Champion (C9) Clothing

[RainbowDash]

I was thinking of switching my merino shirts out for some C9s to save some money. Opinions? I've got to make up 630.72 cents (give or take) due to car troubles so my fancy gear list is looking a bit too fancy.

[Praha4]

most C9 clothing I've seen at Target is synthetic, not merino. Do they sell C9 merino? personally in colder weather hiking I prefer 150 wt. Icebreaker merino. Granted, Icebreaker stuff is not cheap. If you're on a budget, C9 is great. I don't see that much difference from the C9 lightweight shirts and Patagonia Capilene 1.

[RainbowDash]

most C9 clothing I've seen at Target is synthetic, not merino. Do they sell C9 merino? personally in colder weather hiking I prefer 150 wt. Icebreaker merino. Granted, Icebreaker stuff is not cheap. If you're on a budget, C9 is great. I don't see that much difference from the C9 lightweight shirts and Patagonia Capilene 1.

I'm leaving in May and flipping so cold won't be an issue for a while and will only be hiking in coldish weather for two months.

[RainbowDash]

http://www.hanes.com/webapp/wcs/stor...4001&langId=-1

It has merino in it but it's not totally merino. Way cheaper too!!!!

[Toolshed]

Been wearing C9 for the past 6-7 years now for hiking, daily gym work outs and general weekend wear. I think C9 is manufactured specifically for Target. I love the stuff for it's affordability and durability. I think it holds up a bit better than the Russell DriPower Wear at Walmart and much better Walmarts Starter line, even though prices are comparable.
I find after about 6 months of wear my Synth Walmart stuff (Russell/Starter) starts to get runs in the shirts and track pants. With the C9's It get runs or pulls but not until 2 or more years - In fact some of my C9 wear is over 5 years old and still going strong. I haven't had any odor issues with any of the clothing

[4shot]

I had some Target clothes on my thru hike. Can't remember if it's C9 or not. As long as it's not cotton, I don't pay attention to the details. The stuff worked well. Somewhere along the way I picked up a pair of gym shorts from a Dollar General (again, not cotton) that I still have. Most of my thru hike clothing got thrown away after the hike (and most of yours will too) as the stink becomes sort of ingrained. BTW, my long underwear base layers were from Wally World (still have them as I didn't wear them a lot)and my down puffy coat came from Land's End (for a whopping $50 on their Christmas sale). I still have it and it's awesome. In a nutshell, you can scrimp on clothing and be ok.

Now for tent, pack, sleeping bag and footwear...you get what you pay for and the better stuff IS worth the extra $. IMO.

[Mags]

In a nutshell, you can scrimp on clothing and be ok.

Now for tent, pack, sleeping bag and footwear...you get what you pay for and the better stuff IS worth the extra $. IMO.

Good summary as any I'v seen. I may have to steal that sentence as it is very succinct.

(As long as it is apples to apples; i.e. a cottage gear pack to a similar cottage gear pack from a different company.
(

I've been using C9 gear for year as well. In fact, I am wearing some C9 shorts as I type!

[saltysack]

Old navy has good pstagoochie imposters...very cheap when on sale!


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[BillyGr]

Most of my thru hike clothing got thrown away after the hike (and most of yours will too) as the stink becomes sort of ingrained.

http://www.swash.com/ - Just saw this in the local paper as a Laundromat in Hudson has installed one. Wonder if it would help with clothing odor issues from hiking use?

[hikeandbike5]

I was thinking of switching my merino shirts out for some C9s to save some money. Opinions? I've got to make up 630.72 cents (give or take) due to car troubles so my fancy gear list is looking a bit too fancy.

630.72 cents is only $6.30, six dollars and 30 some-odd cents..somethings fishy with this post.

[RainbowDash]

630.72 cents is only $6.30, six dollars and 30 some-odd cents..somethings fishy with this post.

Lol six hundred thirty dollars and seventy two cents.

