Cabela’s Mock T-Neck Review
October 26, 2011
The Good
- Zoned mapping of materials provided extra warmth in the core while maintaining wicking where needed under the arms and sides with a thinner version of Power Dry.
- Moisture wicking was excellent even in the waffle like pattern in the warmth areas.
- Close to skin fit providing a boost in wicking.
- Tight fit in the sleeves ends up reducing the propensity for fabric to bunch up.
- Thumb holes were a bonus but not necessary due to the snug fit.
The Bad
- Chest zipper would benefit from a slightly larger grab area as well as a longer pull.
- At first the shirt felt snug at the wrists, but with time I learned to like the fit.
- A bit more stretchiness might help.
This is a heavily mapped out piece that puts materials in strategic areas with an emphasis towards consistently ensuring a very warm core (particularly for the chest and back). The Cabela’s ECWS made for comfortable temperature management in the 32-44 degree ranges for a variety of sports. Bottom Line: A great piece for those days when it is too warm for heavyweight winter gear but too cold to wear your summer layers especially if you want to only grab one piece. Could also be worn mid-winter with other layers on top.
When I first tried the ECWS my first observation was how tight it was in the sleeves. With actual wear, the tightness eased some, and was also instrumental in keeping me warm, as well as in keeping the material from bunching up. I didn’t think the thumb holes were needed for fit, however, the added warmth across the palms was a bonus.
My first test for this garment was on a 38 degree morning in Park City where I rode uphill on my mountain bike for two hours with the Cabela’s ECWS being my only layer. The cooler than normal fall morning gave me a chill under the arms where the layers are thinner, but my core stayed comfortably warm because of the thicker fabric across the chest, back and forearms. As I continued to sweat during the uphill, my under arms warmed up, and I stayed dry as a result of the superior wicking.
This layer by itself handled the colder temperatures and aerobic sweating since both the high sweat fabric areas under the arms stayed dry and the heavier core areas, while a bit wetter, eventually wicked on the descent to keep me warm. In our moisture wicking test the core areas with the most fabric quickly wicked moisture through the waffle like pattern and dry times were excellent in comparison to others in the test group. In the lighter fabric under the arms and in the sleeves moisture spread out over a wide area making dry times faster.
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