View Full Version : Patagonia shirts
Any opinions on the capilene shirts from Patagonia Are they as good as they say they are?
Flush2wice
07-08-2009, 00:30
They aren't worth $40 if that what your asking.
Flush2wice is right...but I love them anyway. Patagonia's stuff in general is high quality but overpriced. If you like 'em and have the disposable income to buy 'em, go ahead...you'll be pleased. On the other hand, long underwear brands varies more in price than performance in my (rather limited) experience. If you tend towards the gourmet brands, you might want to spend your dime on more interesting stuff. I will say that their claim of "natural odor resistance" is complete hogwash, but who really cares anyway.
Random note: if you buy brand name stuff for any reason (style or "coolness" or dubiosity regarding off-brands' quality) for the love of god don't buy it at retail prices. Arcteryx, Patagonia, and the rest can be had for significant discounts if you wait for the right time of year (usually January-February) and do your due diligence on the internet. While I don't have a trailname yet, it seems inevitable given my gear that I will be tagged as "Patagucci." What can I say? The stuff fits me like a glove and I don't feel ridiculous wearing it jogging around town, walking my dog in the rain, or shoveling snow. That being said, even I can say that I'd never buy it for anything more than 60% of the retail price.
On the other hand, long underwear brands varies more in price than performance in my (rather limited) experience.
Excuse me, "vary in price..."
Yeah, I'm the guy who corrects his own grammar on obscure internet sites. You got a problem with that?
excuse Me, "vary In Price..."
Yeah, I'm The Guy Who Corrects His Own Grammar On Obscure Internet Sites. You Got A Problem With That?
Naah, Forgita Bout It! :d
Jim Adams
07-08-2009, 09:12
I used to use nothing but TNF and Patagonia but since trying SmartWool, I will never go back. Yeah it's pricey but the performance difference in huge.
geek
Flush2wice is right...but I love them anyway. Patagonia's stuff in general is high quality but overpriced. If you like 'em and have the disposable income to buy 'em, go ahead...you'll be pleased. On the other hand, long underwear brands varies more in price than performance in my (rather limited) experience. If you tend towards the gourmet brands, you might want to spend your dime on more interesting stuff. I will say that their claim of "natural odor resistance" is complete hogwash, but who really cares anyway.
Random note: if you buy brand name stuff for any reason (style or "coolness" or dubiosity regarding off-brands' quality) for the love of god don't buy it at retail prices. Arcteryx, Patagonia, and the rest can be had for significant discounts if you wait for the right time of year (usually January-February) and do your due diligence on the internet. While I don't have a trailname yet, it seems inevitable given my gear that I will be tagged as "Patagucci." What can I say? The stuff fits me like a glove and I don't feel ridiculous wearing it jogging around town, walking my dog in the rain, or shoveling snow. That being said, even I can say that I'd never buy it for anything more than 60% of the retail price.
I too buy pata"gucci" because of the same reasons It does fit very well and you have to admit the stuff looks very nice. Many times I have come in from fishing or hiking and have gone right to dinner with my wife and kids and not changed my clothes. I do take off my patagucci waders before heading to dinner though. lol. It is over priced. But then I have have learned if you want something to last and it is nice stuff you are going to have to pay for it. I got tired of buying junky crap and replacing it in a couple of months. I was spending more money replacing the stuff. If I would have just bought nice stuff to begin with I would have saved money. I learned that when buying snowboarding equipment very quickly.
bigcranky
07-08-2009, 09:20
Patagucci is nice stuff. For synthetics, their Capilene is really good. Definitely look for it on sale (the Patagonia web site has a clearance page.)
But I agree with Jim, once I tried merino wool, I stopped wearing synthetics. I like Icebreaker and Ibex, but Smartwool is good too.
chknfngrs
07-08-2009, 10:12
you should try Patagonia and decide for yourself. Expensive, yes. But durable. You could certainly 23-Skidoo yourself a pair of long-johns for a fraction of the price but you'll wear out of them faster. . .
Blissful
07-08-2009, 10:12
Capilene is good, but agree, look for sales. I've seen them on sale at outfitters quite a bit.
leeki pole
07-08-2009, 10:39
Yep, I bought a Capilene undershirt at a clearance at an outfitter for ten bucks. Sweet, but my daughter stole it from me. Haven't seen it since.
I have a light-weight capilene T that I wore every day that looks almost as new as the day I started my thru. Damn fine gear; it's worth the money.
