Mountain Khakis has a reputation of making great casual yet durable pants and shirts for years now, but this company from Jackson, Wyoming has recently made a big push into technical performance wear as well. The new Granite Creek shirt is one such item that should appeal to hikers, backpackers and fly fishermen alike with its outdoorsy, rugged looks and bells and whistles that keep users dry and comfortable. I got to wear the Granite Creek Long Sleeve for much of the summer months. So how is Mountain Khakis’s foray into tech gear? Read on:
The Mountain Khakis Granite Creek Long Sleeve is a really good-looking performance shirt that is breathable, has UV protection up to 50+ and moisture wicking abilities. Many companies say their shirts are appropriate for the outdoors as well as dinner that night, but the Granite Creek really means it. I never wore it at a local beer joint or sit-down restaurant, so I can’t speak to the shirt’s ability to attract the ladies, but I did take it out on multiple hikes and peak-bagging expeditions in the Wasatch.
I really like this shirt. The trend these days is for outdoor shirts to have ventilated backs, a collar high enough when flipped up to protect the neck from the sun, chest pockets for small item storage, adjustable snap cuffs, and hidden Napoleon zip pockets for security against thieves when used as a travel shirt. The Granite Creek has all this and more along with the aforementioned UVA-UVB 50+ sun protection, and water repellent abilities.
But more than anything, the Granite Creek is really comfortable, even for a long sleeve shirt when worn in the summer. On hikes when temps reached the upper 90s in the Salt Lake Valley, I took to the high country where 80s was the norm. While I still got hot and sweaty, the Granite Creek performed well considering conditions. Under the pack, the shirt got saturated with sweat stains, but the pack also prevented the mesh back vents from doing their jobs. However, once the pack came off after reaching my destination, the vents made the back of the shirt dry really fast, especially if there was any sort of wind. The sleeves roll up easily if you need your arms to cool off, and snap back into place when those pasty white twigs get too much sun. The seams never chafed under pack straps, and the button-down front was nice to unbutton to ventilate the chest when things got really hot.
While the material is a bit warm on really hot days, I felt the Mountain Khakis Granite Creek shirt was exactly what I was looking for in a do-it-all hiking/backpacking shirt. Spring and fall would be ideal months for this piece, and I plan on making it my go-to upper layer for cool weather outdoor trips.
The Granite Creek shirt is available in both men’s and women’s styles.
For more info, check them out at www.mountainkhakis.com