Australian Hiker

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Wilderness Wear Cumulo Merino Long Sleeved Tee Top Review

I have been wearing long sleeved tops on nearly all my hikes for the past 8 years and from what I see other hikers wearing on the trail I know that I’m in the minority; but for me its a no brainer. Between creepy crawlies such as Ticks and March Flies, and the impacts of the sun such as dehydration, sunburn, and skin cancer, it’s very rare to see me in a short sleeved top. I’m also a huge fan of merino as a fabric as it minimises odour when you wear the same top for anything up to a week at time between washes on long distance hikes and in the event you get wet it will still keep you warm.

Having worked outdoors for much of my life I have a reasonable tolerance for cold and as such I prefer my tops on the thinner side so was keen to try out the Wilderness Wear Cumulo Merino Long Sleeved Tee Top and I was very interested to see how it would perform and what better way to test it out than to wear it on a five week 1000km hike of the Bibbulmun Track. As usual lets get the negatives over first:

• The first is price. Being a garment made of high quality fine grade merino wool these garments are not cheap and at AUD $130 RRP the Wilderness Wear Cumulo Merino 150 Long Sleeved Tee Top isn’t the cheapest top you are going to find.
• The second negative, is the limited colour and while there was only one choice initially (Platinum) there is now a second colour (Tangerine). I’d still like to see a darker colour as an option.
• And finally I’m a fan of having a collar rather than a crew neck to prevent getting a sunburn neck.

Now to offset the negatives there is plenty to love about this long sleeved top so here goes. In trying this top on for the first time there were a number of very obvious advantages. Firstly the length of the body and the sleeves is very generous. I’m not overly tall at around 185cm but I have a real issue with sleeve and body length with many pieces of clothing that I try on. For many years I haven’t really had a choice with this and have just had to put up with my tops being on the short side and with it a reduced level of comfort. The other thing that also noticed on first wear was the softness and with it the comfort of the material. They use a high grade of merino wool in conjunction with a particular weaving process that just provides that soft feel.  Like many tops of this calibre they use a flat lock stitching that means you don’t feel the seams and this includes the underarm seam which is offset so that you don’t notice it.

Wilderness wear also promote the fact that they use Australian grown wool in their products, manufacture in Australia, and are also Australian owned. There garment packaging plays on this by promoting “200% Australian Made-Owned”. I do try to support Australian companies where I can but only if they provide a good product that has the features that I want. Wilderness wear does this in spades with this top.

I have been wearing this top for around 5 years now on both shorter and multi-day trips. It’s a great lightweight top and well worth considering as part of your layering system or as a standalone in warmer climates.

Wilderness Wear Cumulo 150 Long Sleeve Top Platinum colour

Mens Cumulo 150 Long Sleeve Tee Top Tangerine Colour

Tim in his first Wilderness Wear Cumulo Merino Long Sleeved Tee Top in Platinum colour

Wilderness Wear Cumulo Merino Long Sleeved Tee Top-side view. Note the generous length of the sleeves

Wilderness Wear Cumulo Merino Long Sleeved Tee Top rear view. This top is very generous in the body length so it doesn’t come untucked like many tops do which is great for those of us with a bit of extra height

Wilderness Wear Cumulo Merino Long Sleeved Tee Top. This image shows the underarm panel which is offset so ensure a comfortable fit under the arm

We Like

• Very light weight, soft  fabric which is great for use as a single layer in the heat or as a base layer in the cold
• Double sewn flat seams prevents chaffing and keeps this garment comfortable no matter how heavy the pack or how many layers you wear
• 100% Pure Australian Merio Wool nylon construction means this garment will remain relatively odour free and is very durable so it will last you for years
• Very breathable so you stay fairly dry even in hot conditions. The fabric also dries quickly if it does get wet
• Excellent length in both the body of the garment as well as the sleeves which is great for those of us with a bit of extra height
• Australian wool, Australian owned, Australian made

We Don't Like

• As with most high quality merino garments this top is not cheap. However the fit and comfort is excellent and being wool will last for years
• Limited but increasing colour range
• I’d like a collar to prevent sunburn

Best Uses

As a standalone layer is warmer weather or as a base layer in cold weather

Buy One

You can purchase the Wilderness Wear Cumulo 150 Long Sleeve Tee Top from Wilderness Wear

We may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $130.00 RRP

Other Versions

Wilderness Wear produces a large range of tops in both short and long sleeves, as well as thin to thick materials. Depending on your tolerance for cold and your layering system there is a garment to suit your needs

 

Disclaimer

This review was done with product provided by Wilderness Wear

Last updated

1/3/2024

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