The Arc'Teryx Phasic Crew T-Shirt will ably handle any adventure you throw at it.
Generally, winter months and winter sports get all of the publicity about proper layering for obvious reasons. For me, however, layering is just as important during the summer months, mainly because no matter where one goes and what one does, one will encounter long days, heat, and a lot of sun exposure. In this regard, having a reliable base layer than can keep one cool, not get soaked with perspiration, and hold up to the rigors of multi-sport activities is worth its weight in gold, especially if it does not become smelly after a long day.
The Phasic Crew T-Shirt is form fitting, but provides great range of motion.
In this regard, I was excited to try out Arc’Teryx’s Phasic Crew T-Shirt, one of their signature hiking and multi-sport products for the 2017 summer in part because one can never have too many base layers for a vigorous summer of adventure, and in part, because I had an inherent feeling that it would be a solid product. Over the years, I’ve used many of Arc’Teryx’s products, and have never been disappointed. So, over my Memorial Day weekend of adventure, I put on the Phasic T-Shirt on Friday, and didn’t remove it really until I got home late Monday night.
That weekend, my adventure destination of choice was the Eastern Sierra corridor; and my first stop was Fossil Falls; a canyon full of hiking and climbing possibilities. As I traversed the volcanic rocks in ninety degree heat, the shirt admirably wicked the small sweat I was working up, and kept my core from burning with its UPF 30 sun protection. From there, I headed up to the Alabama Hills for a late afternoon jog through the rocks, combined with a little bit of bouldering. During my run, the Phasic felt so comfortable, it was almost like I was jogging half naked. Of course, if one is in the Alabama Hills, chances are one is going to climb something, and after my jog, I picked out a few choice spots to practice my rusty skills on. At those times, I also appreciate the form-fitting but not bunchy nature of the Phasic, which did not catch or snag on anything. To round out the weekend, when I took a short jaunt up part of Mount Whitney, I used it as my base layer, and found that it kept me warm enough under a shell jacket on my ascent.
Most importantly, in addition to handling all the hiking, mountaineering, bouldering, running, and climbing I did that weekend, I found that on my return home, I smelled substantially better than I usually do. While the Phasic cannot completely repel dirt or smells (that is impossible), it does hold up very well for multi-day use. Since that weekend, I’ve also used the Phasic on a number of trail runs through a variety of terrain, and remained happy with its performance, especially as it has held up after a couple of washes. For those interested in technical specifications, at 3.4 ounces of total weight, it is also not a heavy product.
Overall, my suspicions were correct - the Phasic Crew T-Shirt is another great product to come out from Arc’Teryx, and a great all-around adventure shirt for one’s summer 2017 - or beyond excursions, and a product I would highly recommend for any adventurer or adventure.
Disclaimer: I was provided a Phasic Crew T-Shirt from Arc’Teryx, which I then tested, as I do all the gear that I receive. While I was not compensated for this review other than being provided with the free product, readers should be aware of the underlying arrangement that exists, and know that the opinions provided herein regarding this product are based solely on my own experience with the product.