Posts Tagged travel shirts
Craghoppers NosiLife Travel Shirt
Can any company put out a long-sleeve buttoned travel shirt at this point that’s any different from all the others already on the racks? Well this NosiLife one from Craghoppers is a noticeable improvement in some respects.
Like the Craghoppers travel pants I reviewed a while back, this shirt’s most-touted feature is its permanent insect repellent built into the fabric. Most clothing like this is guaranteed for 70 washes or so, which let’s face it is plenty for most people, but if you plan on wearing one around the world for a couple years, you could pass that point. With this shirt you don’t have to keep track or guess whether you’ve still got the extra protection against mosquitoes.
The “like the others, but more” attitude extends through all the other features as well. It’s got five pockets, including one with a zipper that you can see that goes from above the left chest pocket to below it, opening up a pocket big enough for a map or just giving you some extra venting through the mesh. Inside one of the flap pockets is a hidden zipper pocket that’s the right size for a passport. It has quality buttons, yes, but they’re also secured by a strong strip of nylon running the length of the shirt—not individual threads that will unravel. There’s mesh around the neck—a nice touch—and a reinforcement flap under the collar that keeps it looking better.
Otherwise it has everything you would expect in high-end adventure travel clothing: strong wicking fabric, loops for rolling up and securing the sleeves, quick-dry properties for sink washing, a hook on the back to hang it, and venting mesh around the shoulders. This shirt is as tough as any I’ve tried, but is still incredibly lightweight.
This Craghoppers travel shirt comes in six colors and as I write this it’s available for half the list price ($32 instead of $64) at the Craghoppers website, which is a screaming bargain. It holds its own against any of the competitors out there and has all the features you’ll need.
As with the pants I reviewed before, you’ll have a tough time finding this shirt elsewhere online in the U.S., so buy direct unless you’re in Europe and can get it from Amazon UK.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on December 28th, 2011
ExOfficio DryFly Flex Travel Shirt
This DryFly Flex shirt from ExOfficio is a great all-around travel shirt that converts from long sleeve to short and will deliver years of use for a good value price. It looks good too.
Anybody that’s been following this blog (or just following me around) knows I’m a big fan of ExOfficio clothing. There’s always at least two or three of their items in my bag no matter where I’m going. Despite that, most of those items still look brand new—even the ones I wore every week or two when I was living in Mexico for a year.
This DryFly one is another winner for travelers: lightweight, quick-drying, wrinkle-resistant, ventilated, and made well to hold up for the long term. For a bonus you get sun protection and wicking properties. This is one of those shirts you can cram into your bag and pull it out ready to go on the other end.
It looks dressy enough to be your “nice shirt” if you’re backpacking but need to look respectable for a restaurant splurge or border crossing. It uses snaps instead of buttons and I especially like how these snapa are hidden on the front of this one—it gives it cleaner lines. There are still the qualities you expect in an ExOfficio shirt though, like mesh shoulders inside, a zippered security pocket, and a snap/tab system for rolling up the sleeves.
The “flex” part of the name refers to the stretchy qualities this shirt has. There’s some give to it so you can use it on real adventure activities and feel comfortable when you’re moving around. And okay, if you’re not all that slender it will cut you a break.
This DryFly Flex shirt lists for $80 but is currently priced at around 40 dollars, which puts it in line with other brands’ shirts that aren’t as well-made. Usually when the price drops to this level it means they’re cleaning out inventory, so go grab one now if you like the look of this shirt.
There’s also a short-sleeve version of this and a women’s version with a curvier cut. Follow this link below to check out all the options and see what else is discounted:
Free Shipping On Orders Over $75
See other reviews of ExOfficio travel clothing.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on October 20th, 2011
Insect Blocker Shirts From Columbia Sportswear
Whether you’re camping in a national park, on safari in Africa, or backpacking around Southeast Asia, the common denominator nuisance is probably going to be mosquitoes. In some places they’ll just leave itchy welts and annoy the crap out of you at dusk. In some parts of the world, however, they can turn your vacation into your first experience with malaria or dengue fever. Not fun.
It’s like a war on terror though trying to prevent these bites, with multiple levels of defense and no margin of error. One good weapon to have in that arsenal is treated clothing that repels mozzies. You can buy a can of what you need to spray on whatever clothing you have, but I’m a big fan of travel clothing that has the stuff baked in already, like this Bug Shield shirt from Columbia with Insect Blocker.
Insect Blocker is something the mosquitoes can smell and they don’t like it one bit. (For good measure, it also keeps away gnats, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers, and midges.) For us humans, however, the shirt just smells like a shirt. Or like smelly you after a few days in it.
This feels, smells, and wears just like your standard hi-tech travel shirt, but with added protection when you need it. It’s got the wicking nylon that dries quickly, a bit a stretch so you can move around easily, and UPF 40 sunblock protection. It’s got that feature that can be useful during the day when there’s no mosquito threat: sleeves that roll up and button. There’s a mesh panel behind the shoulder and some venting under each arm to let the air circulate. The Velcro pocket has another secret zipper pocket inside where you can covertly stash some cash.
