Vargo TiFusion™apparel is the latest concept from Vargo Outdoors – titanium infused clothing. Vargo is known for innovative lightweight and ultralight backpacking equipment, and for their first foray into clothing, they are going high tech in a big way. By infusing their clothes with titanium, they are able to do a better job at wicking away moisture and dirt. This action is activated by light, so staying outside in the sun is what keeps these clean. Well, it is light activated and they claim that any light, including from indoor lights will make it very hydrophilic (attracts water). It is so hydrophilic that it pushes away anything else that is trapped in the clothing, such as oils and/or dirt. At the same time, it doesn‘t allow water to bead on the surface, and instead spreads it out to increase the rate of evaporation. This means that it will absorb water and then the water will displace all the stuff that makes you smell nasty after a long trip, so you still smell fresh and dandy.
I was given the men‘s Slag short-sleeve shirt and the Bedrock ¼ zip pull over fleece to try out. The Slag is 100% polyester, with the TiFusion treatment. Stretchy, with a trim fit, flatlock stitching, and long hem, it’s cut for lots of movement. The Bedrock is 93% polyester, and 7% Spandex for a bit more give, but it has the same cut, so it pairs well with the Slag. It’s not too warm, and the zipper lets you vent, rather than having to take it off. Thumbholes are a nice touch, which I wish more long sleeves had. Both pieces went with me for a weekend outing with the kids, and I purposefully over-layered to test the wicking ability. I was able to wear them through a fishing derby, then two days out hiking and more fishing. The weather that we had been having during the review period was anything but normal, getting rained on more days than not. It started to look like Oregon around here for all the rain and clouds. This was one of the wettest springs I can remember, and there was still snow covering the peaks above my house, but it was warm enough in the valley.
I was able to wear both pieces for a few days straight, including at the fishing derby and getting rained out from fishing other places. Well, we did finally find a place to go fishing and get a little fish on them. I wasn‘t able to get a lot of testing done in the heat for the wicking, so that‘s why I tried to overdo the clothing to try and heat things up. This was a happy surprise, as it surpassed the soccer shirts that I normally wear for cooling but I wasn‘t over heating like I normally do. My favorite was the pull over. This kept me comfortable, even though it’s a bit on the light side. I will happily use it for the coming backpacking season for layering in the high altitude places I like to visit.
Now on to the odor control. I was trying to stink these up, and I normally don‘t have a problem doing that. This time was different though. I would sweat into these clothes, under the pullover and out. I did this for three days straight, and still couldn’t smell anything subtle, so I convinced my girlfriend to take a whiff. She was surprised at the lack of funkiness from them. She could tell that I had been wearing it, but not for 3 days straight. I didn‘t let her know until after she had checked them out, and she said that she could only get a slight smell when she was checking the armpits, like I had only worn it for a few hours that day. This has convinced me that at least some of this high tech gear is doing the job advertised, and I think it’s doing pretty well at that too.
Overall, Vargo really did a good job with both their Slag shirt and Bedrock pullover. On their own, they fit well and offer plenty of comfort, even during outdoor activities. And when it comes to staying dry, as well as odor-free, they do an excellent job. They have a whole page on their site devoted to test lab results, and while a lab is not the same as the real world, my experience certainly backs up that data. Check them out at Vargooutdoors.com
– Rob S.