Glancing at the shirt tag, you can tell that details matter to these guys. Designed like an old-school ski pass it starts by saying something akin to, “welcome to your new favorite shirt”. The Whiskey River Hybrid shirt by Core Concepts is much more than your average plaid piece and has earned its way into regular rotation.
Constructed of a bonded fabric, the poly lining not only wicks well, but the nylon face is DWR treated, making it wind and water resistant as well. When kicking steps up a spring couloir, this shirt plus a tee was more than enough to keep me warm while keeping brief gusts of weather from cutting through. The collar is stiff enough to stay up and provide sun coverage while hanging out at a sunny belay or casting a line over last afternoon waters.
Talking about details, the stitching is bomber(no signs of fraying after great use) and the front chest pockets have an eye-catching overlap that’s also quite functional from a weather resistant angle. Stylish pearl-faced snaps button up quick when a squall blows through and are fast to pop open when activity or weather start heating up.
For cleaning, I treat the Whiskey River Hybrid more like a jacket than a shirt. It is never a base layer to get really dirty and the bonded fabrics last longer with less frequent washing, making it a low maintenance grab-and-go layer.
Great mid or outer layer for cool to cold weather conditions, the techy traits of the Whiskey River Hybrid means it will truly go anywhere you go and blend right in. corelayers.com – $89
