The Great Outdoors – July 2019

Gear comparative review

82 The Great Outdoors July 2019

The North Face

Women’s Summit Series L1 Top

£100 218g (L)

effective odour control, zip and collar, length

static fabric affects fit, size and performance; slow to dry

Fabric: Thermolite (10 0% polyester, 203g /m²)
Sizes: XS-XL (men S-XL)
thenorthface.co.uk

The North Face polypropylene base layers rank among my all-time
favourites. For this test, we have a polyester layer, the newest version
of TNF’s L1 top. Using a hefty fabric weight (203g/m²), it has a jigsaw
of different zones and textures. Three knits on the back panel have
varying degrees of ventilation on the spine, the large muscles that
border it, and the sides. Shoulders and arms either side of the elbows
have a ribbed effect, while underarms offer the most airflow. The
backside of the arms... oh hell, I’ve lost track. I counted 24 ‘zones’ made
up of, I think, three different textures. This complexity must add to the
price, although I couldn’t discern a difference in performance except
that the heaviest, ribbed zones held moisture longer.
The bigger issue is that the fabric is effectively static. There is a
modicum of natural ‘give’ but the garment can not hug the body to
pick up sweat, or even move much with it. Which also meant that
I needed a size larger than normal, to avoid it feeling restrictive.
Impressively, it has been knitted as a single tube: the only seams
attach the arms around raglan shoulders, and form the collar. But
the very fine knit strips connecting all those zones appear to be quite
fragile, as the test garment shows a couple of small holes where the
fine strips have parted company. Features? Cuffs can’t be pushed up
the forearms due to the narrow cut and non-stretch fabric. The front
zip helps ventilation, and the low collar is perfect. This could work well
in cooler weather where the dense fabric would come into its own,
but I keep thinking I could buy two, or even three, of the other base
layers in this test for the same price.

Outdoor Research

Women's Echo LS Tee

£45 87g (M)

weight, fabric, shaping

nothing

Fabric: Airvent (10 0% polyester)

Sizes: X XS-XL (men S-X XL, £50, Echo Quarter Zip)

outdoorresearch.com

This sounds weird, and I probably should improve my social life,

but I actually look forward to wearing this tee. It is fly-away light: so

minimalist, in fact, that Outdoor Research has panelled the fabric

to ensure it has form, otherwise it’d probably dissolve. The fabric is

Airvent, 100% polyester knitted into tiny squares that, while in no

way perforated, still allow airflow; it kept me cool like no other base

layer I’ve worn. The relatively loose cut contributes to this, but it’s

not baggy, just with subtle shaping. Because of this it’s a little slow to

wick, since the fabric isn’t hugging the skin, but it dries exceptionally

quickly (in fact, hanging in the sun after washing it was bone-dry in five

minutes, a big plus for backpacking).

Front panel and two-part back panel are linked by side panelling

that includes a high-lift arm, albeit with a seam under the armpit. But

there’s ample room for movement, and all seams are flat. The raglan

sleeve design avoids shoulder seams where packs might rub, and

a deep self-fabric cuff has a flat seam around the wrist for shaping.

There’s plenty of length to tuck below a hipbelt. Oddly, the first few

times I wore it, Echo did get a bit smelly, but after a few washes the

odour control seemed to kick in and it would go for a couple of days

without being cheeky. Outdoor Research says: “ActiveFresh odour

control keeps material stink-free.” Crikey. Turns out “ActiveFresh

is a silver-salt -based biocide that prevents bacteria from growing

and creating odour. It offers durable freshness that lasts around

100 washes.” After that, you’re on your own. A good choice for hot

summer days; you know they’re coming...

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