User Review: REI Men's Sahara Tech Long-Sleeve Shirt

Summary

Did the job, but there were a few drawbacks. Used this for a portion of my thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail in 2012.

Oh, if only I’d known before the trail what I know now, I’d have saved so much money.

Let me start off by saying that this is a really nice shirt. It’s lightweight, you can roll back the long sleeves and make it kind of a short sleeve, and it’s got the good standing of being an REI product. It’s pretty pricey though retailing right around $50, but I thought “hey, if I’m gonna wear one shirt for six months it might as well be a nice one.”  

After a week of wearing this without a hint of a shower of laundry, it starts building up pretty gnarly sweat salt lines around the shoulders and arms. That’s not a big deal, until you have to put it back on the next morning. I dreaded it every single day. It just feels…grimy. 

Honestly this is a really nice shirt, but it’s not worth it for a thru-hike. I actually got rid of it in Pearisburg, got it back in Hanover expecting to need it for warmth, but ditched it shortly thereafter because I just liked my other shirt option so much more.