Running Tops

Featured review by G00se

Outdoor Research’s Echo Hoodie is an ideal alternative to the grease and chemicals of sunscreen. Weighing in at 4 ounces, the Echo Hoodie provides SPF15 sun protection, with material that wicks sweat and keeps you comfortable when the sun is beating down on you. This hoodie and a ball cap completely negated my need to carry sunscreen (and bug spray) over the summer.

The Echo Hoodie became my go-to shirt for all outdoor activities this summer. I hiked in it—a lot. I ran in it. I rappelled into a cave in it. I mowed my yard and took a follow up nap on my deck in it. I even wore it on a winery tour for style and sun protection.  Balk Knob, Shawnee National Forest Rock Island State Park, Tennessee Cumberland Mountains, eastern Tennessee Initial Impressions Right out of the package, I was surprised by how light and thin the hoodie was. The shirt packed down to the size of a softball in my hand and only weighed 4 ounces.  The fit was just right.

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Featured review by Twig

A Purple Rain Adventure Dress is a nearly perfect hiking garment, especially for hot, muggy, and shaded conditions such as those found on the Appalachian Trail. I wore mine continuously for my AT thru-hike. I prized it for its supreme ventilation, simplicity, functionality, durability, comfort, and quick-drying materials. The side-pockets were perfect for carrying my phone, snacks, toiletries, and a myriad of other things. I never thought I'd find a more comfortable piece of clothing than a Purple Rain Adventure Skirt, but the dress design is my new favorite.

  The most classic of AT scenes atop McAfee Knob The Purple Rain Adventure Dress in Shenandoah National Park My Background & Experience with hiking skirts and dresses: In 2017, I began a series of adventures that would eventually lead to a career, of sorts, in thru-hiking. I started with several section hikes of the Appalachian Trail, as well as a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail. These were my first trails wearing a Purple Rain Adventure Skirt, for which I published a review of my very positive experiences at the time.  Southern Terminus of the CDT, in my favorite Purple Rain Adventure Skirt (worn on the PCT, CDT, and AZT)  and a merino T-shirt.

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Reviewed by Twig

The Trew Superlight NuYarn Wool Pocket T is an exemplary garment for layering or as a stand-alone summer T-shirt. It is one of the most comfortable and functional garments that I have ever worn. I am impressed by its continuous-wear abilities, which meet merino wool class performance, and may even exceed certain standards given the shirt’s lightweight and quick drying properties. The only problem it suffered from is some pilling in high-abrasion areas, which is common to merino wool fabrics. On my short-list of clothes that I would bring along for extended travel and/or a thru-hike, this shirt makes the trip, and that is the best endorsement I can give.

Product Description and Claims: The NuYarn Wool Pocket T is the layering equivalent of a smartphone—you didn’t know you needed one until you owned one, and now you can’t imagine the world without it. Our NuYarn Merino Wool has a smooth, silky surface, and is the quickest drying and toughest merino wool around.  38.9% LOFTIER, 25% WARMER, 35% STRETCHIER, 5x FASTER DRYING, 16% STRONGER FEATURES/SPECS 125 Superfine NuYarn Merino, 17.5 micron fine fibers 85% merino wool / 15% nylon Laminated stretch woven pocket Heat transfer interior labeling 4.9 oz.

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Reviewed by Mary Beth Skylis

The Showers Pass Basecamp Merino Hoodie is a terrific outdoor companion to anyone who values high-quality activewear made from natural fibers. The midweight, wool hoodie is great at moderating temperatures and resisting odors, while providing you with an eye-catching, cozy mid-layer. It's also a versatile piece for year-round performance—as a nighttime layer around a summer campfire, as a hiking layer in cool temps, or as part of a system of winter layers.

Showers Pass Basecamp Merino Hoodie If I could make every garment I own out of wool, I probably would. I love the material for its sustainability, efficiency, and general comfort. And the Showers Pass Basecamp Merino Hoodie is perfectly demonstrative of these points. Available in men's and women's sizes, the hoodie is made from 230 gsm, midweight merino wool, which is an environmentally, biodegradable fiber (although some dyes prevent previously biodegradable fibers from degrading). Plus, it’s one of the coziest garments that I own.

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Reviewed by LoneStranger

Wuru's Lightweight Hoodie brings their Nuyarn performance wool, a merino nylon blend, into a hooded base layer. Worn alone it has a UPF rating of 40, but is super comfortable paired with other layers in the cold. The hood provides bonus protection from bugs or snow. True four-season gear.

  . The Wuru Lightweight Hoodie is made with an eye for warmer weather use as a trail shirt, but when the chance came up to test it this winter I was eager to see how it did as a base layer. As you can see from the high rating and lack of Cons above, I think it did pretty darn well. Before we dig into the details on this shirt, let's take a little time to look into the company that makes it. The folks who founded the company are hikers and say it was on a trip to New Zealand that it all started.

