White Sierra Kalgoorlie Shirt : Around the World in a Carryon

Five airport connections, thousands of travel miles, eight time zones, and one carry-on bag. It was a trip tailor-made for only the finest travel gear.

Fortunately, I had a few pieces of apparel that made the journey extremely comfortable, including the Kalgoorlie long-sleeve shirt from White Sierra. I've seen a number of shirts that make big promises and have a lot of bells and whistles, but the Kalgoorlie delivered where it counts the most: comfort, function, and reliability.

This lightweight shirt quickly became my favorite travel companion. With plenty of vents under the arms and in the back, the Kalgoorlie shirt kept me cool, even in harsh midday sun when temps were pushing three digits.

My favorite features--the ample pockets, a giant selling point for this pack rat. I had the choice of whether to use the vertically-zippered chest pocket or its horizontal-opening companion which was secured with a generous strip of Velcro. Repeated removal and return of a passport, airline tickets, credit cards, currency and other miscellaneous stuff didn't phase the pocket closures one bit. They operated the same after 50 times as they did when the shirt was new. The roomy pockets themselves never added visible bulk to the front of the shirt even when stuffed to the limit.

Since I was traveling in warm weather, I appreciated the small button flaps that enabled me to secure the rolled-up sleeves near my biceps when the temps were really cooking. It's a basic feature that many travel shirts simply ignore these days. As a bonus, the shirt offers a protection factor equivalent to SPF 30 sunscreen to protect the wearer from the harsh rays of the sun.

Washing the shirt was simple...just a quick few dunks in my hotel room sink, a quick wringing, and then hung to dry over the back of a chair. The lightweight fabric dried within hours--a nice feature since it was the only shirt of its kind that I chose to bring on this trip.

The shirt looked good too, and saved me from the embarrassment of wrinkles and stains, thanks to a supple fabric and neutral color. Even the button color matched the fabric, helping me blend into the scenery as much as possible.

It's a shirt that easily transitions from safari to hotel cocktail hour with ease.

Bottom Line: If lightweight travel is your motto, then do not collect $200 and do not pass "Go." Head directly for your White Sierra retailer and pick up a Kalgoorlie men's long sleeve shirt. Its well-designed features will lend comfort during even the most rigorous journey. Also availabe in women's style/sizes.--G.P. (May '06)

Price: $40.

Manufacturer's Site: www.whitesierra.com

Buy Online: BobWards.com...Everything Sports, Montana Style!