But won’t the treatment wear out? Well, as with other insect-blocking items we’ve reviewed here, it will eventually. But we’re talking 70 washings before that happens. So unless you’re a tour guide naturalist or you make it a habit to go hiking at dusk each day, there’s a good chance you’ll never get to that point.
Like I said, this is a weapon, not a total solution, so remember the whole system: cover your skin (especially ankles), avoid black, use a net or coils when needed, and—the most important thing—use good insect repellent. Here’s Pam’s review of the Ultrathon version.
There’s nothing really groundbreaking or unusual about this Columbia Bug Shield shirt—it’s a follower rather than a leader. But it comes in five sizes and six colors. They also make a women’s version, a crew version, toddler crew, and pants. You can get it online at Columbia.com for the $80 list price or sit tight and wait until it goes on sale after the mosquitoes go into hiding. Or check prices at these online retailers:
Columbia Bug Shield Shirt at Backcountry.com
Columbia Men’s Bug Shield Shirt at Altrec
* Get Free Shipping No Minimum at Columbia.com with promo code F11FREESHIP!
See more of our travel clothing reviews
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on September 8th, 2011
Friends of the Reef Beach Clothing for Men
We review a lot of double-duty travel gear for multiple conditions and climates, but hey, sometimes you just need to pack some beach clothes and that’s it. Next time you’re heading to the Caribbean Coast of Mexico, check into a store carrying the Mexican-made Friends of the Reef line. You’ll find some excellent travel clothing for warm climates. Lightweight, comfy, and good-looking—what else do you need for toes-in-the-sand time?
I’ve been wearing around two items of theirs that will be staples when I’m packing for hot weather. The first one is this pair of Basic Nylon Beach Pants. They’re unisex, with a drawstring at the top and ample pockets, available in four colors. The pants have two nifty features I like. First, that little button you see on the side is for when it’s time to take a walk in the surf without changing into a bathing suit. You just roll them up, button them in place with the tab, and you’re all set for a romantic stroll on the beach. You’ll look like you hopped straight out of a resort brochure.
The other nice touch is that these come with their own little pouch for packing. Despite all the travel pants I’ve reviewed, this was a first for me and I liked it. It make these easier to pack and easier to locate in my bag. Since the pants are made out of wrinkle-resistant nylon, they still looked fine when I took them out and put them on. These Basic Nylon Pants have a retail price of $35.
Going with these perfectly well is the Basic Nylon Beach Shirt, which is equally lightweight. It has venting like you see on the back shot, with mesh underneath for extra circulation. Two pockets are secured with Velcro. Be advised this shirt is sized really large though: the “small” is for a 46-inch chest, so I went with that and it’s still more than roomy. Apart from that, my only beef is that whoever sewed the buttonholes had a few too many Coronas the night before. They weren’t finished well and have frayed from the start. Not worth getting too bothered about as they still open and close fine, but check the buttonholes first if buying one of these in person. Hopefully my seamstress was just having a bad day.
Otherwise, this shirt feels more expensive than its $37 list price and it’s great for travel: fast-drying, wicking, and weighing next to nothing. It comes in five colors, including white.
Follow this link for where to find Friends of the Reef wear in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, or order online at their website. Stay tuned for a review of some of their items for women in a few weeks.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on June 1st, 2011
ExO Dri Long-sleeve Travel Shirt is a Keeper
We’re big fans of packing light here at Practical Travel Gear, which means taking clothing that can work in multiple situations and climates. I’ve taken this ExO Dri 1/4-zip shirt from ExOfficio pretty much every time I’ve packed a bag in the last four months, so it’s definitely a keeper.
This is one of those do-it-all travel shirts that more than pulls its weight—and it only weighs a few ounces. First, the features: quick-drying, odor resistant, wicking, sun-protecting, and very wrinkle-resistant. So it doesn’t get stinky when you’ve worn it for three days, but when you finally get around to washing it in a sink it’ll be dry in a few hours. When I work up a sweat in this ExO Dri shirt, it’s gone in jiffy after I cool off. (If you care about the specs, it’s treated with dri release and FreshGuard.)
None of that matters if it’s not comfortable, but fortunately this shirt feels great. It’s not clingy and it feels as soft as cotton. After about 30 washings, it feels the same as it did when I got it and hasn’t lost any color.
There are three colors of this on the ExOfficio site, but oddly enough not the one I have in Jade Green. That color is on sale at Backcountry though. This long-sleeve shirt lists for $48, but it’s on sale right now for almost a third less as we head into warmer weather.
Get this great ExO Dri 1/4 Zip Shirt direct from ExOfficio or check prices at Backcountry.com
Posted by Tim L. in Travel Light on April 27th, 2011
