Triple Aught Design Traverse Tech Tee $70, tripleaughtdesign.com

The Good: Comfortable, looks great, doesn’t carry odor at all. 

The Bad: The lightweight wool is prone to snagging.

The Ugly: The faces you get when you tell someone that you haven’t washed your shirt in two weeks. 

We love  Triple Aught Design’s for the simple effectiveness of their gear. The tactically-inspired apparel combines utility with an understated aesthetic, and their Traverse Tech Tee is the epitome of this ethic.

The athletic-cut Traverse is made up entirely of lightweight 150g Merino wool. No logo, no designs, just a plain t-shirt that comes in four muted colors. But, just like everything, it’s what’s inside that count.

The tee is a beast during any hot weather activity, thanks to its Merino guts. An all-star material in the outdoor world, the wool dries quickly, vents well, and it doesn’t stink at all. I’ve taken the Tech tee everywhere from Alaska to Belize and it performed like a champ, especially during long trips. The breathability and sweat-wicking was great during morning runs and hikes, the simple, clean design looked just as home in Jordanian marketplaces as it did while sprinting to my next gate, and the odor protection let me wear it for days on end.

The only issue I had was with the shirt’s durability. The Traverse’s lightweight build, leaves it vulnerable to snags. A few afternoons of wading through chest-high manzanita bushes pulled the fine merino to pieces. During normal use (running, hiking, even rock climbing), it was fine, but the branches did it in.

Steer clear of manzanitas, rose bushes, etc., though, and you’re looking at a shirt that you’ll take around the world with you. And you’ll be glad you did.