[Another Kevin]

Does anyone remember Duo-Fold underwear from back in the day? Among other things, they were one of Edmund Hillary's sponsors, if memory serves. C9 is what Duo-Fold has become after a series of mergers and acquisitions. Champion acquired Duo-Fold, and Hanes acquired Champion, or some such. I've also seen what appear to be the same articles at a job lot store under the Duo-Fold brand. Except for the label, I can't tell them apart.

Of course, they're mostly (or all, depending on which you get) synthetic. I'm sometimes sensitive to wool, so I'd incline toward a synthetic baselayer anyway.

I've hiked in C9/Duo-Fold for some time, both with the winter baselayers and the summer boxer-briefs and T-shirts. I'm wearing a pair of C9 tights as I type this. (My top - I just looked - is Russell Athletic, and I don't recall having bought it. I'm surprised that it isn't C9.) I like my C9 gear better than the one Level 2 baselayer that I got from EMS. Bear in mind that I'm a clueless weekender, so I can't tell you how the stuff would stand up to the rigours of a long trek.

Bear in mind as well that I'm something of a dirtbagger - my gear looks like 'hiker trash' stuff. At the moment my favourite summer hiking shirt is a polyester golf shirt with a company logo on it, that some decorative lady¹ handed me at a vendor's booth at a convention. It's comfortable, and for some reason doesn't wind up looking nearly as tired as most of my hiking gear after a clueless weekend in the woods. Maybe it's the fact that it has a collar.



¹ I'd prefer to resist using the term, "booth babe." It's demeaning. But it was, alas, obvious that the lady in question was not selected to represent her company based on her deep knowledge of the product they were selling.

[bat_manatee]

I like C9 stuff, Shorts and synthetic shirts are comfortable and seem durable.

[jred321]

I've used C9 for running and gym wear. No real issues so far but one pair of shorts is starting to get pinholes in the butt. They do stink at this point but that is just a symptom of being synthetic

[Mags]

The target c9 golf pants also make great summer and early fall hiking pants. Get the free synthetic polo Kevin mentioned, you can be styling! . (seriously, $30 and works well)

[mister krabs]

C9 now has a wool blend, I was looking at them yesterday 88% poly, 12% wool, 16 bucks after 20% off. For some reason only the women's is listed online.

[Studlintsean]

I wear C9 also. I have the running shorts and I can assure you they stink worse than other shorts for some reason. I still wear them though.

[Dogwood]

http://www.hanes.com/webapp/wcs/stor...4001&langId=-1

It has merino in it but it's not totally merino. Way cheaper too!!!!

Champion is a line owned by Hanes. As far as I know, as an avid label reader, I've never not once seen Champion or Hanes clothing containing merino. They use cottons, and synthetics like nylon, polyester, spandex, etc and various compositions of those materials.

Before I got all fancy with my high priced Icebreaker, SmartWool, Ibex, Minus 33, Patagonia, GoLite, etc wool tops I hiked many times in 100% polyester Starter tees bought from places like Target and WalMart on clearance racks for as little as $4 a piece. I had some funky wild colors though. At those prices I never got my panties bunched up when they got pulls/runs or needed to be thrown away after a thru-hike.

Since you're hiking starting in May and the PRIMARY goal is to hike and you have pre-hike gear budget issues stay focused. Adjust as you must to thru-hike. You don't need the most expensive kit to hike. Don't always be lured into the high priced ooh aahhh look at my super duper we bit lighter gear frenzy. Everyone loves loves telling you about their gear. You're a hiker. Stay with that as your primary focus - NOT being a gear whore. As you fall in love with more hiking and do re mi becomes available and your gear knowledge base grows add some pieces when you see fit. It absolutely does help knowing how the differences in gear(fabrics, etc) might affect things though.

[Dogwood]

Be aware there are SOOO MANY ways to cut costs on gear too!. Lots of threads here on WB and elsewhere that help a hiker on a tight budget save money.

[Dogwood]

C9 now has a wool blend, I was looking at them yesterday 88% poly, 12% wool, 16 bucks after 20% off. For some reason only the women's is listed online.

Thanks for sharing that. That composition must be new. I've never seen them.