Polygiene Experiences?
 

In the market for new touring shirts and given I tend to tour in more remote locations where washing of clothes is a weekly chore rather than more frequently and given I prefer to not have to carry spare clothes I am investigating stink free options. Of course merino such as Icebreaker's Cool-Lite is one option but they don't do long sleeve t-shirts.

Anyway in my search I have come across Polygiene which it seems quite a few manufacturers are now using their product. I have only found one "review" at Gear Junkie and Steve was pretty positive.

I am wondering therefore if anyone here has experience with garments treated with Polygiene and what your experience has been.

Thanks in advance.

1st I've heard of it.. Id still wash my bike shorts, (and crotch skin) every night, thus need more than 1.
though if 40C at night the drying may be fast.


try and report. You first , mate..

Lots of Merino baselayer tops out there. Sierra Trading Post is 1 place to go. Rei? Campmor?

Treated polyester, polypropylene and wool apparel is about the best you can do IME. Tech gear makers are very creative in their sales pitch but less so with the actual product. Many fabric treatments (waterproofing, stinkproofing, etc) degrade with use and laundering. Eventually you must resort to soap and water, the more frequent the better unless you are unusually resistant to saddle sores, and don't mind being left alone downwind.

Had a friend with eccentric ideas about deodorants/hygiene. He'd smell worse before the backpacking outing than the rest of us after 3 days out. First we quit sharing tents/tarps with him because he stank, then we quit inviting him entirely because no one wanted him in the vehicle on long rides in and out to the trailhead.

Even the ISS crew has to wash once in a while.

It is not uncommon for me on my touring routes of choice to not have water available for washing so I do have to go for up to a week at times between wash points. My next ride, the Holland Track is a not so bad with the possibity of water holes late into the ride.

I think I will give them a shot anyway. Always can use them as running shirts or day ride shirts if they do not work out as multi-day riding tops.

As I noted above "Of course merino such as Icebreaker's Cool-Lite is one option but they don't do long sleeve t-shirts" but most merino I have come across is more suitable for winter or cool weather riding whereas my touring tends to be in warmer months here. Even in winter once I get more remote max temps of 30 to 40C is not that unusual.

Anyway I will take a look and see if they have anything in a long-sleeve (for sun protection) summer weight.

If I it can survive reasonably well in a week I will be pretty happy ... may have to be realistic and go with two tops but. Looking at something like this Outdoor Research Echo LS Zip Tee or similar or short sleeved even lighter options.

http://images.ultralightoutdoorgear....6-99988700.jpg

Personally I've never found any tech-material that works for anti-stink more than two days. Lots claim to be anti-microbial but don't come anywhere close to merino wool. For me merino wool is stink-free at least 5-days and up to two-weeks!

That said I have no experience with polygiene. But the hurdle is rather high IMO.

BTW: I rarely wash my merino wool cause it smells, usually cause it's dirty.

It's the Skin surface bacteria You have to cope with getting cleaned off , or suffer the consequences of that Inaction .
and they will remain in the fabric /saddle pad liner you sit on. unless removed.