Product review: lightweight Mysterioso

[madscientist]

As many of you know, I've been a huge fan of the Mysterioso line of clothing since I started yak fishing in NY. Their heavier weight gear is an ideal underlayer on colder mornings and is the most comfortable thermal wear I have found. It's warm, soft, wicks moisture from the skin, retains warmth when wet, and drys very quickly. The only drawback is that it can get pretty hot when the sun comes out. So I was excited when Brent at OEX hooked me up with the new lighter weight long sleeve shirt. Gave it go on Sat.

The lightweight shirt feels a bit like a rashguard on the outside, but the inner lining is a soft almost terrycloth-like fabric. Upon putting it on I immediately noticed that it does not have the same instant warmth as the heavier weight shirts. In the cool pre-dawn with a slight breeze it was just enough to keep me warm standing on the beach. I got splashed a little getting out through the surf and noticed that it is much like the heavier one in that it retains it's insulation when wet, unlike a rashguard which gets cold quickly from the evaporative cooling.

Paddling out at a decent pace I was very comfortable. This shirt definitely breathes nicely. I often have to take off the heavier shirts for the paddle out, particularly if it's calm, or I work up a sweat. Not in this one. I think it will be perfect for most spring/summer/fall mornings where you just need one layer to stay warm. That day was overcast and as a breeze picked up, I was just on the edge of comfortable with the mysterioso shirt alone. With an aquatec shirt over the top I was perfect. Once the sun came out I was fine with just the mysterioso and did not get hot (the temp was a cool 65 that day).

All in all I think this new line of mysterioso fills a gap in my paddle clothing closet. It has all the comfort I've come to expect from their products, and is a cooler version of their traditional line. If you've never tried any of their stuff, I suggest you check it out. You'll probably never wear anything else on the kayak again, at least when it's cool.

And it's fishy...