Smooth as Silk

I don't often post gear reviews. Probably because nobody has offered to let me try out gear without actually buying it. (Hint, hint.) But when I do pick up a new toy or bit of clothing, I like to share my opinion, so here I go...

There's an outdoor clothing maker here in NZ called Earth Sea Sky, who we like to support because they are the last local company still manufacturing their products in New Zealand, rather than getting them made at some sweatshop in China or Malaysia. Also, they make some nice stuff!

G practically has a whole outdoors wardrobe from them. I have a smaller collection, including my lightweight, breathable rain jacket, a mid-weight thermal top in sporty red and black, and a bright pink merino wool top. But my favourite products from their line are definitely the silk weight shirts.

I've checked out a few other silk weight products from other makers, but this is the only one that I've found that is actually as light, soft and, well, silky as silk itself. It's polyester, which means it wicks better than real silk, and for those of you who count every gram of weight, it's extremely light at 100 grams/square metre. You can throw and extra shirt in your pack and not even feel it!

I already owned a dark blue short-sleeve silkweight, and a paprika (the colour of the shirt pictured) long sleeve that G bought me as a lovely surprise. But today we went to the Earth Sea Sky clearance sale in Wellington, and I thought I'd check and see if I could add to my collection.

As one would expect at a clearance sale, there were slim pickings. Only two colours available - a light pink that looked a little odd (and wasn't available in my size anyway) and a rusty orange colour called "Sahara" of which there was a large selection. Obviously "Sahara" had not been a big hit, and they were trying to clear out the stocks. Despite the large number of shirts in that colour, there was only one in my size - another short sleeve. Surprisingly, the colour is not bad on me. So I picked up my bargain for the day.

So now I have three shirts in different colours. It may sound like overkill, but they are not only great for hiking, they're also very comfy for sleeping in, and they're awesome for travelling because they pack down to practically nothing!

Most of you who, sadly, do not live in New Zealand probably won't have the opportunity to buy from Earth Sea Sky (although a few retailers in Australia carry their stuff) but if you're ever passing through, do check it out!