Mountain Hardwear came out last year with a new shirt called the Airmesh. It comes in various configurations of hooded and zip, etc. On the surface, just looking at shirts, it doesn’t seem like anything fancy. A simple shirt that looks like a sports jersey. But the way this simple shirt performs in various ways is just simply next-level for how light weight it is.
I don’t have the time to articulate this post into a well-written narrative of this new fabric and shirt, so I will just put out a list of thoughts on it so far. I don’t do any lab tests, but the results in field testing have been quite apparent.
- Airmesh uses a unique Teijin Octa fiber that is not only hollow, but also given a star shape to its cross section. This alone is noteworthy, but more so on how they implemented this yarn.
- This material is extremely light-weight. My Airmesh hoody weighs less than 5 ounces. Regardless of any other trait, the weight is incredibly impressive. Not much more weight than my OR Echo hoody, but with the addition of warmth.
- Airflow is outstanding for allowing sweat to escape and the level of this airflow can be altered by simply turning the shirt inside out. The Octa fibers used like fleece on the inside of the fabric allow airflow to come through the holes in the mesh, but when the fabric is turned inside out, so the fibers are facing outward, they fold over when the wind pushes into them, and they then help to slightly block the wind going through the mesh holes.
- Turning it inside out so the fleece fibers are facing outward completely changes the performance and feel of the shirt. When inside out, the temperature is more stabilized in terms of wind and how much it heats up in the sun. Yes, this shirt can drastically change how hot it gets in the sun, just by turning it inside out. When you want minimum moisture and heat dumping in wind, wearing it right side out is more ideal, but at the cost of greater temp swings.
- It works best as a base layer, but also works fine as a mid or outer layer.
- The airmesh is hyper water-absorbent on one side. A dry shirt can be used as a highly effect towel for drying off. Wiping down the tent inside, or drying off after a swim, this thing was born to absorb moisture.
- Conversely, it is also somehow capable of remarkably-fast drying times, especially when worn in a slight breeze. I have never owned a shirt that dries as fast as this does to a point of comfort. Although, the hemming material is more elastic and takes a bit longer to dry at the hood and cuffs.
- On a few occasions already I have used the mesh side of the shirt to dry off my torso after showering or swimming by turning the shirt inside out and putting it on. The mesh side absorbs any water it touches, then I quickly turn it right side out again. The water is now off the skin and on the outside of the fabric while the fleece fibers keep it lifted from the skin and allow heat to trap inside. The shirt can then dry off while wearing it with minimal effect from the moisture that was on the skin. It almost feels like cheating to be honest. I’ve never seen anything like it.
- The shirt gets incredibly hot in direct sunlight when worn as the only layer. When the mesh is on the outside, light can come through the holes. There is enough of an air gap created by the fleece fibers that they help trap that light and convert it to heat on the skin and fabric. This effect is neutralized by turning the shirt inside out. If it is cold out, but the sun is shining, this shirt will transfer a lot of that energy to your body. To a certain degree. If the wind is too strong, it can negate the solar effect.
- Pairs brilliantly with a Fauxdini Dooy wind shell and silnylon rain shell. By itself, it has a lot of airflow and can get cold in the wind, so the wind shirt at 60-80 CFM bumps it up just enough to make a big difference in heat retention. Then with a windproof rain shell, the temp goes up even more, while still providing maximum moisture control.
- When using the Airmesh, OR Echo, Wind shell, and Rain shell together, the heat is about on par with a very heavy 200+ wt fleece all by itself under the rain shell. That’s impressive considering the whole setup with the airmesh weighs a lot less.
- The mesh can be a bit grabby when going through bushes. But when it is turned inside out, the fleece fibers help deflect some of the poky stuff that would otherwise catch. Kind of like a dog fur effect.
- UPF rating is unknown. Would guess probably 10 or less?
- Pairs well with the OR Echo sun shirt either over or under it. I have the Echo for when temps are high and I still need the sun protection. Also nice layer for sleeping when it’s warm out.
- Always hand wash and hang dry this stuff. The fibers will come out in the dryer.
- The chartreuse “Starfruit” color doesn’t seem to attract any bugs. I usually have a force field of bees swarming around me this time of year when wearing brightly colored shirts, but this one seems immune.
I will add more thoughts that I may have missed in additional posts to this thread.
Overall, I think it’s neat stuff. :)
