Ibex Journey Short Sleeve Crew Shirt

Andrew Piotrowski

The summertime heat in Southern Maryland can really where you down. Even water-based sports such as SUP or Kayaking can become a real slog as the brutal humidity and unrelenting sun drain your battery.

My typical cooling strategy on longer SUP tours is usually to just take a few dips in the bay from time to time. However, this season’s onslaught of stinging Jellyfish has really put a damper on this practice.

Instead, I have turned to the Ibex Journey Shirt for my main cooling solution. The thermoregulating properties of Wool do a fantastic job of keeping me cool in the heat of the day. Ibex offers a variety of great Marino Wool-based shirts; some are 100% Wool while others are blended with other great materials.

I went with the Journey shirt due to the durability provided by the 89% Wool and 11% Nylon blend. I often am wearing this shirt under a Whitewater type life jacket and constant paddle strokes create a lot of friction that can quickly cause shirts to pill or wear.

In over fifty hours of paddling, hiking, and trail running I have not seen any signs of wear on the Ibex Journey.

Ibex Journey Key Features

Very Comfortable:  The performance Wool coupled with the nylon feels very soft and is not itchy. Like many if not all Ibex shirts; the seams are nearly impossible to notice when wearing the shirt and there are no tags or bulky logos.

Durability:  As mentioned above the Journey has held up to a lot of abuse during the few months that I have tested it. I think I am most impressed with how it held up to being worn under my running pack for multiday fastpacking adventures.

It was subject to tons of friction being created by running with an overnight pack and there are no signs of pilling or wear anywhere. 

Temperature Regulation: As I have said before with other Wool items: the sheep had it right all along!  The Journey shirt does a great job of keeping me cool, despite the high temps and 100% humidity. 

It does not get smelly: I have found that this shirt can be worn for multiple days without getting smelly! This is a plus when you are pressed for time and don’t want to be doing wash daily. 

Colors: Currently Ibex offers 5 colors in the Journey, all of which look great. I often wear my Journey to work as a base layer. I plan on getting a few more colors to switch off and on from during the workweek. 

MSRP: $88

Men’s Journey Short Sleeve Crew