My 'great' hiking shirt has proved itself to be nothing of the sort!

[gunwharfman]

A few months ago I bought two Columbia hiking shirts and due to Covid-19 have not really had the chance to try them out properly. The other day I decided to wear one to go running in the sunshine. Big mistake! After about a mile my shirt was totally wet through with perspiration and did not wick away at all. The wet material then clung to my skin like glue, and of course, it then became cold perspiration, it was most uncomfortable.

I like the shirts, the colours and the cut but If I use one when hiking and I persire and I've got a rucksack on my back then that will be a problem.

I'm hoping that the wetness might be improved if I always make sure I wear a baselayer underneath. I'm going to test them out, today I will wear my Brynge string vest, tomorrow I'll wear bamboo, then merino and then synthetic. I hopefully will know more by Tuesday or Wednesday.

[emdaw]

Am sure you will know this already, but just in case, make sure you don't use fabric conditioner when washing your shirt as it creates a coating and stops wicking material from wicking.    Hope you find a solution.

[fernman]

And the material is....?

(You should find it on the wash care label.)

[gunwharfman]

I've just looked, it states Shell 100% nylon, Lining 100% polyester.

[gunwharfman]

I wore my Brynge string vest underneath my short today, a lot better, I think because the vest seperates the shirt material from my skin. The shirt still became wet but I didn't notice the cold as much as I and the shirt cooled down. What I don't know is, once the weight of my rucksack is pressing onto my back will I still feel that cold feeling up my back when I stop?

[Zizag]

Have a punt on a Decathalon
Kalenji  long sleeve running top for £5.99.

[fernman]

Nylon shell + polyester lining suggests to me it could be intended to be a bit of a windshirt, though I could be wrong.
Either way, it sounds a bit much to wear for running with temperatures in the low 20s that we've had in the south this week.

Re. your Brynge string vest and the cold feeling up your back when you stopped, a quick search immediately shows that the vest is 100% cotton. which as we all know (don't we?) is not good for a baselayer (or any other layer for that).

[gunwharfman]

No, my two Brynge 'string vests' are 100% polyproplene. They also make merino ones but I decided against that, I own enough so called wicking water absorbers. I like to wear my bamboo vests most of all but on a hike, they just take too long to dry after being washed. Merino baselayers make me itch, but I have already experimented with mine and have found that if I wear my Brynge under them they are just about OK. The problem with doing this of course that when it's hot (because of the Brynge string vest) I then get double hot myself, I'm sure the hiking shirts will be fine when the weather gets colder.

I'm just going to have to play around with combinations and find out which works best. The best description I can come up with about my shirt material is to imagiene putting a wet square of a black plastic dustbin bag against bare skin, thats what it feels like when wet with perspiration. Needless to say my hiking shirts are only used for running when I've run out (got behind in washing them) of all of my normal running tops.

When I'm running the Brynge is very good because I can also take my outer top off and my torso then dries very quickly especially when there's a breeze. But because its a 'string vest' I don't expose myself to the public, so I only do this when no one else is around.

[fernman]

No, my two Brynge 'string vests' are 100% polyproplene.

Sorry! 
I saw this in the header of the top item in my DuckDuckGo search results:
"Brynje String Vest/Singlet. Heavyweight. Net Cotton.Traditional style. Cotton net underwear The original Brynje 100% cotton net underwear"
and I didn't look any further.

[gunwharfman]

No problem, I shouldn't have just referred to it as a string vest, I didn't know what else to call it.

[Eyelet]

Let's face it - running in the sunshine is going to be a test for any garment. If you were running naked, you would be sweaty and would cool down through evaporative heat loss, so why would you expect that running in a synthetic shirt is going to rectify that?  Adding a further layer of insulation with a string vest vest underneath will make you even hotter, increase sweating and compound the problem, although the mesh will stop the shirt sticking to your back.


I hike hot, and therefore vary my combinations of base and mid-layers according to the conditions during the day. Thin silver-impregnated (Berghaus polyester teeshirt (short or long-sleeved depending on the expected heat and doesn't stink after several days use). If is going to be cooler, then a RAB merino-polyester mix (dries much quicker than plain merino) long-sleeved zip top baselayer. I will use a heavier weight version if it is colder still.


I then add a simple Montane windshirt over the top if I want some more warmth e.g. to cut the wind out, may be with a buff and or hat. If this is still not enough, then the windshirt is replaced with a RAB Alpine Vapour-Rise jacket (a brilliant piece of kit). For more warmth would change the jacket to a Norrona Alpha Raw fleece (almost a fleece version of mesh - fantastic wicking) and put the windshirt back on or the jacket. In winter conditions, I wear the much warmer RAB Guide Vapour-Rise jacket and trousers, usually with just a merino-polyester base layer underneath.


Every layer is breathable and without a membrane. I find windblock-type membrane fleece or soft shell garments much too limited in their suitable temperature range and don't use them any more. Hard shell garments only come out if it rains. Multiple thin layers in various combinations definitely work best for me.  The time garments take to dry after washing them is a good indicator of how quickly they will dry out on your skin after getting wet from sweat.


At times of course  I still sweat when wearing the lest possible insulation, its unavoidable, but at least my system allows it to dry out as quickly as possible.


Then there is the topic of rucksack designs to mitigate sweaty backs ... at least we have come a long way from the old plain canvas backed sacks!

 

[richardh1905]

... Thin silver-impregnated (Berghaus polyester teeshirt (short or long-sleeved depending on the expected heat and doesn't stink after several days use).

Interested in this - after a day and a night in the hills I do get a bit 'foxy' ! 

[BrionyB]

Merino wool is amazing in terms of staying fresh-smelling - I remember reading somewhere you can wear it for a month with no bad odour  ,  which sounds a bit much, but I find it’s fine for a few days! No good if you find it itchy, of course, and it might be too warm for running or hot weather walking.

[richardh1905]

Indeed - I have a long sleeved merino baselayer - but it is far too hot for me outwith winter!

[Eyelet]

Yes merino wool fibres are apparently very smooth and don’t trap bacteria which cause other base layers to smell. Comfy and warm but slow to dry when wet, hence a polyester/merino blend is a better choice. You can of course get merino tops in several different weights so can choose a lighter one like a tee shirt for use in the warmer seasons.


Polypropylene is great for wicking but really stinks after a couple of days active use. I remember using the old dark blue Helly Hansen tops in The Alps - good for clearing some space in a crowded mountain hut  .


Silver impregnated polyester doesn’t smell anywhere near so bad as PP as any bugs are killed by the silver ions and is stable to repeated washing. Berghaus call their silver treatment Argentium and is available in their Tech T range. RAB call their’s Polygiene. Silver ion impregnation was developed in the 1980’s for antiseptic wound dressings and the technology is used in the lining of my fridge! I have used a number of these tops over the last decade and they are excellent .