Friday
Feb152008
February 15, 2008 Overweight undershirts
I just picked up a six-pack of premium 100% cotton undershirts for everyday wear and was struck by how heavy they were. The six of them weighted two pounds. No wonder I carry only two or three poly/nylon quick-dry undershirts when I travel. Two pounds would amount to about one-fifth of my normal load for a trip of up to 10 days. Two synthetic shirts (which can be laundered in the sink every night or so) weigh eight ounces or less. It’s not just pants and shirts - which you can often wear two or more times without washing - that weigh a suitcase down. Carrying a daily change of cotton underclothing may make you fill good all under but may be hard on your back or shoulder. Think synthetic. But be choosy: the worst of the poly/nylon undies can be brutally uncomfortable. The good ones are a delight.
Reader Comments (13)
Will you recommend something specific?
The best value is probably the Champion C9 line which can be found at Target. There are a variety of cuts and styles and most of the ones I've tried are fine. You can certainly pay more. Look for softness and a neck that won't wear you out. The anti-microbial fabrics do work, but for wash-as-you-go travel you can try my Stinkfighter laundry formula (just search this blog for "stinkfighter") which will make any synthetic odor-resistant.
I'll check it out, thanks! For synthetic fabric in underwear, check out Calvin Klein's Pro Mesh line. A little pricey, but perform well.
I agree about the C9 stuff at Target. Often you can find them on the clearance racks with the orange price tags. Last week I tried one of their long sleeve t-shirts which did multiple duties as workout wear, layering piece, undershirt, and pajamas. It dries quite quickly.
Does anyone have any good experiences with modal fabric? I like the softness but so far it seems to dry the slowest by far of all the synthetics I have tried.
Last weekend I bought a pair of the Under Armor boxers, so I will see how they work. They were a bit pricey, around $20.
One of the long-sleeve C9's was indispensable on my recent cold-weather trip. And they are quite versatile.
Another one that I like is the Patagonia boxers (the rather blousy square cut types, not the boxer briefs). I found a pair with Wahines a couple of years ago at my local Orvis store for less than $20. Also, if you are an XL and have an REI store near to you they often have them for $15. Quick drying and light weight, not too scratchy.
Also, I really like the t-shirts from Ex Officio that are soft like cotton. These are very different from their other fabric which reminds me of those crinkly old stowable windbreakers with a map of the world on them (yuck!). Anyway, you can find these for about $12 at Sierra Trading Post and they dry quickly, do not stretch out, are good multitaskers, and I like that the neck band does not get all stretched out.
Max, is the Ex Officio shirt you like the ExO Dri type? I didn't see any at Sierra Trading. Ex Officio also has BuzzOff and TofuTech (what a name...) fabric shirts.
John, it has been a couple of months since I got mine so Sierra might be sold out. I will check which one I have when I get home tonight and see if I can't find a link for you.
Here is the shirt that I like:
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,18752_Ex-Officio-eXo-Dri-Shirt-Short-Sleeve-For-Men.html
I think it is in fact the exo-Dri. It looks like the price has been hiked a little bit, but if you use one of the ubiquitous 20% off codes the price is around $18. Still not too bad. I really like these shirts.
Also, I went to Academy sports at lunch and scoped out the Under Armor t-shirts that are $20. I might try one but even the Small are still pretty baggy. I like the fit of the Ex Officio better.
Thanks for the tip about the Target C9 clothing. The Target athletic tee I bought several years ago (back when Nike Drifit first became popular) was itchy and a poor substitute. I'll give the C9 tees a look.
The knit version of the C9's (sold as undershirts - not as Under Armor athletic shirt clones) are by far the best. They're almost as soft as cotton and lack the plastic bag feel of some polys.
Hmm... my local Target had C9 undershirts, but they were 95% cotton/5% spandex, 2 per package. I bought it anyway since I needed a couple of regular undershirts. Are the ones you're talking about also in a package, or sold separately on hangers?
Jay - sorry for my delay in responding. Thhe Champion you describe would make a very comfortable everyday shirt but wouldn't be good for travel since it's mostly cotton - wouldn't dry fast enough. The C9's that are all synthetic are the ones we had in mind. Sorry for the confusion.