Craghoppers state that “A polo is always a smart choice for a travel bag”. This seems suiting giving our polo shirts will be coming on a near 3000mile journey to Cambodia in December 2016. The HSX Cambodia Expedition is supported by Craghoppers who have donated team uniform to the Expedition.
We kicked off our recent training weekend in the Lake District handing out this highly anticipated kit to cheers from the expedition team and overwhelming exciting. One member will not be allowed to forget his opening statement upon receiving his polo shirt “I’m never going to take this off”. Although they feature moisture control technology, I doubt they will stand up to never being taken off or washed!
We choose kit from the NosiLife Range which has built in Insect repellent and UV protection, perfect for the hot humid days in Cambodia but also the wild nights filled with insects and creepy crawlies during our Jungle Trek.
Men will be sporting the Gilles Short Sleeved Polo whilst women will be wearing the Keisha II Short sleeved Polo.
Men’s Gilles Short Sleeved Polo.
One of the first things I noticed about the polo’s is the light weight approach Craghoppers have taken. The shirt is stripped back, no unnecessary pockets; in fact the two pockets on the polo are together; the left hand chest button pocket hiding a zip pocket. The Zip is perfect for security; money, keys, passport, making your travel even safer and leaving you worrying less about your important belongings.
Although the Lake District was not is normal sunny self over Easter, I did get a glimpse at what was to come. The moisture control does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s like having built in climate control, I never felt hot or sticky like I have in similar tops. The light weight, thin fabric is loose enough on your skin but not so baggy that you have to order a smaller size.
The Polo comes with a sunglasses hanger loop – although our team is ‘too cool for school’, it’s a nifty little feature if you want to use it and again, is nice and discreet contained within the pocket.
It comes in three colours, Brick Calico, Light Dusk Blue & Light Grey Marl. We went for Light Dusk Blue and my only thought on that is it kind of has the look of a pyjama top.
Women’s Keisha II Short sleeved Polo.
This Polo has to be put on to be fully appreciated, first off the colour it’s so nice to have a women’s outdoor top in a practical colour. The moisture control and dark colour will hold a multitude of sins that wearing for a few days without washing in a humid Cambodia acquire.
The design itself is smart and basic exactly what you want from a polo. The fit is what makes the top stand out from others; it has a small amount of gathering on the front and the top of the sleeves it also comes in slightly at the waist. This small detail makes a massive difference to how it looks, I can’t believe I’m saying this about an outdoor polo but it’s actually flattering on the figure.
The final thing I noticed after walking in the top for a day is the lack of label in the neck and the same can be said about the Men’s Polo. There is nothing worse in my opinion than a label scratching on the back of your neck when you’re hot and sticky especially when you’ve got a 70ltr bag on and its then end of a long day.
Craghoppers have really thought about every detail on this basic polo which makes it a pleasure to
wear.
*Men’s review written by Matthew Prince & Women’s review written by Rosemary Harrison.