I reckon NosiLife treated Adventure Long Sleeved Shirts from Craghoppers are perfect for the long-haul traveller, writes Mike Gormley.
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Craghoppers have been at the top of their game for years when it comes to travel shirts. As time goes on they have updated and tweaked designs ~ the shirts featured here are Series II ~ and for feature-rich, practical, good-to-wear and, importantly, protective shirts Craghoppers are difficult to beat. So, with this in mind, I updated my wardrobe for a trip away to Asia and Australasia and especially in mind was the time we would spend in Borneo.
It was a fair bet the weather would be hot, humid, sunny and wet and there would be a definite need to protect against insects as well as UV rays. From long experience I know Craghoppers Shirts are just great to travel in. They have a generous fit, so are overall comfortable when running for that train or scrunched into an aircraft seat for hours on end. With roll-up sleeves one can have short if warm or roll down if it gets chill, as it can do on at times on an aircraft.
When it comes to having your passport handy and secure, these shirts have it sorted. This, as well as boarding passes, if you have them, and mobile phone plus cash can all be kept easy to hand as you move through the road / bus / rail / airport systems but nicely secure as well. All this while you remain comfortable and looking smart… or at least in keeping with being a world traveller!
So, all this before you have even got to where you are going. Once you arrive at your destination these shirts really come into their own. Craghoppers are masters of the small details and you find items of the design that are often tucked away but really handy ~ for example the sunglasses wipe on the inside of the main front flap at the bottom and the security loop for attaching valuables under the chest pocket flap.
The materials are recycled nylon polyamide ripstop, which is cool to wear and easy to wash & dry; a key point when travelling to warm places. I put this severely to the test when a leech got past my outer defences and lodged itself onto my back; we first noticed blood on my shirt while on a jungle walk in Borneo, but it all washed out and I was good to carry on.
The sleeves have button tags to keep them smart and in place if rolled up. The back is vented to allow for airflow through the inner mesh. There is wicking mesh on the inner collar for added comfort. The material is treated with NosiLife insect shield, which it is claimed lasts the lifetime of the garment and certainly seems to work, though apparently not for leeches. The material helps to move moisture away from the body to aid comfort in those hot and humid conditions and is anti-odour for obvious reasons. It seems to work.
I have worn Craghoppers travel shirts for years and see no reason to change for future adventures. The two I took on this trip were Niagara Blue and Parchment; four other colours are available, including Woodland Green. There are also seven size options, from S through to 4XL.
[images © Jean Gormley unless noted]
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