Wild Country Lightweight Base Layer Top

A mediocre base layer that probably won't last long in the market, as it doesn't fit well.

I picked up this item on sale for $6 at Sierra Trading Post. I have not seen it sold elsewhere. I wore it nearly every day during the month of December, both indoors and outdoors. Had I paid the suggested retail price of $20, I would have felt this was a waste of money.

The shirt arrived in its own stuff sack. This struck me as a bit odd and unnecessary.

I appreciated the shirt's tagless design. Care for the garment is clearly printed and easy to fine. Both the bag and shirt use all capital letters to state the item is made in Vietnam.

Stitching and materials are decent—pretty much what I would expect from a lower-priced garment.

The sleeves were the first con I noticed with the shirt. They are non-fitted, hanging loosely at the wrist. The result of this is that pulling a shirt on over this base layer means fighting to keep the sleeves in place. It also prevents this wearer from pushing the sleeves up to make them ¾ length.

One positive is that I rarely find a shirt with long enough sleeves to come down to my wrists. Normally, if I don't buy a Large-Tall shirt, the sleeves are too short for me. This shirt reaches my wrists.

Wicking: I found this shirt to do a decent job at wicking moisture. Earlier today, I cut and split firewood in upper 30s and this shirt pulled the moisture as it was meant to.

Durability: As mentioned I wore it nearly every day during the month of December. Although I laundered it a few times, neither I (nor my wife who hates it when I test a shirt for smell) noticed an unpleasant odor. Even after my day of firewood, I stunk; the shirt didn't. It's held its shape through 5 washings.

Fit: The biggest con to this shirt is the fit. It feels fine when worn by itself or with a button-up shirt. However, every time I wore a pullover shirt, the left shoulder pulled uncomfortably. Adjusting the shirt never fully corrected the discomfort. This discomfort was magnified when wearing additional layers. It simply tugged through the shoulder and armpit.

Summation:

I would not recommend purchasing this shirt. I have bought polyester shirts from Walmart that fit better and were just as cheap. The fact that I am now wearing it to cut firewood means I've relegated this shirt to the "junkie work shirt" drawer and not the "outdoor gear" closet.