I’ve become a bit of a Rohanist of late. I’ve been looking for a warm shirt for winter recently, more for casual wear than walking, but hadn’t been able to find anything that appealed, until I saw the Rohan Beacon shirt. At £60, it’s hardly bargain basement, but it is a high quality shirt with some attractions. The material feels like brushed cotton but is, in fact, hollow core polyester. It feels very nice and has about the same level of warmth as a brushed cotton shirt. Obviously, it has the advantage over cotton of not absorbing moisture and being faster drying. It is also crease resistant and doesn’t need ironing.
It features two buttoned chest pockets and a hidden zip pocket behind the left hand chest pocket. One nice detail is that inside the collar and cuffs, there is a contrasting plain material to add a bit of style. I’ve now worn it a few times and like it very much. I’m sure it will be hard-wearing and ideal for the colder months. I doubt that I’ll take it walking, but it would be a good shirt for cooler weather trekking, where you might want to wear a shirt rather than a base layer. The one thing I can’t vouch for is odour resistance. If you don’t like red, there are four other colours to choose from.
Disclaimer: I bought this with my own money!
Over the years, I have been a great fan of Rohan gear. Their Bags (trousers), with six pockets and a D-ring for keys, last forever. The Winter Bags are great in the colder weather and are still comfortable to wear indoors.
Had some Rohan kit years ago. I shall call into their shop in town sometime for a look based on your reviews.
I suppose their adage is ‘Technical gear disguised as clothing’, or something close to that!
I was in their shop Guildford shop last week. You get a feeling of expensive upper class clothing when you enter. I liked their barracade packable waterproof which purports breathability levels like that of ‘event’!
Chap in their Kingston-Upon-Thames branch believed that they use Primaloft 1 in their synthetic thermals even though not stated!
I think they’ve upped their game over the last year or so and have some good crossover products.
I agree Robin. Rohan, about 30 years ago, made gear for hill walking and skiing rather than the every day market. For a time, they seemed to lose the plot and everything seemed to be geared towards High Street use. I’m glad to see they are moving a wee bit back to their original market. I do accept though, that the leisure market will be many times larger than the outdoors market!