Gorewear For Hikers:
What It Offers For The Trail

By Diane Spicer

Gorewear for hikers recently came onto the Hiking For Her radar, when I was asked to test clothing from Gorewear's Fast Hiking Collection and share the experience with you right here.

Why?

Because this technical outdoor clothing brand is well known in the runner and biker community, but is less well known by hikers.

So curiosity is the motivation for reviewing some Gorewear for hikers.

Let's put it to a trail test and see what type of performance it delivers.

Just so you know...

Hiking For Her does not do paid reviews or paid placement of any kind.

That's why everything you read on this website can be trusted as solid hiking tips.

The clothing in this Gorewear for hikers review was received free of charge in exchange for an honest, fair performance evaluation.

• All opinions and comments belong to Hiking For Her.
• There is no affiliate relationship between HFH and Gorewear. 
• As an Amazon Associate, Hiking For Her earns from qualifying purchases. 
  

As always, this review was written to put solid hiking advice into your hands - or on your back, in this case.

The hiking clothing
in this Gorewear for hikers review

There are two Gore garments being tested in this review:

First, let's look at the Thermo Shirt
as we consider Gorewear fo

Hikers crave decent layers like a kid craves candy.

Okay, let's get real.

Hungry hikers sometimes crave candy, too, but where I'm headed is that building a good layering system is one of the foundations of being a smart hiker.

• Hints here

So what can this shirt offer us in terms of layering, as a base layer or mid layer?

Could it act as a worthy stand alone layer?

Hint:

We're looking for moisture wicking fabric, heat trapping technology, breathability, a nice feel against the skin, and durability.

Gorewear Thermo Shirt specifications

This shirt has two fabrics stitched into it:

• Polyester, 94% in the main fabric and 90% in the insert
• Elastane, either 6% or 10%

In other words, breathable and moisture wicking fabric with a bit of give to it, exactly what you want in a base layer.

This shirt is what I would call midweight in terms of its insulating ability, so use it for cool weather hiking.

But it only weighs 8.8 ounces! So the word "weight" can be misleading with Gorewear.

The fit and feel of the Thermo Shirt

You want a form fitting base layer, in order to move well with you and to do its job as a heat trapping, wicking layer.

You do NOT want a death grip around your torso or arms.

The Elastane in this shirt will give you some room to bend and stretch, but it's the active Polartec® Power Grid™ insulation that will keep you cozy in cold weather.

The inner fabric has a soft feel, nothing abrasive or sticky like some polyester base layers.

If your neck always feels vulnerable to cold, damp breezes, you'll love the high collar.

• Wear it all the way up, or unzip a bit and fold the collar over to accommodate a neck gaiter.
• The zipper allows multiple thermoregulation options as the trail changes your pacing, and thus your heat level.

The full zipper in front (with underflap) makes it easy to layer over a thin tank or cami, or wear it alone.

For the review, I wore a short sleeved thin shirt, and didn't feel bulked up wearing the Thermo Shirt.

Sizing runs true to size if you like your clothing with some room to move.

Gorewear for hikers:
Thermo Shirt trail performance

On this mild fall day, I wanted protection against the chilly morning fog and a wicking layer as my hike progressed into the afternoon. This shirt delivered!

The sleeves were loose enough to be pushed up when needed, and long enough to meet the tops of my hands but no longer than that - no interference with hand dexterity.

The upper back of the shirt, slightly thinner than the rest, is quite breathable, making it a good choice for beneath a backpack and right up against sweaty skin.

As soon as the backpack came off, I could feel the venting increase to cool me down quickly in the autumn sunshine. Nice!

Conclusions about Thermo Shirt
in our Gorewear for hikers review

I'm a fan!

A soft, lightweight but warm shirt that's easy to get on and off, with great features like soft neck and wrist coverage, sounds like a dream base layer to me for mild, cool hiking conditions.

I will also be pressing this shirt into service for snowshoeing, with a long sleeve thin baselayer beneath it and a down vest over it.

And I have to show you my absolute favorite feature: this zipped pocket on the right sleeve!

