Trail clothing is a touchy subject with a lot of outdoors people. There are many styles: Tech Girl, who looks like she’s ready for a sci-fi adventure; Beater Man, who you may correctly assume has been sporting the same kit since the date had a “19” preceding it; The Ninja, decked out in a single color scheme for maximum stealthiness…the list goes on and on. I myself am a Dualist Donny: I want to be able to hit the bar in the same gear I just scaled the Twins in. Sierra Designs apparently feels the same, and their summer lineup of hiking clothes not only kicks butt on the trail, but allows you to rest that same butt in your favorite dive without looking like some kook fresh off of Everest. Here’s a breakdown of the Short Sleeve Pack Polo shirt and DriCanvas Short.
Sierra Designs DriCanvas Short: Canvas in the outdoors? What is this, 1970? Not with DriCanvas. This is a cotton/poly blend that is treated to perform like a synthetic fabric. Sounds fancy, sure, but the cool thing is that it works. I wore the DriCanvas shorts in every climate Utah has available, and wetness was not an issue. During scorching hot hikes in Moab and The Needles District, I worked up a good sweat. Sure, the DriCanvas shorts got damp, but they dried in just minutes on trailside breaks. Only after repeated splashing in Wasatch streams did the shorts finally give way and become saturated. I clocked the total time from soaked to passably dry at about 30 minutes, which is just fine in my book.
Style for miles is the name of the game. Hike all day and hit the club, gangsta, because these shorts are pretty smooth. Unlike the goofy cargos of yesterday, the DriCanvas shorts provide ample storage space without the fashion faux pas. Two internal back pockets with button closures, plus two thigh pockets (with hidden pockets inside!) can fit anything from your cell phone to a folded trail map with room to spare. I have used these shorts for everything from BBQs in town to serious backpacking missions, and they play both roles perfectly. The fabric is comfortable, and the fit is modern (unlike the aforementioned cargo shorts). One big flaw I encountered: one of the rear buttons ripped off after only two months of use! I expect better craftsmanship from a company like Sierra Designs…tighten that game up, guys.
The Verdict: DriCanvas shorts can go from couloir to corner bar with ease. Plenty of room for storage and they actually do stay dry. Watch out for questionable stitching on the rear buttons.
Sierra Designs Short Sleeve Pack Polo Shirt: Add a touch of style and performance to your recreating game. The Pack Polo (as you probably guessed) was designed with distance hiking in mind. The shirt features a slim fit with a dropped hem design, meaning it won’t ride up when you’ve got a bag on your back. I wore this polo on desert and mountain backpacking trips and was very pleased with the performance. Three buttons on the chest allow you to really open things up when it’s hot, and the air-permeable knit (a combination of polyester and bamboo) is helpful in keeping cool.
My favorite feature is the flip-up collar. First of all, it actually stays up, unlike others I have used in the past. I hate coming home with a sunburn on my neck, so the collar was a savior in my case. The other little bonus is a concealed zipper chest pocket that has legitimate storage space. I used it to store my sunglasses when the clouds came out, and other times it held my handkerchief or compass. My only complaint is that despite the use of bamboo fiber, this shirt can get to smelling pretty funky. Not a big deal in the forest, but it could salt up your game at the pub.
The Verdict: The Short Sleeve Pack Polo has a good fit, and a couple of nice bonus features that set it apart from other hiking shirt. Beware the dreaded synthetic funk.