-Hare
I have a cap 1 short sleeve and a cap 2 long sleeve and love them both! I want to purchase a Patagonia R1 pullover next!
skinewmexico
07-13-2009, 00:07
No. Not even at their Pro Form prices.
middle to middle
07-13-2009, 13:23
I am a biker also. Nothing like it in the wind. Or when you are living wet for extended periods. Patagonia fits right is great in extenuating circumstances and it does keep you dry. Warm and dry and evaporats sweat well. I like it a lot but have not tried anything else lately. Of course Gortex is great too.
River Runner
07-13-2009, 21:56
Patagonia is top quality. If you want clothing that will feel great & last well, it 's hard to beat them. I also like the fact that they try to reduce impacts with the materials they use.
I really prefer wool. Patagonia wool is nice, and so is Icebreaker and Ibex. Smartwool seems to run a lot of different qualities - I have a really nice pair of mid-weight smartwool long johns that I like very well, and a light weight zip top that I don't care much for.
Just got my R1 in the other day and love it! It fits super good, layers with the rest of of Patagonia great, and feels like it would be well enough for cold weather! I cant wait to get out there ad use it, now if the temp would just drop.......
And i got my r1 on sale from mountaingear.com so that made it even that much better!
I've been using the asics dri-wear stuff lately. Can't say how it will work in winter but I'll be trying it out.
Originally Posted by Petr:
If you tend towards the gourmet brands,
I think "toward" would have been a better word choice.
My Patagonia capilene shirt is the single best piece of gear/clothing I own. When I first bought it at NOC, I said to myself, "you are a sucker to pay $32 for this t-shirt". Little did I know that four thousand miles later, I would still be wearing that same shirt. They are everything you could want in a shirt, light, wicking, fast-drying and durable. Sometimes I think I get some super-secret trial shirt that wasn't supposed to go to market because it performs too well and won't need replacing every year.
I think you get the picture. Patagonia's capilene t-shirt is worth every penny you spend.
DuctTape
08-01-2009, 15:03
My Patagonia capilene shirt is the single best piece of gear/clothing I own. When I first bought it at NOC, I said to myself, "you are a sucker to pay $32 for this t-shirt". Little did I know that four thousand miles later, I would still be wearing that same shirt. They are everything you could want in a shirt, light, wicking, fast-drying and durable. Sometimes I think I get some super-secret trial shirt that wasn't supposed to go to market because it performs too well and won't need replacing every year.
I think you get the picture. Patagonia's capilene t-shirt is worth every penny you spend.
yellow?
I'm a fan of the synthetic athletic shirts theys always have at Target, etc. $10
I did have two $25 shirts from EMS that lasted eternities, though.
Yellow, indeed, Duct Tape, yellow, indeed. Still have it and will be wearing it on my Labor Day trek through the Whites.
Wise Old Owl
08-01-2009, 16:09
Hey folks,
Capilene is a proprietary name for a microfiber polyester, in four different weaves, this is exactly the same thing as Under Armor and many other products that are made overseas and relabeled with a recognizable brand name. Remember what Columbia did with Gortex? - made their own under a different brand of Omni Tech.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=49242
Please keep in mind you are buying a fashion label - Without that label I can find a similar lightweight shirt for about $8 .
Hmm, does it appear to be worth it now?:-?
Wise Old Owl
08-02-2009, 10:48
I hate it when I have the last post.......:D
I have a Patagonia tee shirt on right now. It feels comfy, wicks well, drys fast, holds its shape(if you wash it correctly), but there are other shirts made from polyester that are of comprable quality that are at or slightly below the same price. Patagonia does make a lot of well made gear and this shirt is no different. MAKE SURE WHEN YOU ARE COMPARING PRICES AGAINST PATAGONIA GEAR YOU ARE COMPARING LIKE QUALITY GEAR. Quite a few lower quality look alikes out in the gear market. I didn't pay the full retail price for this shirt - rarely do.
Smartwool micro wt., light wt, and mid wt. merino wool tops are my favorite tees though. Not exactly cheap, but They Rock. Micro wt. Smartwools aren't the most durable but they perform great in the widest range of conditions. Makes sense that the heavier light wt. and mid wt Smartwool tees are a bit more durable. I feel the same about some of the models of Smartwool socks. Some models are not the most durable socks I own(Durasock or Fox River takes that title), but nothing performs quite as well for me under the widest range of conditions as Smartwool socks. I also think that Smartwool is listening to customer feedback concerning their sock's durability because they have improved their socks durabilty a bit in the last 2 yrs. or have introduced newer models with better durability.
