic National Forest, and in Olympic National Park. Elevation ranged from sea level to 8705’ (2653 m) and temperatures ranged from 80 F to 30 F (27 C to -1 C), and precipitation encountered included rain and snow.
Field Test Results:
I have enjoyed wearing this shirt over the past two months. At the beginning of the test series, I was able to wear the shirt all day as the temperatures where still cool enough to warrant a long sleeve shirt even during long ascents. As summer approached and finally arrived, I found that I wore the shirt mostly in the mornings and evenings when it was cool. I also would slip it on during breaks if it was a little chilly or I was in the shade. I don’t like to cool down to much during a rest break.
It fits me really well and is super comfortable. Even though the sleeves are a bit long on me, I don’t find them to be annoying and can easily push them up out of the way to cool off. I have been able to wear the shirt over my short sleeve base layers as well as by itself. Ibex describes the shirt as semi fitted; I would describe it as a relaxed fit shirt as it is not form fitting on me in any way.
My only complaint is with the daintiness of the shirt’s fabric. I was getting geared up from a trail break on my way to Lake Angeles in Olympic National Park. I noticed the shirt was not pulled under my hipbelt in the back like it usually is, so I loosened up my hip belt to pull the shirt down in the back and when I pulled the shirt down my thumb went right through the fabric. Yikes, it is thin! Since then I have also noticed two small holes in the front of the shirt near the bottom hem. I am not sure how they got there, but I noticed them while on my mountaineering trip to Mt. Colchuck. Since these two trips, I have worn the shirt several more times and not noticed any new problems. I will probably patch these holes at some point but have not done so yet. I have not noticed any problems in the shoulder areas or in the bottom part of the shirt where my backpack/daypack straps interface with the shirt. |
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The shirt has been easy to maintain. I have washed it several times according to the manufacturer’s instruction using Ivory Snow laundry detergent with no problems. It doesn’t really trap smells which is nice.
Improvements:
Elastic sleeve cuffs would be nice. I would also like to see a more durable material...
Test Plan:
I evaluated the shirt on the following characteristics over the last two months. My answers are in blue.
Fit:
- How well does the shirt fit? It fits me very nicely.
- Can I layer a t-shirt underneath on cold and chilly evenings? Easily.
- What exactly does Semi Fit mean? Form fitting? Relaxed? Or somewhere in the middle? I think the shirt has more of a relaxed fit.
- Is it soft next to skin like Ibex says or itchy like other wool products? Yes.
- Are the sleeves proportional to the rest of the shirt? Yes.
- Does the shirt breathe well? It should be as Ibex recommends it for high aerobic activities like running, skiing, and hiking/backpacking. It breathes pretty well. I have used for trail running and biking on chilly mornings, in addition to my hiking and backpacking trips.
Durable:
- How durable is the 18.5 Merino wool? No to good in my opinion. See my paragraph above.
- Do I need to be concerned during off trail hiking? Yes, with the problems I have already had I would not wear it off trail.
- Does the fabric wear more underneath my backpack straps? I have not noticed any excess wear in this area.
- What temperature range is the jersey best used in? Best used in cooler temperatures.
- How easy is the jersey to maintain? Simple, I wash it with other clothes using Ivory Snow detergent.
- Are there any special washing instructions? See above.
- Does it trap smells? Not really.
Style:
- Living here in the trendy Pacific Northwest is this shirt stylish enough to wear on
a rainy day diaper run to Target or while out at dinner in downtown Seattle? Most certainly.
Thanks to BackpackGearTest and Ibex for allowing me to participate in this test.
Read more reviews of Ibex gear
Read more gear reviews by Jason Boyle
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