In my Icebreaker Chakra top
As I’ve written about before, much of my backpacking gear has taken on a noticeable funk. I don’t think it’s a failing on the part of the fabric, after being worn almost every day for two months (and washed infrequently), just about anything would smell. However, I received a gift this year that may make me a little more pleasant to be around on backpacking trips.
For Christmas my mom gave me an Icebreaker Chakra top, and I love it. It’s made out of merino wool, so it’s comfortable and doesn’t itch. And it keeps me warm but not too hot. What really caught my eye, though, was the “no stink” tag attached to the shirt. I’m not sure I believe it. Not having smelly clothes would be great, but this seems too good to be true.
So I’ve decided to put the “no stink” guarantee to the test. For the next month, I will be wearing my Icebreaker Chakra top everyday.
Mom: I don’t think the point of wearing odor-resistant clothes is to never change or wash your clothes. You do that already.
Addy: Yes, but now I am not changing or doing laundry for a reason, that’s better, right?
I’ll definitely be sweating in it. I’m a pretty active person, I bike around town, go snowshoeing, and play sports At this point, I’ve already been wearing my shirt for a week (ok, I opened my present before Christmas, I’m not very good at waiting), and so far so good. I thought it was getting stinky after I wore it for an Ultimate Frisbee game, but it turns out that I was the one who smelled and not the shirt (which should come as no huge surprise, I suppose).
I’ll be checking in more throughout the month for updates on how the shirt is doing (and smelling).
