Duluth Trading Company’s Men’s AKHG Renew Bamboo ¼ Zip Mock

Lightweight, wicking exercise top

The Duluth Trading Company’s Alaskan Hard Gear (AKHG) Renew Bamboo ¼ Zip Mock is supposed to be durable, comfortable, and stylish enough to wear around town. I’ve been putting through some tough workouts, and it has performed well.

The AKHG Renew Bamboo ¼ Zip Mock is made out to 58% rayon (made from bamboo), 38% recycled polyester, and 4% spandex. It’s lightweight and comfortable to wear. I’ve worn both synthetic and merino wool base layers, and both offer positives and have drawbacks. Some synthetic material can become a little scratchy after a few wearing/washing cycles, and they can be a little off-putting after a long workout in the rain. Merino wool base layers can provide a softer feeling and wick well, but they require more care to keep clean since I have to hang them up to dry (most are machine washable, but I find mine last longer if I hand wash).

My number one priority when I’m heading out for a workout is finding a top that has good moisture-wicking ability. This is especially important now since getting cold and wet in alpine weather can be brutal, even dangerous. I need a top that helps me do what I love without overheating or freezing.

Holds Up to Tough Wear

I wore the AKHG Renew Bamboo ¼ Zip Mock for a series of hill workouts this fall. On most days, I worked out in bright sun without any wind, running intervals with poles up one of the local ski areas overlooking Lake Tahoe. It’s a great high intensity threshold workout, generating all kinds of heat and sweat.

While the soft, smooth fabric absorbed quite a bit of sweat, given how hard I was working, I was happy to be wearing a soft shirt that dried quickly and didn’t end up smelling like a wet Labrador that had rolled in something horrible. (I still marvel that back in the day we all exercised in cotton.)

If I’d been wearing one of my scratchier, smellier, super wicking but less tightly woven base layers, I probably would not have been comfortable once the wind started picking up later in the morning. 

As a bonus, the intense, direct, high-altitude sun didn’t make a dent in the SPF50+ fabric. The collar, zip neck, and shoulder gussets remained comfortable, and I didn’t experience any awkward bunching or irritating seams. I appreciated the hidden zipper garage at the top of the collar that kept the zipper from bashing into my neck.

I also wore the AKHG Renew Bamboo ¼ Zip Mock on a day hike through the Sierra over a mix of narrow, brushy single track, fire roads, and nordic trails that had just been brush cut right before the Northern Sierra was set to get blasted by an early season snowstorm. (The area reminds me northern Scotland but with more fir, granite, and vertical, with less heather and no sheep.)

Brutal winds (of up to 30mph) and a mix of rain and snow at elevation makes for difficult layering. I wore the AKHG Renew Bamboo ¼ Zip Mock underneath a wool sweater and a Gore-Tex shell, and I was extremely comfortable. I put out enough heat to build a small raincloud on the outer surface of the sweater and wet out the inside scrim layer of the jacket’s back and chest and upper sleeves. However, between the large side vents on the jacket and the base layer’s wicking ability, I stayed comfortable over the course of a long day despite the horrible weather.

One of the best feelings during a workout is hearing the wind pick up down the ridge, seeing the hard sleet launching into your clothing, and still feeling warm and dry on the inside.  Even better, post-workout, I could sit in Truckee’s poshest coffee without getting any side looks because I didn’t smell like a damp wooly sheep.

I really like the mix of comfort and function the AKHG Renew Bamboo ¼ Zip Mock base layer offers.

Details

The XL size draped well, with a tapered fit through the sides and waist, as well as enough built-in stretch that the shoulders didn’t bind. I’m looking forward to wearing the AKHG Renew Bamboo ¼ Zip Mock this winter for ski coaching and backcountry tours.

The Duluth Trading Company’s AKHG Renew Bamboo ¼ Zip Mock is available in men’s sizes: MD, LG, XL, 2XL, 3XL in colors: Black, Dark Sea, Gray Khaki, Paprika, Rosemary. Check out women’s AKHG Renew Bamboo top styles.

$59.50 at duluthtrading.com

Product image from Duluth Trading Co website.