Best Travel Shirt?

With all the online recommendations about the "ideal" travel shirt, I got hold of samples from the two leading contenders. The Ex Officio Airstrip, at $79, had always been too pricey for my taste. Recently, however, I was able to grab one from their website for a little more than half that price.

The most striking feature of the Airstrip is its light weight. The DriLite material is 85% polyester and 15% nylon. The texture is soft, but for me, a bit scratchy. It has vents on the backside and underarm, and these did an excellent job of keeping me cool in 90 degree weather. The material dries in minutes. I threw it on after a night swim without toweling off, sat around for 10-15 minutes, and it was completely dry on my back! In comparison, my nylon Speedo shorts was still dripping wet.

The Air Strip is cut generously with a safari square cut bottom. It has more than enough pockets than I had things to stuff in them. The three-piece folding collar is a nice touch, and with the fabric's SPF 30 rating, provides good protection during prolonged sun exposure. My only concern about the Air Strip is the thin fabric - I am constantly afraid that it would tear. I don't think this would be my shirt of choice for more physical activities.

The shirt that seems more popular among younger travelers is the Cabela Guidewear shirt. It retails from Cabela's for $39.95 and is made of Dupont's ingenious Supplex material. It disperses perspiration, just like DriLite, but has a fuller, more robust feel. The material is very soft on the skin, very much like a silky finemesh cotton. Mostly designed for outdoor sports, it feels more substantial, and more sturdily made.

This shirt is heavier than the Air Strip, though still much lighter than traditional material like cotton or poly. It dries in 60-90 minutes on a clothesline. Not as quick as the Ex Officio offering, but certainly fast enough to dry overnight in the hotel room. It has the standard features as the Air Strip: multiple pockets, swiss arm tabs, eyeglass (really a fishingpole holder) loop, tall collar, and vents.

The shirt is cut a little shorter, but is wider with a loose fit. Certainly comfortable to wear over a shirt. It appears more casual than the Air Strip, and comes in less color choices.

Bottomline: At the sale price, the Ex Officio Air Strip is certainly worth the money, especially for travelers conscious about each ounce of carryon weight. I would prefer to use it for more casual, "dressier" activities. The Cabela Guidewear shirt is excellent. It feels soft and smooth, well-made and robust, yet dries quickly and requires little care. I would use this for more vigorous outdoor activities. It's the Air Strip for strolling in the piazza, and the Cabela's for Machu Picchu.