Cheaper alternative to merino travel shirts?

I usually wear a synthetic short sleeve button down shirt with an Icebreaker tech t lite underneath. You can gee these on sale for $30-40 on Amazon at certain times of the year. MH, OR, Marmot all make great button downs that are pretty affordable.

Sierra Trading Post has them for $99 (still expensive but . . .): http://www.sierratradingpost.com/icebreaker-compass-plaid-ii-shirt-merino-wool-upf-30-plus–short-sleeve-for-men~p~9673r/?filterString=s~icebreaker%2Fclothing~d~5%2Fmens-clothing~d~15%2Fmens-shirts~d~145%2F&colorFamily=02

If you look at coupon codes on retail me not for Sierra Trading post you can knock anywhere between 25-50% off that $99 depending on the day. http://www.retailmenot.com/view/sierratradingpost.com

Those shirts are on sale at the link you posted for $87 right now, which puts them pretty much on a par with what others offer. Yu might check out Ibex from VT as well- http://shop.ibex.com/merino-wool-clothing/sale#men/XL They have some in t he same range and if you sign u[ for their mailing list they give you 10% off. Also 15% off sale items with the code CLEANF15 Minus 33 from NH? http://shop.minus33.com/shop/men/ Have fun!

These all look like good options. Heavily discounted might just be the way to go. I suppose the fact that it's merino is really what makes it expensive. Anti-smell is the main draw.

What about Pendleton wool shirts? The board shirts look pretty similar in style to what you linked to. You can find them at thrift stores or on eBay, and some (but not all) are machine washable. Shameless promotion–I have a short sleeve board shirt (men's small) on Gear Swap right now! ;) http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=107005&skip_to_post=901971#901971 (So does another guy).

Ask Max Dilthey.

I have a similar icebreaker shirt in long sleeve. I haven't worn it that much yet, but it is very nice feeling material. But it is crisp, and I think it will wrinkle. So if your plan is to continually roll that shirt up again and again, I would worry that it will wrinkle. So I think other options/materials may be better "travel" shirts. I have a merino polo from ibex and that is knit and it basically will never wrinkle even after spending a week shoved in a pannier. Other synthetic travel shirts are also more wrinkle resistant. Just a thought.

I like a wool t-shirt with a synthetic button down, too, or with a light sweater or fleece if it's cold. My preferred t-shirts are the Montbell, slightly heavier weight but they last forever.