Rating: | 8.7 / 10 |
Durability | 1.7 / 2 |
Versatility | 1.6 / 2 |
Weight | 1.8 / 2 |
Comfort | 1.9 / 2 |
Value for Money | 1.7 / 2 |
It’s rare for me to wear a short sleeved top when hiking preferring long sleeved coverage that provides protection from the sun, creepy crawlies and scrub. Having said that I do like wearing short sleeves in the early part of the day when I am hiking close to home. In this I’m a rarity with hikers I see out bush tending to be short sleeve wearers all day.
I recently had the opportunity to test out the Wilderness Wear Men’s Merino Mid 195 Short Sleeve Crew Neck Top from the Australian company Wilderness Wear. This top is 100% merino wool and over the years I have come to love pure merino garments finding that they keep me warm, even if wet, smell less and feel comfortable on.
The stitching is flat locked and combined with the gusset panels, provides for a very comfortable garment. This top is a slim fit and comes in a huge range of sizes from XS to 6XL. As I tested this top I weighed 105 kg and wore an XL size as I’m fairly broad chested; it was a firm fit without being tight. The length of this top is also very good which often tends to be an issue with other tops and this tee is relatively lightweight as you would expect (size XL is only 187 grams).
Temperature wise I wore this top standalone on a 10° Celcius day and it was a tad on the warm side for me – I have spent most of my life outdoors so my tolerance to cold is relatively high. For the average hiker this top will keep your chest and core area very toasty and sometimes that’s all you need.
The Wilderness Wear Men’s Merino Mid 195 Short Sleeve Crew Neck Top only comes in one colour, black which for me is about the only negative of this garment. I would prefer a larger range of colours but don’t have an issue with black.
This top is priced at AUD$130 RRP which is comparable to similar merino hiking tops of this weight and is worth every cent; particularly when it supports Australian growers and manufacturers.
The Wilderness Wear Men’s Merino Mid 195 Short Sleeve Crew Neck Top washes up very well. In my house garments need to survive the clothes drier as well and yes, I put this tee in the drier (despite it being 100% wool and the guidance saying don’t!), and it handled the experience very well.
Wilderness Wear is an Australian company that has been producing technical outdoor clothing since 1989 at its base in Preston, Victoria. The team prides itself in its ‘exceptional and dynamic’ range of clothing. Wilderness Wear is also now putting a lot of effort into the environmentally friendliness of their products. The packing is cardboard, the display hook is metal, and the ‘plastic bag’ is a biodegradable material that decomposes so you can’t get to0 much better than that. They are also accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) which is a nice way of saying they look after their staff ensuring that all local workers, including outworkers, are paid appropriately, receive all their legal entitlements and work in safe conditions.
This top can be used as a base layer under warmer items or as a standalone top and from my perspective, I can see myself wearing this top during autumn, winter and early spring weather.
Wilderness Wear Men’s Merino Mid 195 Short Sleeve Crew Neck Top
Wilderness Wear Men’s Merino Mid 195 Short Sleeve Crew Neck Top – side view
Wilderness Wear Men’s Merino Mid 195 Short Sleeve Crew Neck Top – close up of material and flatlock stitching
Wilderness Wear Men’s Merino Mid 195 Short Sleeve Crew Neck Top – rear view and showing the generous length
Wilderness Wear Men’s Merino Mid 195 Short Sleeve Crew Neck Top showing close up of panel construction
Wilderness Wear packaging is environmentally friendly
As a standalone layer in warmer weather or as a base layer in your layering system
You can purchase the Wilderness Wear Men’s Merino Mid 195 Short Sleeve Crew Neck Top from Wilderness Wear
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AUD $130.00 RRP
Wilderness Wear also produces a large range of tops for women and men in both short and long sleeves, as well as light to heavy weight materials. Depending on your tolerance for cold and your layering system, there is a garment to suit your needs
This review was done with product provided by Wilderness Wear
24/11/2023