Why We Chose The Patagonia Capilene Cool: Quality fabric blend with right outdoor attributes
A lot of t-shirts for outdoor activity, especially those that are made from synthetic materials, can often look a little overly technical – they’ll look at home on the hill but a bit keen when, say, down the pub.
That isn’t the case with Patagonia’s Capilene Cool and that’s why we decided to give it some love by including it in our Outdoor 100 product guide for 2020/21.
Who Is The Patagonia Capilene Cool Lightweight For?
People who want a t-shirt that they can basically wear for virtually everything, from hiking, running and camping, to that job interview with a tech start-up in Shoreditch. It’s got that casual, relaxed look of a cotton t-shirt but then the functionality that you want for a day hike, weekend wild camp or full blown expedition.
Materials And Construction
The main fabric is a 100% recycled polyester that has a cotton-like look thanks to heathered interwoven yarns and cross-dyes made from another polyester that’s 50% recycled.
“It features an anti-odour system built in called HeiQ.”
As you can expect from a fully synthetic t, the fabric spreads out any moisture that it absorbs super thinly and this means it can be speedily drawn away by evaporation. In other words, it wicks away your sweat and dries nice and fast.
On top of that fast wicking ability, there’s also a good amount of UV protection, 50+ UPF in fact. Then there’s an anti-odour system built in called HeiQ. This treatment is very similar stuff to Polygiene; basically a silver chloride that helps to break down the nasty bacteria that forms when we sweat. It’s permanently embedded in the fabric and isn’t harmful to skin or to the environment.