The Topo Designs Tec Tank is a super lightweight waterproof coated breathable fabric tank top with huge rear popper pockets for storage. Its ideal for a day on the trails when its hot, airport travel or at a music festival. It also has hidden seam front pockets as well. The Mountain Tank is a 100% terry cloth cotton with a slimmer fit designed for a day on the trails or as a baselayer on colder evenings in the summer.
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In Depth Review
Although designed with a day on the trails in mind these two tank top offerings from Topo are very different. The Tec has loads of pockets and the waterproof fabric keeps you dry if there is a rain shower, whilst the more traditional organic cotton mountain top is simply a well made cotton tank top.
Tec Tank
The Topo Designs Tec Tank is made from the same material used in their Tec Shirt and Hybrid Hoodie. The material is lightweight, breathable with a slight stretch to it and has a DWR coating on it which means that its water repellent if you get caught in a rain shower.
4 Pockets
It has two huge pockets round the back with small poppers them to close them. They are easily big enough to store a water bottle, packed up rain jacket, suncream or anything else you can think of on the trail.
The Tec Tank also has discreet pockets at the front hidden in the seam, a draw cord round the hem.
Shona felt this was the best top for a hot humid day and to opt to have it fitting quite loosely to help the air flow round it . We also felt this top would be ideal travelling through airports and to wear at outdoor music festivals or concerts because of the all the storage options.
PURCHASE $89
Mountain Tank
The Mountain Tank is half the price of the Tec Tank and made of a 7oz terry cotton instead of the tec farbic. Its a slimmer fit than the Tec tank and doesn’t have the pockets and features that the tec tank has.
The cotton is warmer in the early part of the day but still keeps the sun off during the sunniest part of the day.
PURCHASE $38Verdict
Shona tried them both over a weekend on trails and decided that she preferred the Tec Tank because it had so many pockets and was useful for so many different things.
PURCHASE $89Tec Tank Features
- Relaxed fit
- Nylon ripstop with DWR reinforcements on shoulders and back yoke
- Large drop-in back snap pockets
- PackFast™ Packing Band
- Single shock cord hem adjustment
- Hidden side seam hand pockets with mesh
- Heat transfer mini map label
Mountain Tank Features
- Slim fit
- 7oz French terry organic cotton
- Varsity patch detail at neck
- Dropped armholes
- Kicked back side seams
- Shaped hem
- Embroidered map patch
About Topo
Jedd Rose and Mark Hansen had always been interested in not only spending time outside, but also in the gear needed to get out. They found themselves wishing there was a company offering a lineup a bit more like the gear they grew up using—classic styling, functionality, durability and a clear connection with the brand behind the product. So in 2008, Jedd bought a sewing machine and began concepting, designing, and sewing packs in his Fort Collins basement, while Mark set out around Denver and the front range looking for resources and partners needed to build those designs.
They were lucky enough to find local Colorado folks that were just getting started like them and were willing to build companies together, and worked with them to produce Topo Designs’ initial offering of products, continuing to work with them to this day.
