Patagonia Men's Capilene SW (Silkweight) T-Shirt
OWNER REVIEW
Review Date: June 26, 2004
Reviewer Information
- Name: Edward Ripley-Duggan
- Age: 51
- Gender: Male
- Height: 6' 1" (1.85 m)
- Weight: 215 lb (98 kg)
- erd@wilsey.net
- Catskills, New York State
Product Information
- Year of manufacture: 2003
- Manufacturer website: http://www.patagonia.com/
- Weight for size large, my measure: 5 oz, 142 g
- Manufacturer weight, size basis not stated: 4 oz, 113 g
- Fabric: Patagonia's proprietary Capilene fabric, 3.5 oz (99 g) microdenier polyester (manufacturer's statement)
- Manufacturer style no.: 45044
- Color: Neptune Blue
Introduction
I have used Patagonia's Capilene products for many years. Their Expedition Weight socks are usually to be found on my feet when hiking on cold winter days. I've found their light- or midweight tops particularly effective as base layers for winter activities; they also serve well as pajamas when backpacking. I purchased two silkweight Capilene t-shirts last year for a through-hike, as they are light and comfortable.
Testing environment
Initially, I wore the shirts when doing the Northville-Placid trail in the Adirondacks in September 2003. Daytime temperatures ranged from approximately 70 F (21 C) to 40 F (4 C), in weather that ranged from bright sun to damp and rainy. I have worn them frequently on hikes since then, sometimes as an extra layer in winter beneath a heavier Capilene top, often in mild weather as a simple t-shirt.
Description
Having looked over the Patagonia size table, I would say that the shirt is truly sized – it’s a comfortable, not oversnug fit on my 45 in (114 cm) chest. It is available in a variety of colors – mine is a plain blue-gray. To my taste, this is an agreeable and unobtrusive hue. The fabric is pleasantly smooth and tactilely pleasing, and is indeed silk-like. When held to the light it is slightly transparent (and is therefore, I suspect, not to be terribly good protection for sun-sensitive skins), although in wear it is opaque to the view. The garment, made in the US, has stitching etc. of a very high standard (indeed, I have found Capilene garments generally well made and durable). Laundry instructions are given on the label as "Wash with similar colors. Do not use fabric softener" along with the common care laundry symbols.
As an aside, personally, I find said symbols (which are increasingly appearing on garments in lieu of written directions) to be entirely non-intuitive. Decoded, they state that this shirt should be washed in warm water, should not be bleached, should be line-dried and not dry-cleaned or ironed. In fact, I generally tumble-dry on a low setting and have noted no harm to the garment through many washes. The instructions are repeated on the tag in French and Japanese.
The simple crew neck is elasticized and slightly ribbed. The manufacturer's neck label is printed directly on the fabric, and so does not chafe. The length of the shirt (hanging unstretched without load) is approximately 24 in (61 cm). The lower hem is turned over and is secured with two lines of stitching, as are the sleeve-ends. Capilene is generally a somewhat stretchy fabric and the length when tucked into pants is probably ten percent longer, as an approximation. The shirt is also designed to be worn loose if preferred.
Field Use
Silkweight Capilene "breathes" well, and I have experienced no significant issues with the transport of moisture away from the body. In addition, the shirt is pleasant to wear on warm and cool days alike, and works well as a base layer on a through-hike along with other clothing. The fabric dries quickly and insulates well while wet, like most synthetics. However, as wear for long-distance hiking it suffers one drawback. After one to two days of wear, it develops a powerful odor, the classic "polyester pong."
This is not unique to Capilene, although for some reason this fabric seems in my experience to be more vulnerable to this problem. It's due, I believe, to microbial action on the proteins exuded as a component in sweat – the interstices of fabric appear to give the bacteria a perfect breeding ground. I don't generally change clothes a lot on long hikes, as I aim to carry as little weight as possible, and extra clothing can easily add several pounds to a load.
I had arranged a couple of food and clothing drops on the Northville-Placid, which was fortunate. I don't mind a certain level of odor, but after three days the odor became something more akin to stench, mildly offensive even to my nostrils. Fortunately, I had arranged extra shirts at the drops, and also rinsed one Capilene shirt (without soap, necessarily) in a stream, which gave me an extra day of leeway when it was needed.
This was not by any means a major issue, but it has given me serious pause about using Capilene as a main layer, especially on warm-weather expeditions. I knew of the odor problem beforehand, but had decided to put up with it. Now that I am aware of an alternative, I have gradually switched to merino wool for multi-day backpacks, though I continue to use Capilene and other synthetics for day-hikes or shorter expeditions.
Summary
Likes:
- Light weight
- Good moisture wicking
- Pleasant against the skin
- Well-made
- Comfortable over a wide temperature range
Dislikes
Reviewer Background
I enjoy walking in all its manifold forms, from a simple stroll in the woods to multi-day backpack excursions. Though by no means an extreme ultralight enthusiast, from spring to fall my preference is to carry a packweight of 12 lb (5.5 kg), more or less. In recent years, I've rapidly moved to a philosophy of "lighter is better," within the constraints of budget and common sense.
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