Review: Karrimor Tech Checked Shirt S/S

Karrimor Tech Checked S/S Shirt

The Karrimor shirt is a much simpler affair, and the first obvious reflection of that is in the price. Although the RRP is about £35, it can usually be found for quite a bit less with a quick internet search (often in the teens of pounds). At 279g it’s quite a bit heavier than the Tumbleweed (and feels it when you pick it up) yet it is quite comfortable when worn. Manufacturers details are:

HERE

The material is a mix of 56% Nylon and 44% Polyester with a checked design and a slight seersucker texture that insects would struggle to bite through. It feels a little less flexible than the material used in the Tumbleweed, but it seems pretty robust and is comfortable to wear. To compensate for the heavier weight, added ventilation is provided by a mesh panel in the yoke and by small holes under the arms: a simple solution, but one that works quite well. To complete the package, there is an extra turn up to the collar to further protect against the sun, and a zipped chest pocket.

The two colours (blue and grey) are a bit more muted than the Jack Wolfskin shirt, which may not be a bad thing, as not everyone wants bright. In use, it resisted creases well, didn’t snag or deform after a full day under a rucksack, wicked moisture reasonably well, and proved neat and smelled sweet after a couple of days and nights on the trail.

More seasoned walkers may well go starry-eyed at the memory of the Karrimor of old, whilst the younger generation wonders what all the fuss is about. Without doubt, the brand does not represent the quality it once used to, but this is a fair effort at the price you will likely pay for it (please, don’t pay the RRP!). Although clearly not as sophisticated as the Tumbleweed in terms of performance or build, the Tech Checked shirt is a good option and worth a look if you are looking for a traditionally styled shirt on a tight budget.

Getting Shirty

Sooner or later the realisation hits: we are no longer as young as we used to be. It's hard to accept, but there we are. The slim, fit youth that used to fill these shoes has become lost, and the chances of bowling the Aussies out at Lord’s have diminished as the waistline has expanded.

All of which can lead to problems when searching for walking shirts. The trouble is that many of the available T-shirts are rather clingy or designed more as a baselayer (ie: close-fitting, and without any discernable style. Either way, it’s not very easy on the eye.

But despite the fact that I have grown older and wider over the years (and, in truth, I was never much of a Greyhound) I still need an element of performance from my walking shirts. Ideally they will wick moisture well, smell sweet after a day or several on the trail, be tough enough to wear all day under a rucksack and not snag or deform, wash easily and dry overnight, require no ironing, and look good enough to be presentable in the pub or restaurant at night.

Besides the technical aspects, I also prefer them to be reasonably flattering in cut and styled with a man of my age in mind: there’s nothing worse than a beer-bellied old man trying to carry off a young look with the mistaken idea he looks trendy (actually, that’s not true: tucking a slogan-ed T-shirt into jeans with a brown leather belt is a truly heinous fashion crime, and one that should be avoided at all costs).

Anyway, with all the above in mind, I have been trying out a number of different walking shirts to see how they measure up, most recently on our Camino trip. It’s a tough ask: can it be done?

The products are:

Jack Wolfskin Tumbleweed S/S (TUMBLEWEED)


Jack Wolfskin Tumbleweed S/S

 Karrimor Tech Checked Shirt S/S (KARRIMOR)

Karrimor Tech Checked Shirt S/S


Peter Storm Energy S/S Crew T-Shirt (ENERGY)

Peter Storm Energy S/S Crew T-Shirt