I also agree that if you seek a synthetic base layer EMS Bergalene is a great similar product in terms of quality and performance as Patagonias Capilene at less cost. EMS Bergalene just doesn't have the name recogonition as Patagonia Capilene. Works out for you in that you can keep more money in your pocket.
In my past experience, yours may be different, Under Armor is not on the same level as Patagonia Capilene or EMS Bergalene tops in terms of performance and construction methods. However, UA has some new lines that I'm not totally familar with. Omni Tech is not in the same league as GoreTex as far as waterproofness. Under Armor has done some agressive marketing though so they have brand recognition that EMS does not.
For a long sleeve mid layer, in various wts., Ice Breaker makes some of the warmest highest quality gear anywhere, but it's PRICEY. Still my IB stuff is GREAT. Synthetic mid layer would be a Patagonia Capilene 2 or 3 half zip.
Hmm, does it appear to be worth it now?:-?
Um, yes it does. I'm a generic buyer myself, so I appreciate your point, but I've had underarmor and it is nowhere near as comfortable to wear as Patagonia, not even close. It is scratchy and not as soft. And considering we are talking about a product that lasts so long, the $24 difference between Patagonia and a generic shirt doesn't make up for the comfort lost. Nor am I convinced that an $8 dollar shirt would last 4000 miles. It might, but I will be happy to plop down the extra dough for knoweldge that my Patagonia will.
Wise Old Owl
08-02-2009, 12:52
That's Ok but know you are more informed.
I have a few that I bought off of Steep and Cheap a while back. I would never have paid full price, I think the were around $20 each which is still kind of high to me, but they have held up very well. And the fit is accurate. Most shirts I buy never fit right. I'm either a med or large depending on brand. I would buy more if I found them at this price again.
Blue Sky II
01-30-2010, 10:22
My Patagonia capilene shirt is the single best piece of gear/clothing I own. When I first bought it at NOC, I said to myself, "you are a sucker to pay $32 for this t-shirt". Little did I know that four thousand miles later, I would still be wearing that same shirt. They are everything you could want in a shirt, light, wicking, fast-drying and durable. Sometimes I think I get some super-secret trial shirt that wasn't supposed to go to market because it performs too well and won't need replacing every year.
I think you get the picture. Patagonia's capilene t-shirt is worth every penny you spend.
For sure that the Capilene Silkweight shirts, now discontinued, wear like iron. For me they wear for thousands of miles, year after year and I've never had one insect bite through the tight silkweight weave. They also stop the wind dead! Silkweight capilene wasn't a "wicking" material, which seems to be so popular today. The thin Silkweight capilene was more like cotton and retained moisture, which some prefer in hot weather. The current Capilene 1 material appears to have the same weave, but with more stretch than silkweight. Bought a new Capilene 1 tee to try out this year. Hope it's half as good as the old silkweight tees.
I have several pieces of "Patagucchi" that I have used for several years, some have been with me since I started with Outward Bound back in 1986. They do hold up and generaly perform as advertised. So I guess you have to balance the cost with the durability.
In summary:
good, reliable products
overpriced - look for sales
other options are out there for cheaper prices
clothing comes down to personal preference
Feral Bill
12-19-2011, 15:55
I have some Patagonia long johns and I don't know where or how I got them.:eek: I also have a pair of Smartwool long johns I bought for myself. The woolies work better for me. Both are more than adequate.
I used to use nothing but TNF and Patagonia but since trying SmartWool, I will never go back. Yeah it's pricey but the performance difference in huge.
geek
Wool has the advantage in that it resists hiker funk a bit better, and can't melt in a hot clothes dryer. It may even wick better.
Strangely, polyester is used in tent flys and is said to resist absorbing water as readily as nylon.
Why, then, is polyester used in most "wicking" underwear, if wicking means absorbing moisture away from the skin?
My take on this is that water (in sweat, in this case) molecules are cohesive, and will attract other molecules away from the skin if the material that they are exposed to is the least bit absorptive. I think that the weave and texture of the polyester yarn is what gives the molecules something to hang onto, yet doesn't hang onto them so tightly that they cannot be evaporated into the surrounding air (unless the humidity is near 100%).
In contrast, cotton is an excellent wicking material, because it absorbs water and other liquids, but is a poor material for cold weather hiking in that it holds moisture and does not allow rapid evaporation into the air.
I have used polyester, wool, polypropylene, and cotton underwear, and, by far, the one which holds the least moisture is polypropylene, but I have the feeling that it binds body oils more readily than the others, making it the most prone to "hiker funk". Polyester holds more moisture, and isn't much better in the funk department. Wool holds more than polyester but less than cotton, and (probably because of the mechanical structure of wool), is somewhat warmer when wet than polyester, and it has the "anti-funk" advantage over both of the above.
