I ended up taking a short trip for a review of the Haeleum – Reccan long sleeve t-shirt. The weather was a little cooler and drier than normal for this time of year and this was a fairly short (9 – 10 miles) and not very strenuous hike (very few ups and downs) for me. I did hike in some areas where the brush was close to the trail to try and test how snag resistant the shirt was. And as far as testing the Insect Shield Technology®, I avoided applying any insect repellant that I would normally use while backpacking.
The Haeleum Reccan features a jacquard weave (a fabric of intricate variegated weave or pattern). “The long-sleeve Reccan is made of lightweight, highly breathable fabric that features Insect Shield Technology® to repel mosquitoes, ticks and other dangerous insects. Our extreme moisture-wicking 100% DrýTru™ polyester fabric not only quickly moves sweat away from your skin to help keep you cool and dry, it’s also snag resistant—perfect for going up a steep mountain or down a lazy river.”
One thing you should know about me is that, while backpacking, I am prone to sweating. Even on non-humid days I routinely soak shirts while hiking, seemingly regardless of the weather, level of activity or how the strenuous the hike may be, I’ve always seen this an issue. The Haeleum – Reccan performed as well as any of the other moisture wicking shirts that I’ve worn. I don’t see this as a fault of the product, but rather a result of my propensity to perspire heavily. At the end of the day (I typically try to stop a couple of hours or so before sundown), I did hang the shirt on a tree (as I always do with my wet shirts) to dry it out. A little bit of a breeze and low humidity helped in the drying process. Within an hour or hour-and-a-half the shirt was dry enough for me to wear at the campsite for the night.
I found the long sleeve shirt to be quite warm and a very useful, lightweight and comfortable base layer. I didn’t use the Haeleum – Reccan as a base layer during the actual hike but did use it for that purpose while at camp. I found it to be quite warm on a cool (mid 50’s) and slightly breezy night. I also used the shirt to sleep in at night. If anything, I was a little too warm at night and ended up removing the shirt in the middle of the night (I do sleep warm).
A Nice Surprise!:
After a couple of days of wearing the Haeleum long sleeve t-shirt, I didn’t detect any noticeable “hiker funk” coming from the shirt. Recall that earlier I said that “I routinely soak shirts while hiking…”. The “hiker funk” never reared its smelly head, even after a few days of wear.
I never did have any problems with insects while wearing the Haeleum – Reccan. As I stated in my opening paragraph, I did not apply any insect repellant during the testing of the shirt. I checked for ticks and other problematic insects but did not detect any. Mosquitos, flies and other flying insects that I normally have to deal with were not an issue either while out backpacking or at camp. The Hæleum™ shirts not only help prevent bug bites and insect-borne diseases, they also offer an alternative to topical pesticides and other insect-repellent products. Better still, the repellency of Hæleum’s Insect Shield® Repellent Apparel is EPA-registered to last through 70 washes and approved for use by all ages!
Final Thoughts:
I’m pleased with the Haeleum long sleeve t-shirt. I think it performed well. While not keeping me dry (as I explained earlier, this has ALWAYS been an issue for me), the shirt dried quickly, I didn’t have any problems being bothered by insects, I didn’t detect any snags on the shirt and NO HIKER FUNK after a few days of sweating through the shirt each day. The shirt is very comfortable to wear either as a lone shirt or as a base layer. The Haeleum – Reccan is lightweight (advertised at 7oz, my x-large shirt weighed in at 8.1oz) and is nice enough looking that it can be worn while doing everyday tasks.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I (David Jenerick – author) received the Haeleum – Reccan Long Sleeve t-shirt for free from Haeleum in consideration for a gear review.
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