First rule of the trail? Be prepared. Your time in the outdoors can and will bring you face to face with incredible contrasts of both temperature and environment. Just as choosing the wrong direction can lead you into trouble, picking the wrong gear can leave you ill-equipped and unprepared to face whatever surprises Mother Nature has in store.
Slightly stretchy, highly breathable and backed by the real world experience of Bear Grylls, the Bear Trek Long-Sleeved Shirt from Craghoppers is versatile enough to wear down to the crag in the morning, the office in the afternoon, and then local watering hole at night. Impressive right?
The Bear Grylls Line by Craghoppers…
Whether you’re scrambling up a vertical climb, planning a thru-hike of the John Muir Trail, or hiking into camp, your choice in clothing is your first line of defense against the elements. Since 1965, Craghoppers has been driving innovation in travel and outdoor clothing that is not only competent and comfortable, but prepared for anything. All of which makes the Craghoppers partnership with world renown adventure survivalist, Bear Grylls a perfect fit.
On Performance and Design…
From the first wear, it was obvious that the Bear Trek Long Sleeve Shirt is crafted with a level of meticulous detail which prove that this shirt wasn’t just made by well intentioned designers, but by people who crave the outdoors, and understand that an outdoors lifestyle requires a seamless blend of comfort and durability.
Early morning adventures in the Sierra always begin with a biting cold that leaves you wanting the extra warmth and protection of a long sleeve shirt. But as the sun peaks in the sky and the mercury climbs, you can find yourself quickly regretting that choice. It’s a dilemma we have faced time and again, one that is usually remedied by packing in extra layers of clothes. However, the lightweight nylon fabric of the Bear Trek shirt offered the best of both worlds.
The long sleeves offered protection from the elements in the cool of the morning. Then as the mercury rises, it was an easy task to roll up the sleeves and rely upon the ability of the shirt’s advanced fabric to breathe easy while it effectively wicked away moisture. Add in the SolarDry fabric that ensures a minimum sun protection of UPF40 and the Bear Trek Long Sleeve Shirt ensured we never left our comfort zone.
When it comes to fit, we’ve always found it interesting that clothing “inspired by the outdoors” can fail to actually keep pace with your active movements on the trail. When you’re focused on reaching for that next handhold, or careening down a gulch, you can do without the needless distraction of a shoulder seam tearing. Sliding through tight canyons and crossing creeks on fallen timber in the Santa Cruz Mountains, taught us all we needed to know about the legendary Craghoppers durability.
The nylon withstood the prodding and poking of life on the trail, while integrated stretch panels never restricted movement or left us questioning the structural integrity of the shirt. A vertical security zip pocket keeps essentials safe while two additional zippered chest pockets provide added ventilation. What we found most impressive was the unique extra secure nylon ribbon webbing on the buttons. It’s a feature that will leave you wondering why every shirt built for the outdoors hasn’t adopted them.
Bottom Line…
The Bear Grylls Trek Long Sleeve Shirt from Craghoppers features a thoughtful construction that will keep you comfortable while traveling from the desert to the tropics to alpine terrain. Simply put, it’s a shirt that doesn’t it’s job time and again without question, and without weighing you down or holding you back.
*Gumption Gear Review received the item featured in this review from Craghoppers at no cost and receives no monetary compensation for this or any related review. The item featured was provided solely in return for our honest views and opinions.