Bushwalk Australia

I spent some time trying to find a quick-drying moisture-wicking t-shirt for bushwalking. I was looking for just a loose-fitting plain-coloured shirt that I could wear as an extra layer below a button-up shirt in winter (Sydney) or just wear as a single layer in summer.

The ones I could find near home were generally too pricey. I was initially looking at the North Face Ruckus which is around $50 for one short-sleeve t-shirt. When a store does have a shirt that I think will suit, they are usually not in my size.

I then went down the e-bay route and was able to buy two moisture-wicking shirts via a US seller. The price including shipping for the two shirts was AUD $64.98. I thought this was reasonable value. The shirts are made by alo sport. You can see them on this page: http://www.alosport.com/mens-shirts-short-sleeve-and-sleeveless.html . It is the performance T, however the shirts I purchased must be a slighter older variant since the colour-choice is different and there is no logo on the front of the shirt. I bought 1 x black and 1 x slate-gray shirt. Even though the style/cut/stitching is identical, one is made in Vietnam and the other is made in the Philippines.

I'm interested to hear whether you can obtain similar plain performance t-shirts for around AUD $30 locally. I searched quite extensively but that yielded no suitable result.

Hey I like your smurf!

I collect them little things but havent come across that one yet?? must be rare. i have the hiking smurf thats sweating like mad, but thats something to keep an eye out for.

I have a few cheap T shirts made of ?polartec or something similar from Rays outdoors but havnt really noticed any differences with that, compared to polyester shirts or $200 wicker shirts since i prefer to hike in the cold and dont sweat much generally anyway.

ninjapuppet wrote:I have a few cheap T shirts made of ?polartec or something similar from Rays outdoors...

I've got three of these. "Outdoor Expedition" brand. It's not polartec but some other wicking polyester fabric ("Tek" something or other). They work quite well for me in most seasons, reasonable insulation and good sweat wicking in the heat, doesn't feel too cold when wet. I've paid as little as $5 for I think two of them at Rays during end of summer final clearance sales.

I also like Berghaus Tech Tees. They are usually a bit cheaper than other brands, maybe around $35 or $40 at PP. Less on sale.

Another option that may be worth a look is some of the cheap synthetic T shirts at Lowes for about $10. My son used to wear these bushwalking throughout summer, but I don't know how they'd be for insulation during cooler temps.

And if you don't mind some retail therapy it's often worth trawling the Kent St outdoor shops.

ninjapuppet wrote:Hey I like your smurf!

I collect them little things but havent come across that one yet?? must be rare. i have the hiking smurf thats sweating like mad, but thats something to keep an eye out for.

I found that one via e-bay and placed the order in the last couple of weeks. I'm yet to receive it since the seller is on holiday but it is apparently rare. For a small hiking-related collection I've also ordered the sweating one and an old '78 variant hiker one (with a flower in the hat - very retro). These last two in the last week.

johnw wrote:

ninjapuppet wrote:I also like Berghaus Tech Tees. They are usually a bit cheaper than other brands, maybe around $35 or $40 at PP. Less on sale.

Another option that may be worth a look is some of the cheap synthetic T shirts at Lowes for about $10. My son used to wear these bushwalking throughout summer, but I don't know how they'd be for insulation during cooler temps.

And if you don't mind some retail therapy it's often worth trawling the Kent St outdoor shops.

I might look into these other options. I'm planning to make a visit to Kent Street once I'm ready to buy some rainwear. Kent St is a bit out of my way. My old drizabone riding jacket will do for now.

I buy a lot of the Slazenger shirts from Big W, they are a knock off of CoolMax. You have to get a specific type though - they are collarless, have a silver "COOL TECH' label on the left back hip, the mesh face fabric is on the inside and the outer side is smooth. My other choice is a TNF vapor wick, however I often pick up the slazengers for $10 - a lot cheaper option. The slazs have an orange and black label/hang tag, and an orange neck strip.

I tried the synthetic shirts from other shops, they just were too hot compared to the slazs. The slazs have flatlocked stitching, very comfy under other layers too.

As someone else mentioned, the Berhaus Tech Tees are a bit cheaper than others. I've got a couple, have been wearing them for years and they are very good.

I've tried some of the chain store brands. Some are ok, but some have very uncomfortable stitching etc so watch out for this sort of thing.

The shirts I bought seem to be quite comfortable. Once I try them out in the bush with a pack on I will let you know how they go. There have been some good pointers in this thread.

Has anybody tried these tees yet, they are only 10 bucks from wal-mart. I wear a Lg. in tee-shirts so i thought I would buy a Lg. in the tee and boy r they tight, r they supposed to be tight??? Does anyone know???

I wear these shirts in winter when cycling (beneath a Nike Fit Dry cycling jacket). They are quite effective and would be great for bushwalking.

My preferred apparel for bushwalking on hot days is a Columbia Titanium Omni-Dry t-shirt. I wear this beneath a moisture-wicking long-sleeve shirt. I was wearing this yesterday on a walk the followed Frasers Creek @ Winmalee. This was in sheltered rainforest, however a waterfall blocked our progress so we headed up the ridge to Yellow Rock lookout. It was around 30 degrees as we climbed the ridge. I had no problems with excessive sweat build-up. I also use a Deuter Air Contact daypack. This makes a big difference since there is a taunt mesh panel that leaves an air gap between the pack and my back.

The titanium shirt was purchased at an Anaconda sale back in April. You may pick up one online for a good price. U may have trouble finding a seller that will ship to Australia.

http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Mountain-Short-Sleeve-Shirt/dp/B003VWC39U

I've got a few MD long sleeve tops, I think they are 'Zuma' Long sleeve for sun protection - they work well and like most MD gear, buy on sale or closeout and you might pay half or less...

Mine are showing abrasion wear on the face of the shoulders from pack straps, but they have had a lot of use. Look smart enough to wear casually.