ProView – Mountain Hardwear Men’s Ghee Long Sleeve Crew

This fall I had the pleasure of putting the Mountain Hardwear Men’s Ghee Long Sleeve shirt to the test. From elk hunting in the snow, to mountain biking and trail running in sunny Colorado weather, the Ghee excelled in a variety of terrain and weather conditions.

I first received the Ghee a day before I was due to leave on a hunting trip in western Colorado. The weather forecast called for a highly variable week of Rocky Mountain weather, and mother nature delivered. Through it all, I wore the Ghee every day, all day. The first test I put the Ghee through was truly wearing it 24 hours per day for a week straight. The week started out sunny and nearing 70 degrees. The Ghee is a very thin shirt, and it is more than stretchy enough to roll the sleeves up when the weather gets warm. Later in the week the clouds rolled in and dropped several inches of snow on us. The Ghee still remained my base layer of choice. The Ghee is tight enough to not bunch up and create chafing on your back or underneath shoulder straps, but it’s loose enough to wear for a week without feeling constricted. Keep in mind, though I did wear the Ghee in winter conditions, this base layer is better-suited for three-season activities.

In addition to hunting, I also wore the Ghee while mountain biking and trail running this fall in Colorado. I found the Ghee to be the perfect match for fall weather in the Rocky Mountains. While biking or running uphill, I found myself getting a little warm and I would roll up the sleeves on the Ghee. On the downhills, when my cardiac output dropped and the wind began rushing by my sweaty body a little faster, I rolled the sleeves down and was once again able to be very comfortable. If my hands got a little cold while running, I slipped my thumbs through the thumb loops to get a little extra blood flowing to my fingers.

Fit

As winter approaches, I continue to reach for the Ghee while getting ready for work. I work outdoors every day as a Law Enforcement Ranger in the Rocky Mountains. On the colder days, the Ghee serves as my base layer, over which I put my uniform shirt and a ballistic vest. The Ghee is a thin, light layer that discretely fits underneath the rest of my uniform while minimizing chafe and a cold-core.

I’m 6’ 2” and weigh 180 pounds, and I ordered a medium which turned out to be perfect. It’s snug, but not too tight. The sleeves naturally fall around my wrists, but I can stretch them slightly and fit my thumbs into the thumb loops. Tighter or looser fits could easily be accomplished by sizing up or down, but if you’re on the fence I would swing towards sizing down for the Ghee.

Features/Durability

The Ghee features thumb loops, which I am generally not a fan of. I tried to find uses for the thumb loops on the Ghee. I found a few, but once again I generally found that I don’t like thumb loops. The Ghee packs down small and weighs under 7 ounces. It’s a perfect base layer to bring for summer trips when nighttime dictates needing a slightly warmer layer. While the Ghee performed extremely well during my time testing it, I didn’t get a good idea of its durability. The Ghee is very thin, so it will likely wear out faster than a thicker option. An additional factor to consider about the Ghee is that it is made of synthetic materials. While they are cheaper, synthetic materials tend to hold odors over time, whereas natural fibers like wool tend to be more odor-resistant. After a month of heavy use, I found some spots on the Ghee retained my body odor after a thorough washing.

Friendliness To The Earth

I was only able to find one very small page on sustainability on the Mountain Hardwear website. Compared to their competitors, Mountain Hardwear’s commitment to being an environmentally responsible company is unimpressive at best and leaves me wanting more.

Final Word

Overall, the Ghee exceeded my expectations. The Ghee is the best fitting base layer I’ve ever worn, and its extremely comfortable, snug fit allows it to be worn day after day. I have never been a big fan of thumb loops, and that trend continues with the Ghee. If you are in the market for a three-season synthetic base layer that is unbelievably comfortable and has a multitude of uses, the Ghee should be your next base layer purchase.

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