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Most of our readers live in the US, so many of you may not have heard of Rohan. This UK-based company makes very high quality travel and outdoor clothing, based on some of the most advanced, technical materials available. Fortunately, you can purchase these clothes, even if you don’t live in the UK. They produce men’s and women’s clothing lines, and they graciously provided some items for us to test on our trip down under. This post will cover the men’s clothing items that I personally tested. You can find the women’s items in this post.
Rohan Clothing Items
Things to know – I’m 5’11 tall and approximately 170lbs. I wear a size medium in the shirts and trunks, and a size 34 in the chinos, and they fit perfectly. These items are not cheap, but if you’re spending almost nothing on travel, you can afford to buy some high quality gear. In the long run, durable, well-made clothing will last longer and save you money.
Merino Union 200 T – $47 (discontinued, see below)
This t-shirt is made from a blend of 60% merino wool and 40% polyester. The shirt that I tested is 210g in weight, but it has been replaced by the Union 150 T ($69), which is even lighter at 160g. The cut of both shirts is the same, and I am actually a big fan of the fit. These shirts have an athletic cut, but do not feel tight. They also have an unusual feature – elastic bands around the arms. Initially, I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, but I actually ended up really liking the way the sleeves fit on my arms!
As with most merino garments, these shirts dry quickly (3hrs for the new version) and resist odor. I’ve worn this shirt for many days in a row on a few trips. Due to being 40% polyester, it does not completely resist odor. I could detect slight odor after about four days of (heavy) wear. After a quick hand wash/dry, the odor was gone.
Merino Union 150 Long Sleeve Crew – $69
This long-sleeve t-shirt features a blend of 63% merino wool and 37% polyester. It is very lightweight at 185g, and it serves very well as a base layer to keep you warm, wick away sweat, or shield you from the sun. The cut is quite slim, which I really appreciated, because I could easily wear it under other layers. I wore it on cool, windy days in Queenstown, NZ and under the Elite Jacket (see below) while skiing. It does an excellent job regulating temperature!
Merino V Neck Sweater – $67 (discontinued for now)
This 100% merino wool sweater is a very fine piece of clothing, with excellent technical qualities. I wouldn’t normally recommend bringing along a sweater, but this one is so light and packable, that it took very little space in my bag. I actually ended up wearing it more than I anticipated. This sweater worked very well as an over-layer on cold days in New Zealand. Its modern fit also allowed me to wear it over a button-down shirt to look sharp for dinner at the Park Hyatt Sydney. No ironing or steaming needed; wrinkles simply fall out of the sweater with a quick shake. After wearing at least 15 times, I’ve still never detected a hint of odor.
Merino Union 150 Trunks – $34
Again, sorry, no fit pictures 😉 These very lightweight boxer-briefs feature a blend of 63% merino/37% polyester. I found these trunks to be a bit shorter/tighter than I prefer. This is perfectly understandable, as the cut is more of a european style from a UK company. If you prefer your undies to have a bit of breathing room, you may want to size up from the guide on the product page. With that said, these trunks do what they advertise – keep you cool and dry all day!
Grand Tour Chinos – $99
The Grand Tour Chinos are fantastic! Rohan has at times been criticized for not being very “stylish.” Many travel-friendly pants miss the mark on style, and end up looking super technical or baggy like clown pants. These chinos do not have that problem; they are definitely stylish, with a modern cut. I wore them to a nice dinner in Sydney, hiking in Fiordland National Park, riding along the Great Ocean Road, and to play golf near Queenstown. They are extremely versatile.
They have a few great technical features, like a secret, zippered security pocket inside the right-front pocket. The 100% Polyamide fabric is wind resistant, quick drying, and quite soft on the inside of the pant legs. My absolute favorite feature, however, is the hidden elastic in the waistband! This means that I can bring these pants on a trip and not worry if I gain a couple pounds. They will stretch right along with me!
Elite Jacket – $320
The Rohan Elite Jacket may be the best outer shell/raincoat that I’ve ever worn. This jacket is highly wind-resistant and 100% waterproof, while somehow remaining breathable. I wore this jacket while walking all over Sydney for two very rainy days. It kept me completely dry from the rain, while also preventing me from sweating (much) in the Australian summer. I also wore this as an outer shell while skiing in Keystone, Colorado. Despite a pretty significant fall, it kept the snow from getting to me at all!
Perhaps my favorite feature of this jacket is its ability to pack down into its own pocket for easy transport. At 335g, this is also one of the lightest jackets I could find. The hood has a single pull cord on the back to tailor the fit for maximum rain protection and peripheral vision. While it is a bit pricey, I highly recommend this jacket for its versatility, packability, and complete water protection.
Final Thoughts
I personally enjoyed each piece of clothing that I tested from Rohan. The most useful items, in my opinion were the Elite Jacket and the Grand Tour Chinos. Their prices for merino items are in line with-, or a bit lower than other producers, especially if you can find an item on sale. Head over to their website and poke around for yourself. Cheers!
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