Specialized’s Trail Top uses the latest development in technical fabrics, Cocona. Also called Traptek, it’s made with a component of carbonised coconut shell fibres that lend their merino-esque odour-diminishing properties to the polyester base fibres. It also performs better in hot conditions than wool, shifting sweat quicker and drying faster.
While we wouldn’t choose to wear the Trail day in, day out in the same way as we would a wool jersey, it’s much more comfortable under a pack as there’s no chafing from bunched-up, sweat-soaked fabric, and the cut strikes the right balance between trail casual and slimline performance.
Multiple seam details are kept well away from the shoulders and loose cuffs allow for a good throughflow of air. The zip could be deeper for more efficient ventilation but the relatively open weave helps you to keep your cool.
Two zipped pockets keep valuables safe and work well with a pack, while the gently elasticated hem stays put beneath a waist belt. Branding is refreshingly subtle, too, and we ignored the idiotic ‘cold wash only’ washing instructions happily without the top suffering any ill effects.