LONG TERM REPORT

IBEX MEN's Qu T
Richard Lyon
September 5, 2006

PERSONAL DETAILS AND BACKPACKING BACKGROUND

Male, 60 years old
Height: 6' 4" (1.93 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
Email address: rlyon AT gibsondunn DOT com
Home: Dallas, Texas USA

I've been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the Rockies since 1986.  I do a weeklong trip every summer, and often take three-day trips.  I'm usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13000 ft (1500 - 4000 m).  I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp, but I do my share of forced marches too.  Though always looking for ways to reduce weight, I'm not yet a lightweight hiker and I usually choose an extra pound or two over foregoing camp conveniences I've come to expect.

PRODUCT DETAILS

The Qu T is a featherweight merino wool short sleeve collarless shirt with a very tight weave.   Its intended use, according to Ibex, is "Everyday wear or as a decadent active top."  For a detailed description of measurements, construction, styling, features, and other available colors, see my Initial Report.

Manufacturer: Ibex Outdoor Clothing, LLC (www.ibex.com).  All quotations in this review come from Ibex's website.
Year of manufacture: 2006
Material: 17.5 micron New Zealand merino wool

Color: Kingfisher (bright blue; see photo below)
MSRP: $79 US

FIELD CONDITIONS

Since filing my Field Report I have worn the Qu T several times in active hiking conditions.

The first test during this period was a long day hike in the Texas Hill Country in typical summer temperatures – hot (102 F/39 C in the bright sun) and dry.  I did this hike with a small day pack and a large water bladder secured by a hip belt.  I perspired constantly and heavily, even during the frequent shaded stretches.  As in my earlier experience, at day's end the shirt smelled slightly of wet wool but not of body odor and it wicked flawlessly.  Another day hike near home a week later in similar conditions yielded comparable results.   On neither day did I feel that the Qu T was too much shirt or made things any hotter for me, although because of the wicking prowess of merino wool I didn't benefit from the cooling from evaporation that cotton can provide.

My Qu T got its first experience on an extended backpack on a weeklong trip in early August to the Necklace Lakes in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana.  This was a base camp trip during which I worked on erosion control along the Smoky Creek Trail as a volunteer for the Forest Service.  Our camp was at about 7000 feet (2100 m) and we enjoyed perfect weather – high 70s F (~ 24 C) during the day and down to 35-40 F (2-5 C) at night, and clear skies.  And it was exceedingly dusty everywhere on-trail - it's been a hot, dry summer in Montana and several sections of the trails we used receive heavy use from stock and backpacking groups.

I wore the Qu-T as my sole upper body garment on the hike in, the hike out, and on our off day, and as a sleepwear top under a down sweater on two nights.  I'd have worn it to work too, but the Forest Service prefers long-sleeved shirts as a safety measure.  Besides, we felled and skinned a number of very sappy trees (nicknamed "pissy pines" because of this characteristic) and I didn't want to ruin a good shirt with many other uses, at least before my testing period was finished.  (This turned out to be prudent action, as my work shirt and pants were retired to the trash bin after four days' worth of tree sap and dirt and other grunge that stuck to it.) The hike in was tough, about 12 miles (19 km) with a 3500 foot (1100 m) elevation gain followed by a steep descent to our campsite just above one of the Necklace Lakes.  The hike out was equally tough – after re-climbing to Necklace Pass, completing a loop by means of a seven-mile (11 km) series of steep, knee-jarring switchbacks.  Heavy sweating throughout both with an expedition pack!  One stretch of the off-day hike was bushwhacking through a forest thick with undergrowth, briars, and branches.  But it was worth it – we spent most of the day fishing, swimming, or lounging at Woodward Lake, a gorgeous sub-alpine basin filled with cutthroats that hadn't seen many artificial flies.

This past weekend I wore the Qu T on a twelve-mile (19 km) day hike along Slough Creek in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, on a clear day with temperatures at 82 F (28 C), carrying a day pack with fishing gear.  Results were similar to those in the Hill Country.

I've continued to wear the Qu T to exercise sessions at my gym, usually 45 to 60 minute spin classes, and as casual wear in Dallas and Montana. 

