Unless I’m going somewhere cold, one staple of my wardrobe is always a wrinkle-free, quick-dry short sleeve shirt with a collar that will look decent in multiple situations. This Geo Trek’r one from ExOfficio is a great choice. Think of it as the more stylish younger brother to the Air Strip Lite shirt, a staple of adventure travelers hitting every continent.

Every time I read a “backpacking around the world” article that mentions 90-liter backpacks, I cringe. There’s no way any casual traveler should be hauling that much gear on their back, especially when the wardrobe could have a few ExOfficio outfits that stuff tight and weigh next to nothing. Toss in some good travel shoes, travel underwear, a lightweight jacket, and gear that performs double duty and you should be well shy of 70 liters—even if you’ve loaded up with way too many gadgets.

Like most ExOfficio warm weather clothing, this Geo Trek’r shirt feels wispy light but is as strong as a space suit. It’s made of nylon, like most other travel shirts out there, but if you look closely you see reinforcement threads running in a checkerboard pattern within the fabric. Look at all the seams and you’ll see double-stitching on the main stress points.

Then there are all the little touches that make it more comfortable, like mesh webbing instead of solid fabric inside the breast pocket and the same mesh along the shoulders. This model doesn’t have the back vents to let out heat though, so if you want that go for the Air Strip Lite. This one is meant to say “I’m ready for a sundowner” instead of “Hand me a machete.”

I’ve worn and washed this shirt a dozen times now and it still looks like it just came off the hanger. Judging by how my other ExOfficio clothing has held up, it’ll still look good two years from now too.

The Geo Trek’r comes in five colors, but I personally prefer the bone color pictured at the bottom because it doesn’t show sweat stains as easily as the darker versions. There’s also a long-sleeve version. The short-sleeve one lists for $49, the long-sleeve one for $59. Less popular colors and sizes tend to go on sale regularly. See the links below to buy direct or check prices at Backcountry.

Geo Trek’r Shirt at ExOfficio.com

Search at Backcountry.com

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