Ibex OD Henley L/S: Rock star looks paired with rock solid design

Every once in awhile a layer comes along that's so good, so amazingly comfortable, so exceptionally fashionable that it's hard to beat.  Ibex has reached this point several times in my mind.  Okay, I know this is where many of you think... "Of course you're going to say this, you get this stuff for free to test and blog about."  True, but I don't think in the year or so that I've been writing blogs about Ibex products have I ever worn one piece so much and thought so often... "this is my favorite shirt".  That statement rings 100% completely true with the OD Henley L/S.  This shirt has rock star looks and I've jammed air mandolin to many sweet bluegrass tunes while wearing this garment.  As if that's not enough to make me want this shirt it's also solid for layering on the trail, on the rock and on the set.  In fact, I've worn this shirt more while on set than I have out on the trail (I need to change that ratio of work to trail time...).  So lets dig deeper into this piece and talk about the specifics that make the OD Henley the shirt to top all long sleeves.  You get the same 18.5 micron merino wool that most Ibex products feature.  I've always thought the feel of this wool is soft and not itchy which has drawn me to Ibex's shirts and the reason I won't wear any synthetics.  This shirt has a thickness along the same lines of the Ibex staple, the Woolies 150, except it's a loose fitting shirt instead of a form fitting long sleeve.  At 150g this shirt actually has almost identical material specs to the 150 with the exception of being about one ounce heavier.  In terms of fit, I noticed the Henley ran a little on the spacious side for my liking.  If you're a person who likes a more slender fitting shirt, consider sizing down.  I wear a medium in most shirts and a small would have probably fit comfortably for me.  You can also try washing the shirt in warm water and running in a dryer to shrink it a little... but I don't want to condone machine drying wool because it could damage the shirt (there's my disclaimer).   

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Another thing that really makes this shirt spectacular are the seams.  Yes, the seams.  I love the way the seams on this shirt fall on my arms.  This is one of the strangest observations I've ever made about a garment, but it's noticeable in a good way.  Ibex has two seams running down each sleeve from the back of the shirt.  Continuing with my comparison to the Woolies 150, which has one seam, it feels natural when I shove my sleeves up and I don't feel like the shirt ever gets twisted and uncomfortable when I'm wearing it under several layers.  It's funny because the two Ibex garments, I own, that I notice the sleeves and really admire them are this piece and my Hooded Indie (another Ibex staple) which also sports the two seam sleeves.  Just the way the sleeves attach to the shirt make it super comfortable for lounging around camp at the end of a day of cold winter backpacking.

So here it is... a Wednesday afternoon and I'm sitting down writing this post.  Thinking back over the previous week; I've worn this shirt three of the past seven days.  It still smells pretty fresh considering the high intensity days I've put in this shirt.  This week it wasn't out in the woods... it was on set for a reality TV show.  Running a lot, in and out of vehicles, this shirt was my next-to-skin layer on cold days (17 degrees for the high last Wednesday).  I'm already prepping for my next backpacking trip over the New Year's holiday and this shirt will be in the pack.  I may do a combo hike in my Woolies 150 or 220 and throw this shirt on at camp or make this the only shirt that comes along.  I will say, there's one huge difference between this shirt and the Woolies line.  I'll wear this shirt out as a stand alone piece, I always layer my Woolies because I'm not into the skin tight look by itself.  With the more loose fitting look and the quarter button design this shirt looks magazine ready with jeans or chino khaki's.  The OD Henley is just classic, cool, laid back and timeless.  There's really no other way to put it than just a chill shirt.   

Ibex OD Solo Shirt: The everything shirt

In my line of work, finding a shirt that is both professional yet functional can be a bit of a challenge.  Now don't get me wrong, when I'm out on the trail the most important thing to me is how my shirt performs.  There are many Ibex shirts which fit the bill perfectly for my backpacking, climbing and other outdoor ventures.  However when I'm working, either on a photo shoot, while writing, researching and interviewing for an upcoming magazine article or on a video shoot I tend to want to look a little more presentable than my usual hot sweaty mess that happens on the trail.  It's those scenarios that I've found the OD Solo Shirt shines brightest.  In the short while I've had this piece it has worked hard on numerous video productions, city outings and in the backcountry.  This piece accompanied me on an 8-day road trip around northern California through Yosemite National Park, Lassen Volcanic and the Redwoods National Parks.  From the flight to dinner out in San Fran and even at camp this is quite the versatile garment.  So what makes this such a sought after piece in my bag?  

Same great wool... 
As always (and I wouldn't expect less from Ibex) you're getting the same great materials that go into all their wool garments.  The OD Solo Shirt is made of superfine 18.5 micron New Zealand Merino wool.  This shirt has 100% of the benefits of wool (no nasty smell, quick drying and insulating) and it feels like an awesome soft, cotton jersey.  That's obviously important when designing a summer garment as you'll often be sweating in it and the last thing you want next to your body when it's 90 with 75% humidity is an itchy, scratchy shirt.  I wore this shirt in the woods recently on a very humid day and was more than comfortable and cool because of it's breathability.  

