Backpacking Background Intermediate. I've been a
car-camper as long as I can remember and started backpacking in
Northern California when I was 16. I've been backpacking for a
little over a year after a hiatus during college. I backpack in the
Sierras as well as National Forests and Parks in the Los
Angeles vicinity. I also spend time in the California deserts and
the mountains and coast of Northern California. I'm a tent camper
leaning towards lightweight; but I'm also a fan of gadgets and I
like being comfortable. I also frequently day hike close to home and
while car camping.
I brought the jacket with me on a trip to Sequoia National Park. I car-camped the first night at 6,700 ft (2,040 m) where
temperatures ranged between about 60 and 80 F (15 and 25 C). The skies were clear and there was a slight breeze. The
following night I backpacked for one night. Camp was at 10,300 ft (3,139 m). That night temperatures dipped into the 40s F
(5 C) and there was a fairly strong wind throughout the night and morning. I wore the shirt while sleeping on the first night and
for the hike in to our backpacking destination in direct sun with temperatures around 80 F (25 C), perhaps warmer. This hike
was uphill with 2,500 ft (760 m) of elevation gain- it was hard work for me.
I also wore the shirt during a backpacking trip that we abandoned midway through. I guess this could best be described as
a day hike with a full pack and all my overnight gear since we abandoned the trip part way through the hike in. We were at
approximately 5,600 ft (1,700 m) and it was approximately 85 F (30 C) in bright sun.
I also wore this shirt several times to the gym. During part of this time my gym was upgrading their air conditioning
system so it was quite warm even though I was indoors. I wore the shirt while doing moderate intensity cardiovascular
exercises.
My first "test" of this shirt was at the gym. I wore the shirt to complete my regular cardio routine. The shirt didn't
really make warmer than my usual short-sleeved shirts. I did notice that my wrists were sweaty where the sleeves were
a little too long as reported in my Initial Report.
I also noticed that sweat dried quickly on the shirt. The only spots were sweat persisted were where my sports bra
remained sweaty underneath the shirt. I found this agreeable.
I wore this shirt on two occasions while carrying a full pack. Both times the shirt was comfortable under my pack. I did
not sweat excessively underneath my hip belt or shoulder straps (which have minimal padding as far as backpacks go) despite
it being really hot out. I was just generally sweaty all over. I did notice that the shirt could be slightly longer in
the back. I had to pull down the shirt in the back a couple times so it was under my hip belt. I prefer to hike with my
shirt under the hip belt so the padding doesn't come in direct contact with my skin. On my backpacking trip in Sequoia I
wore the Outback on the hike in and a short sleeved "active" shirt on the hike out. The weather conditions were similar
(hot, direct sun) but I was hiking all uphill on the hike in (with the Outback); going in was much more strenuous but I felt about
a similar level of "hotness" both ways. I think the Outback performed pretty well for the hot conditions I didn't feel the
need to switch to a cooler shirt before I made it to camp. This hike had
several stream crossings along the way. I took these opportunities to dunk the Outback in the cold water and then hike in
the cool shirt to stay a little cooler. This worked well for me and the Outback dried pretty quickly. The hike out took
approximately five hours and I dunked the shirt about three or four times; each time the shirt was completely dry. I
pulled up the sleeves a few times while hiking with this shirt on.
Wringing out the Outback after soaking it in a creek so I could cool off
I have not developed a sunburn while wearing this shirt. However I have worn sunscreen on my arms under the shirt when I
knew I'd be in direct sun.
Product Care
I wash this shirt with the rest of my active wear. It has been washed several times with regular detergent (Tide) even
though the tag recommends a mild detergent- oops, I must have forgotten about this. I have even tossed the shirt in
the dryer a couple times when I forgot it was in a load or when my husband happened to put the clothes in the dryer- to
no ill effects. I think being able to stand up to slight care deviations is important because this is how I treat my
regular clothes. I try to follow the directions but sometimes things happen a little differently. The Outback has survived
me so far. I
have also hung the shirt to dry and laid it flat to dry (as recommended). I find that the shirt dries very quickly. I
believe it's always been the first item dry of all the items I hang dry. This is also, by far, the thinnest shirt I own.
The shirt does gets wrinkled easily. Folded in my drawer it's wrinkled when I get it out, stuffed in my pack it's wrinkled
when I take it out. The wrinkles do fall out after a short time of wearing the shirt. The wrinkles do not bother me in
any way and do not affect my judgment of the shirt at all since they come out so easily.
Durability
The shirt is very thin. This caused me to wonder how well it would hold up. So far I have not had any problems with
this whatsoever. There aren't any holes in the shirt and the shirt is not thinning in any areas that I've noticed. I
also haven't noticed any unraveling seams or any other deterioration at this point. The shirt is holding up well and
look as good as new. I think the shirt resists odors well and resisted stream dirt better than my other shirt when I
dunked both shirts.
Itchiness
The shirt's initial itchiness was my biggest complaint in my Initial Report.
During the field test period this hasn't really bothered me that much. When the shirt is wet (like when I hiked with a
wet shirt on) there isn't any itchiness as all. I've found that during normal wear (i.e. when the shirt is dry) I can
easily forget about it being itchy and for the most part I don't notice it.
I still find the shirt a little scratchy. The shirt has performed well under warm conditions when I've been performing
strenuous activity. So far I value its addition to my backpacking closet but I'm not sold on replacing existing
pieces with more of this kind.
I will continue to test this shirt as I initially planned and will report on anything new that arises.
I will be wearing this shirt in a couple capacities. I'll use it hiking, backpacking, biking, for gym workouts, and for
casual weekend wear. This means that I'll be wearing the shirt from sea level up to over 10,000 ft (3,050 m) - give or take
depending on where my summer hikes take me. I'll be under diverse conditions which may include beach sand, the rocky
mountains of the Sierras, forested areas, shrubby chaparral and probably more. I may encounter rain (light or thunderstorms),
wind, cool temperatures (in the 30s F/~0 C), hot temperatures (up to the 90s F/~35 C), etc.
I plan to evaluate how well this shirt works during the summer months. This shirt is designed to be worn
year-round and I plan to find out if a long-sleeved shirt can really manage that. I will find out if the shirt provides
good sun protection. I will evaluate how well the shirt wicks away sweat to keep me cool and dry when it's warm and I'm
exerting myself. I will also report on how well it works as a base layer when it's cooler outside.
In addition to performance, I will also report on the durability of the shirt over the 4-month test period. I'll report
on whether it shrinks, the fabric piles, or fades over time. As well as how easy it is to keep clean and if it holds on to
odors and dirt.
I want to thank BackpackGearTest.org and Ibex Outdoor Clothing for giving me the opportunity to test
this item.
Read more reviews of Ibex gear
Read more gear reviews by Jennifer Pope