ORIGINAL TEST CRITERIA 

Here are results and related commentary against my original test criteria:

Comfort.  Is the merino wool comfortable against my bare skin as sleepwear, under pack straps, under a shell or jacket, or under a sweater? An emphatic “yes” to all.  This is particularly noteworthy and a big improvement over other wicking fabrics when wearing a backpack.    Does it feel soft like cotton or slick and itchy like polyester? Soft like cotton, and because it wicks it stays soft even when I’m perspiring.  The Qu T hasn't bunched up or become saturated under the pack straps.  Because of the wicking the Qu T doesn't absorb and retain as much dust, dirt, and other soiling as cotton and is therefore easier to clean.  It also dries much more quickly than cotton.  After a backcountry cleaning I put the Qu T to further use later on the same trip, something that is (at best) very disagreeable with a previously-worn cotton tee.  For me this surely makes up for the loss of evaporation capabilities on any overnight backpack.  Does it become itchy when I'm sweaty? No scratchiness and it hasn’t caused extra perspiration, not even after six hours with an expedition pack in 80 F (27 C) weather.  Is it too hot to wear in the hottest temperatures I'll encounter, or will it wick sweat away?  It’s worked as well as any synthetic I’ve ever worn, and I didn’t think it was too warm for even the North Texas summer sun.  Does it become smelly after several days of hard use?  I do, but the shirt doesn’t, as reported in my Field Report.  I detected no body odor in the shirt after two days' all-day wear and heavy hiking.  Will it provide warmth when used as a base layer?  After limited testing, yes, although because of its short sleeves it isn’t the ideal mountain sleepwear.

Fit.  Will regular use and washing change my opinion on XL as the proper size? Not yet.  The shirt has held its shape and relaxed fit to this point.  Is the shirt long enough in the torso to stay tucked in when I want it tucked in?  Yes!

Durability.  How robust is the stitching at the collar and sleeve seams? Are the weave and stitching tough enough for regular abuse in the backcountry? Before submitting this report I carefully examined every bit of stitching on the Qu T.  Except for some very minor pilling the shirt looks like new, with not even one loose thread.  No distortion around the collar, not even from frequent careless tugging to take the shirt off.  Very, very impressive.  Is the weave flat, like cotton, to avoid giving branches and briars a good grip? My service trip bushwhack left my shins severely scratched and scraped but resulted in no snarls or snags on the Qu T from branches, briars, brush, or burrs.  Will use under a pack cause tears or distortion of the shape of the Qu T?  How about bushwhacking or manual labor? Nothing yet; see above.  Does machine washing (recommended, or at least authorized, by Ibex) affect integrity or performance of the shirt? T-shirts need baths more frequently than sweaters; will regular laundering affect color, shape, or functionality? So far, not in the slightest.  Neither has a field washing with Dr. Bronner's and air drying on a rock.  I did the field washing on the Bob Marshall trip and after drying the shirt was clean enough to wear as a nightshirt.

Care.  Is it truly machine washable? Can I include it with other woolen items, or is a separate wash required? The Qu T is definitely machine washable, and after a separate wash the first time (because of the bright color) I have included the Qu T with other woolen items with no ill effects on it or the rest of the laundry.  Who knows, after the test period I may tempt fate and try to dry it on the "delicate" setting of my dryer, as I do with some other woolens.  Does a field washing with camp soap clean the shirt effectively – an important test for a backcountry T?  It cleaned the Qu T well enough to wear as a nighttime top after perspiration from two day of stiff hiking.  While I doubt that the shirt was as clean as when it comes out of the washing machine it was definitely usable, without an odor.  How long does it take to air dry at home or in camp? At home, after washing in the evening it’s dry the next morning.  In Montana, two hours in the late afternoon sun did the trick – as quickly or almost as quickly as a polyester shirt.  Bear in mind that both Montana and North Texas are very dry climates.  Will there be any shrinkage? No shrinkage.

Appearance.  Is the Qu T as stylish as my other Ibex shirts on the trail and on the street?  Indeed it is, and it’s the perfect weight for North Texas summer evenings, on its own or under a sport coat.  I'll buy a couple more strictly for civilian use if they go on sale.

SUMMARY

I've gone out of my way to find something I don't like about the Qu T, and the best I can do is again to lament that wool, unlike cotton, doesn't fade after several washings.  Kingfisher may be chic but a more subdued blue would better suit my taste and my wardrobe.  This is one wonderful shirt: classic styling, comfortable, durable, functional, suitable (and handsome) in front country and backcountry, easy to care for - and it stays tucked in the back.  My thanks once again to Ibex and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test it.