Casual yet professional... 
I know not everyone has the luxury of wearing just whatever when going to the office.  For us creative, free spirited type folks we appreciate having something that looks both good and can be a work horse all at the same time.  I try to appear clean and together when Skyping with a client or sitting down for an interview for a magazine.  The OD Solo fits the part very well and has that stylish feel; keeping me from wearing a t-shirt or needing to change if I'm going to hop from a meeting onto something that requires a little more manual labor.  The shirt sports an over dyed fabric with a button down front (the buttons are metal, not plastic) and a regular fit.  This is such a great travel shirt and looks awesome with a worn-out pair of blue jeans, khakis or even my gray hiking pants.  Recently when in Cali, this was my go-to shirt on travel days when I was in and out of airports, on and off different flights.  

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Sometimes I travel light... other times not so much.  My three essential shirts along with a camera, notepad, writing utensils and my computer. 

A must have in my bag... 
Along the lines of what I said above, this shirt has been an awesome companion when on the road.  It gets packed on almost every trip along with an Ibex T and either a Woolies 150 or 220 Crew.  Between those three garments (and of course the essentials for the bottom half) I'm covered for pretty much any temperature I encounter during my summertime trips.  It's great to have this shirt on the ready if I go straight from the trail into town for dinner, to run errands or get a few essentials before heading back to camp.  I don't often hike in this shirt but on occasion I do hit up a fine eating establishment without a shower (gasp) and a quick wardrobe change at the trailhead and boom you can't tell I just spent two days out in nature... except for the dirt under my nails, my animal-like appetite and probably my hiking pants which I'm still rocking.  

This shirt has wrapped up for the season as Ibex released its fall/winter line this week.  However, Ibex also has a long sleeve version of the OD Solo which is awesome as the temps start to head south and the days get shorter.   You can find the OD Heather L/S here in four different colors.    

Ibex W2 Sport T: Summer time wool is cool

I have a "go-bag"... well actually it's usually just my messenger bag that I never unpack after a trip... but sure we'll call it a go-bag.  (More on what's inside my go-bag in an upcoming blog series... stay tuned!)  In this bag I keep everything I would need if I had to take a trip with just a few hours notice.  Does this ever happen... not usually.  Typically I have a week or at least a few days notice before I'm traveling for an assignment or project.  Still... it's cool to think I can pick up and leave in a moment if I need to go.  It's very Jason Bourne or James Bond "esk" except I don't carry a gun in my go-bag.

I tell you all this to state that in said bag are clothes and amongst those clothes is the Ibex W2 Sport T and will be at the top of my travel clothing selection list for quite some time.  

Last year the company introduced the Rim series of garments which consisted of an 89% merino wool and 11% nylon blend.  This year Ibex upped the ante even more introducing a new type of fabric to their Peak line of clothing. The Weightless Wool (or W2) is an 18.5 micron wool blend consisting of an 87/13 blend of merino wool and nylon.  Pop quiz: Ibex has built a solid foundation, deeply rooted in one material... which is?  Wool.  Awesome... you passed... I knew you would.  So is this company, which is very committed to sheep, going soft on that wool garment base and heading in the direction of so many other outdoor clothing manufacturers?  I highly doubt it.  However what I conclude they're doing (and frankly I like it) is finding ways to make wool a more versatile, all season material to fit whatever adventure you're engaged in.  

Ok, so what makes the W2 Sport T awesome enough to go everywhere I go?  

1) It's super light and airy.  Immediately when handling this shirt, compared to some of my other Ibex T's, I noticed that it was thinner and weighed less.  In fact, the W2 Sport T is the lightest of all of Ibex's t-shirts, weighing 5.73 ounces.  I know it's like splitting hairs when you consider that other shirts like the OD Heather T and the Bouldering T weigh 5.76 oz and 5.81 oz respectively. However, when you're on a photo shoot, working on a commercial set or even better, climbing an awesome line or pushing up a steep grade on the trail and really burning the calories... you notice light and airy!  Which leads to the next awesome thing about the W2 Sport T.

2) It's dries fast... I mean this shirt dries freakishly fast.  I've worn this T hiking, rock climbing in addition to on assignments where I'm hauling gear and running like crazy.  When it's hot... I start to sweat and this shirt dries faster than I can notice that I'm sweating up a storm.  I love it and like its all wool brothers this shirt wicks the sweat away like it's the W2's job!  Naturally like I've stated in past reviews for Ibex shirts; it doesn't smell bad after one or two wears because of its wool properties.

3) This shirt fits great!  I really love the fit of this garment and every time I throw it on it has that "favorite old T" feel to the shirt.  The W2 Sport looks good with anything... jeans, shorts, hiking pants, running shorts... yeah... pretty much anything.

I love my t-shirts and one of the best parts about what I do is getting to wear T's just about everyday to work.  This shirt gets worn a lot and worn multiple days in a row.  That's one of the best parts about Ibex garments... cuts down on laundry!  So, if you're in need of that great feeling, great fitting awesome shirt for this summer (and who isn't?) than you need to give this one a hard look.  

Shoot me questions or thoughts... love to hear 'em!