• If you have small stuff to stash like lip balm, a jerky snack, or hair ties, you'll love it, too, because you can get at it quickly. 

Sometimes it's the smallest things about a shirt that can make it a favorite!

Now let's look at the
Shakedry Insulated Jacket
as we review Gorewear for hikers

When a hiker dons an outer layer, she is putting a lot of her eggs in one basket in terms of safety.

• Getting wet is not just a matter of misery, it can be a fatal error in the backcountry.
• In cold, breezy conditions, the wrong outer layer leads to loss of body heat quickly which can escalate a bad situation into an emergency.

Rather than show you photos of me cavorting on the trail in this insulated, hooded jacket, let's concentrate on the most important thing: the specs.

Shakedry insulated jacket specifications:
Gorewear for hikers

This jacket has a lot going on in terms of fabrics, by design.

The jacket features POLARTEC® ALPHA® insulation, for protection against cold temperatures and wind, but also breathability, something every hiker can appreciate.

• GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY™ product technology

• Shell face, 100% GORE-TEX membrane (weather proof)
• Shell back and insert, 100% Polyamide
• Mesh, 100% polyester (wicking)

• Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Sizing: runs a bit small; to accommodate layers beneath, order up a size

Trail performance of Gorewear for hikers

Because the feel is not as relevant for an outer layer, we'll skip right to how the jacket stood up the elements.

This jacket is cut to give you good bottom coverage without being bulky.

• That makes sitting down on a wet surface a little easier to consider when you're tired.

It's also important when you pull it on over your rain pants, because water will bead up and flow off the jacket and down to the ground.

And because the jacket fabric excludes water droplets hour after hour, it won't gain weight to weigh you down as it blocks wind and moisture from contacting your skin, even in a steady rain.

• They call it a "persistent beading surface", which allows you to do exactly what the name describes: a few shakes and it's dry again.

Lightweight but not bulky

This is an insanely lightweight jacket for the weatherproof features it gives a hiker.

The volume to weight ratio is going to hardly make a dent in your backpack when it's time to stow this jacket.

Once you put it on, you will scarcely feel this jacket on your back, but you will notice how dry it keeps your torso and arms.

More features of Gorewear for hikers

• Shaped waist hemline with stretchable inserts: form fitting without binding as you navigate the terrain 
• Two front zippered pockets to stow a thin pair of gloves and a snack, or to warm your hands once the backpack comes off
• Low profile hood visor with integrated elastic to block wind and fit snugly over your hat - but give good visibility

These might seem like small things to a front country hiker.

To an off trail hiker, they are not.

Conclusions about the
Gorewear Shakedry jacket

This jacket is coming with me from now on as my outer layer when I know I'm in for some wild weather.

While I'm not yet sure about its durability, I am sold on its warmth and waterproofing. It also stands up to wind, my personal bugaboo as a female hiker.

This lightweight, packable jacket will be great for heli-hiking trips when weight and volume absolutely matters to both me and the pilot.

The technology designed into the jacket inspires confidence in my ability to remain warm and dry, no matter what. Peace of mind is priceless!

Who would benefit from this
Gorewear for hikers

Let's be blunt.

Gorewear is expensive when compared to some other outdoor clothing options.

In fact, for casual day hikers and backpackers who stay on established trails, this clothing will seem not only expensive but overbuilt.

• Read these hiking clothing tips instead.

But for serious outdoor adventures, technical hiking clothing gives you an advantage as you head into the backcountry and spend days and days in remote off trail terrain.

You can't control the weather.

You can't control the topography.

But you can control what you're wearing and what's stashed inside your backpack.

This Gorewear for hikers gives you a midlayer and upper body outer layer that can't be beat on a gear list for hiking adventures.

The Gorewear Fast Hiking Collection is designed to catch your attention!

So I recommend taking a hard look at investing in it when you've got big plans.

• Think Alaska, Greenland, Yukon, Northwest Territories ... remote places I love to explore.

Lightweight, thoughtfully designed, bombproof in cold, wet weather and makes use of current technology to keep you as warm and dry as possible...

what's not to love about Gorewear for hikers? 

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Gorewear For Hikers Review