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Reviewed by Daniel Oates

The Vargo Slag is a lightweight, short-sleeve tee which works well as an all-purpose shirt, though it does have a trim fit design. The biggest claim for this shirt is its TiFusion (fabric infused with Titanium) technology which allows the fabric to dry quickly and reduce that classic “trail stench.” I’ve found that the Slag meets my expectations of being quick drying and also smelling fresher longer than my other (both similar and different fabric types) shirts. If you’re active and prefer slim fit shirts, it’s hard to go wrong with the Vargo Slag.

Vargo's Slag short-sleeve shirt has piqued my interest in Vargo. The Slag is a lightweight shirt (though Vargo describes it as midweight) which I have been able to use for numerous activities from disc golf to trail running. The slim fit design makes it best for any type of  physical activity with high mobility, though the tighter fit may not suit all body types. The quick dry time and odor fighting fabric also makes it easy to choose the Slag when you need only one shirt for multiple days while at the same time being very durable.

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Reviewed by Jake W

The OR Astroman Sun Hoodie is an extremely lightweight, long sleeve, hooded shirt designed primarily as a sun layer for climbers. However, I believe this shirt has uses far beyond that—biking, exposed peaks, glacial travel, on the water/ paddling, travelling, and as a wind layer. The shirt boasts a UPF rating of 50+, full coverage hood, packs tiny, and weighs in at 6 ounces (no reason to leave it at home!). The thin fabric requires a little extra care around rough rocks, thorns, etc to ensure it lasts.

 *This review is for the Astroman Sun Hoodie (available in men's and women's), however Outdoor Research also makes an Astroman S/S Sun Shirt and an Astroman L/S Sun Shirt, both in men's and women's.*   As you can see the fit is quite boxy, not much tailoring, great for airflow.  FIT/ COMFORT The fit of the Astroman Sun Hoodie definitely airs (pun intended) on the boxy side. There is plenty of room underneath for air movement to keep the user cool. I've worn the hoodie both directly against the skin (it's uber soft) and with a thin merino tee, with a high level of comfort in both.

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Reviewed by Jake W

The Smartwool Merino 150 Pocket Tee is an active wear, base layer made up of 87% merino wool and 13% polyester. The high wool content maximizes one of nature's greatest insulator's ability to regulate temperature, ward off the multi-day stink, and manage moisture, while the polyester content adds durability and comfort. A lightweight wool tee allows for an endless amount of uses—from a thin sun shirt on hot summer days, to an excellent next to skin layer as part of a clothing system in winter. I've worn this from the trail, to the crag, to the pub, to the lake, to chasing the kids around the yard; it is really just that versatile. The fit is a little baggier than I would like, but that one constructive criticism is more than offset by the comfort, function, and versatility of this tee.

  First off, a disclaimer—I am an unabashed wool fan. It's amazing to me that man has made so many "revolutionary" fabrics designed to do, well...exactly what wool does. Mother Nature has shown us the exact fibre to be using for years. Our ancestors knew it, most experts that make a living outdoors know it, walk through the Scottish Highlands/Canadian North/Siberia, and see what their clothes are made off- natural materials.  Wool is, by nature, "scratchy" to some people. It has come a long way from the ragg wool of past, and high quality, low micron wool, like the kind used in this tee, are a lot softer.

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Reviewed by Jake W

The Montane Dart Zip-Neck is a long-sleeved synthetic shirt that is an ideal year-round base layer (a short-sleeved tee is also available). It wicks moisture away from the body very quickly, is exceptionally tailored, and protects the skin with a high UPF factor. If you’re looking to start your cold weather kit from skin out, I’d highly recommend it.

Long-sleeve Dart Zip Neck on the left, short-sleeve Dart T-Shirt, also reviewed, on the right FIT AND COMFORT The Dart fits exactly as I would design an active base layer to fit. Slim, without being restrictive, and with a little extra length in the hem. I am 6 foot, 170 lbs and the size large fits perfectly. This is one of the main selling points to me, compared to a cheaper competitor's synthetic shirt. There is no extra baggy fabric around the stomach/chest/arms to bunch up and the extra length keeps it tucked in under a waist belt or harness.

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Reviewed by PhilNC

Patagonia's Capilene Cool Trail Shirt is a great T-shirt for backpacking, hiking, and running in warmer seasons, and even in shoulder seasons for folks with a high metabolism. It is very comfortable, dries quickly, and doesn’t stink after a few days. In addition, this Patagonia Capilene fabric shirt is Fair Trade Certified and meets Bluesign sustainability criteria, and is now on the top of my T-shirt pile for hiking and other activities. The lightweight construction may wear faster than heavier t-shirts, and the trim fit means take care with the sizing.

I like to wear T-shirts most of the year until it really dips consistently below freezing. For me they are a good base layer top for everything but deep winter, as I generate heat really quickly and prefer only my torso to have full layers leaving the arms with less layers for additional venting. The Patagonia Capilene Cool Trail Shirt is now one of my go-to's after several months of use. Fit: The Patagonia sizing chart was quite accurate. They call this a "Regular" fit. Their Large size fit me (6'0"/183 cm, 170 lbs/77 kg) perfectly.

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