Cotton is not a contender in cold weather because it's, well, like wearing a wet sponge once you sweat into it. It is very slow drying, which gives it an advantage in the summer when slow evaporation keeps you cool longer.
Is there a fabric expert in the house?
How much do yarn diameter, tightness of weave, and raw materials matter in wicking ability?
Fwiw: I find this manufacturer http://www.duofold.com/Mens/ to make products superior in durability to some no-name poly (ester and propylene) that I've bought on closeouts over the years. I have always shopped around and found better prices than you'll see on their website, though.
IMO ... Patagonia Capilene is the best baselayer, although expensive... shop for baragins at websites like Sierra Trading Post, you can find some good sales if patient. There are other baselayers out there that are plenty inexpensive compared to Patagonia. To be honest, I've started buying the Champion brand hiking shirts, baselayers and thermal layers at Target. They are often on sale and work just fine on the trail.
hikergurl
12-19-2011, 17:31
cap is nice stuff but reeks after awhile. It also drys very quickly (so you can wash, wring out until damp, and wear or hang dry in not very long). I say if you are going to be in damp or humid conditions, capilene works fine. Wool does resist body odor funk but it's not like you'll smell like roses either. Depending on the blend (100% vs. some wool-nylon) it won't dry as fast as capilene. I own both. My patagucci cap 2 tee has done some traveling in rough stuff but still looks new. I've only had merino for a season so I can't speak to its durability yet.
In my experience some the wally world and target brands do work fine for the trail, but I find they don't last very long, and I can't count on the same type of performance for multiple nights on the trail as I do with other brands (smartwool, patagonia, terramar)
I also use UA and Champion for summer hiking as they dry quick and you can get them for cheap at various locaations. But overall for staying warm and toasty, Patagonia gets my vote.
rocketsocks
12-20-2011, 19:53
Old Navy's Rec Tech tees wick great and 5 dollars on sale.But like other poly's they too stink.
Patagonia while expensive sells quality products. I purchased a nylon short sleeve paddling shirt about 20 years ago. Probably used in the ocean for surf kayaking 1000 times and it still is in good condition.I bought a couple of Cabelas brand synthetic shirts with a anti odor treatment that really works. I can wear them for a week (rinse in a stream every other day) and they dont smell. I think they set me back $12 each.
I'll be relying on Cap 3 and Some R1 bottoms this march. I'm a Fan of Patagonia for several different reasons. Their products have always been top quality. Their company practices are much more consciencious than the average in this industry and I'm not sure if anyones mentioned it but they have an IRONCLAD guarantee. I once returned a $175 hardshell I bought for $15 off a buddy who used his pro form dicount. He wore it for 3 years then I wore it for 2 years then a 1/2 in tear developed between the ply on the inside. I sent it back and I told them I didn't like the current comparable model so they upgraded me to a $300 shell for no additional charge. That and they always send me stickers. Yeah, its all about the stickers!
coach lou
01-09-2012, 21:20
I use my Patagonia capilene to hike and to Referee ice hockey. They breath and are never wet. I have many sets and weights. Some uppers are 5-6 years old. I have a few AA brand stuff, seams to leave my skin alittle clammy when really working hard.
Great to hear. I just bought my first Patagonia Capaline 3 on sale at REI for $30, regular $49. Can't wait for the planned 75 mile spring hike to use it.
BlackCloud
01-11-2012, 01:15
Excuse me, "vary in price..."
Yeah, I'm the guy who corrects his own grammar on obscure internet sites. You got a problem with that?
Good for you. I dislike our culture's dumbing-down of the English language, and I tire of being excoriated by my colleagues at work for using words with more than 2 syllables.
BonkATF09
02-28-2012, 00:35
I read nothing of the Gladiator Odor control when checking out this thread. Capilene shirts just don't smell horrid after sweating in them for days. I wore a similar lightweight mountain hardware shirt for two days and the smell of it sickened me. When you're a lightweight hiker (aka less being more,) then you want the best and most reliable gear. First simply splurge for a good T-shirt if your going to be wearing one everyday. I'm still using my capilene 1 SS and capilene 2 LS that I used for my section hike in 2009. Second, do your research by learning from others about gear (unless you want to learn from experience which is expensive.)
dornstar
04-06-2012, 17:24
I hate dishing out the cash for them, but everytime I put one on, I'm thankful. Great shirts.