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When to carry/wear a Short Sleeve shirt?


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Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 29 total)
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  • #1311133
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    Is there any good reason to carry or wear a short sleeve shirt, whether knit or woven or base? Or is a long sleeve shirt usually a better choice?

    #2055385
    Paul Magnanti
    BPL Member

    @paulmags

    Locale: Colorado Plateau

    When you are playing skins vs shirts dodgeball. 'Natch

    #2055408
    Max Dilthey
    Spectator

    @mdilthey

    Locale: MaxTheCyclist.com

    Of course, some will tell you that they like them.

    But no, I think sun protection plus bug protection plus the flexibility of rolling up your sleeves makes LS the "best" choice.

    I'm bracing for a firestorm…

    #2055410
    Justin Baker
    BPL Member

    @justin_baker

    Locale: Santa Rosa, CA

    Hiking in a mostly shaded area in warm weather, the short sleeve will be cooler. