Gear help from the women here...

Share your advice and personal experiences, post a gear review or ask any questions you may have pertaining to outdoor gear and equipment.
User avatar
balzaccom
Topix Addict
Posts: 2952
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:22 pm
Experience: N/A

Gear help from the women here...

Post by balzaccom »

My lovely wife loves to backpack with me....but she is struggling with getting her pack weight down. She loves her cotton t-shirts because they feel so good, but of course they weigh a ton.
Do any of you women on the board have a recommendation of a good hiking shirt?

REI safari? others?

thank you!
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
User avatar
ManOfTooManySports
Topix Regular
Posts: 142
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:58 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Gear help from the women here...

Post by ManOfTooManySports »

I'm not a woman, but I backpack with one. This year we converted to wool shirts. I like the Smartwool ones. Icebreakers are popular, too, but they fit some folks kind of oddly. Wool shirts are light, comfy and breathable; they dry quickly; and they don't get stinky (which is why the world is converting to them). Unless she easily gets cold, I would go with the lightest weight possible. Unfortunately, they're pricey.

Here are a couple of links:
http://www.smartwool.com/womens/w-s-nts ... ee-30.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.icebreaker.com/site/icebreak ... _lite.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I hope this helps!
User avatar
balzaccom
Topix Addict
Posts: 2952
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:22 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Gear help from the women here...

Post by balzaccom »

Not out of the balpark...but aren't they HOT? I mean, we hike in the Sierra in the summertime!
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
User avatar
AlmostThere
Topix Addict
Posts: 2724
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Gear help from the women here...

Post by AlmostThere »

I have a couple of Stoic wool short sleeve shirts I picked up on steep and cheap. Been wearing them all summer - I am extremely sensitive to heat and these are not hot shirts at all. Decreased hiker funk, great wicking quality, not itchy at all, and less than $25 apiece. Wouldn't trade 'em. Wish I could convince SAR to let me wear them instead of the horrid cotton blaze orange uniform shirt! Ugh. Awwwwful shirt. Hotter'n heck.
User avatar
Wandering Daisy
Topix Docent
Posts: 6641
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Fair Oaks CA (Sacramento area)
Contact:

Re: Gear help from the women here...

Post by Wandering Daisy »

I have a cotton T-shirt that I got at WalMart for $3. It is super thin- this seems to be the "style" nowadays. It is not going to last forever, but for the price, who cares? Good thing about it is that when I wash it, it dries very quickly- down side- it is so thin that mosquitoes can bite through it. I mainly use it as an undershirt - wash it every day so I have something clean to sleep in. This way I do not have to wash my long sleeve hiking shirt every day. When I wash it I really wring it out before hanging it out to dry. I have tried tons of expensive "sports" tops (Coolmax etc) and they all feel really hot to me- do not breath. I think cotton is OK for hiking as long as it is light.

My long sleeve sanded nyon shirt is from a fishing store. I find that hunting and fishing stores have women's shirts that are more functional, rather than stylish.

I also have a short sleeved thin silk undershirt that works well when it is a little cooler.
User avatar
Wandering Daisy
Topix Docent
Posts: 6641
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Fair Oaks CA (Sacramento area)
Contact:

Re: Gear help from the women here...

Post by Wandering Daisy »

PS- this cotton shirt weighs 3.5 ounces. And cotton also does not smell like synthetics- smell completely washes out after a washing. Takes 1-2 hours to dry-- even will dry if hung out at night in Sierra summer conditions.

I have several light wool long sleeve shirts too- but they do feel a bit itchy when I get hot.
User avatar
paula53
Topix Regular
Posts: 140
Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 2:31 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: carson city nv

Re: Gear help from the women here...

Post by paula53 »

REI has several styles and colors for backpacking ladies shirts. Polyester. Easy to wash/rinse and very quick drying. I have shirts that are pushing 10 years old that are in good condition. Wool blends are good also, but take more time to dry when wet.
User avatar
AlmostThere
Topix Addict
Posts: 2724
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Gear help from the women here...

Post by AlmostThere »

paula53 wrote:REI has several styles and colors for backpacking ladies shirts. Polyester. Easy to wash/rinse and very quick drying. I have shirts that are pushing 10 years old that are in good condition. Wool blends are good also, but take more time to dry when wet.
I have several of the REI shirts, short and long sleeve, in polyester. The only thing I hate about them is that eventually, one and all, they stink - no matter what I wash them in, I get them fresh-smelling and within an hour of putting it on and having my body heat warming it up, the shirt will smell like I've been backpacking in it for a week. Of course, not everyone wears these shirts every week for hiking like I tend to.

The wool shirts wash clean and smell good consistently with minimal funk even if I wear them for three days without taking them off.
User avatar
ManOfTooManySports
Topix Regular
Posts: 142
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:58 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Gear help from the women here...

Post by ManOfTooManySports »

For me, wool feels a bit warmer for the same weight than cotton or polyester, but not so much that you would overheat.

We used to use Win detergent for our workout clothes, which worked great. But it seems to no longer to be available (no matter that websites indicate). I've read that detergent plus OxiClean will do the trick. I'll have to try that, because I just had to throw away a whole bunch of stinky shirts and shorts. :puke: Yes, they were that bad.
User avatar
paula53
Topix Regular
Posts: 140
Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 2:31 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: carson city nv

Re: Gear help from the women here...

Post by paula53 »

I have always washed my clothes in the afternoon after a full day of backpacking. I use Dr. Bronners Castile Soap. Soap them up, scrub. Rince twice. I have never had the smell on my clothes that the others describe. I use polyp. shirts only in hot weather.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 41 guests