Ibex Outback L/S Jersey
Long Term Report – September 19, 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!
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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
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 and field reports.
Summary:
The Ibex Outback long sleeve jersey continued to perform well over the last two months of the test period. I continued to wear the jersey as a base layer in camp or as a sleeping layer because the daytime temperatures remained much too warm to wear while hiking. The holes mentioned in my field report did not grow and no other durability issues were experienced.
Field Conditions:
In addition to casual wear over the last two months I have taken the jersey on two long trips. A 6-day backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park and a 4-day backpacking trip in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the Mt. Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest. Temperatures ranged from the low 40’s F to 90+ F (4 C to 32 C), elevation ranged from sea level to 10,000 feet (3048 m) and precipitation was non-existent.
Long Term Test Results:
The Outback continued to fit well over the last two months of the test period. I found that it actually became more comfortable as a result of wearing and washing it. I think it feels comfortable like an old cotton t-shirt. The weather remained much to warm to wear it while hiking, but the chilly nights caused me to wear it as a base layer in my sleeping bag. It was super comfortable against my bare skin and I think the shirt made a nice pajamas top!
As I mentioned in my field report, durability was a concern, but I have not experienced any further issues through the last two months of the test. Additionally, the holes mentioned previously did not grow. Because of the length of my trips, I was able to really test the anti smell properties of the shirt. I must say that it did a pretty good job of keeping the smell down. It did smell, but not as bad as some of the other clothing I had on the trips with me.
I have really enjoyed testing this shirt, and I will continue to wear the shirt after the test is over, but I probably would not buy another Outback because of the problems that I had with the durability.
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 four 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, like a comfy old t-shirt.
- Is it soft next to skin like Ibex says or itchy like other wool products? Yes, so much so that I used it to sleep in on chilly nights.
- 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? Not good in my opinion, during my field report I mention three holes that I put in the shirt. They did not grow during the last two months, but I am still concerned about the durability of the shirt.
- Do I need to be concerned during off trail hiking? Yes, thorns would easily tear the shirt.
- Does the fabric wear more underneath my backpack straps? I have not noticed any excess wear in this area over the four-month test period.
- What temperature range is the jersey best used in? Best used in cooler temps.
- 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. Even after wearing it in the evenings and in my sleeping bag for 6 days it remained relatively smell free.
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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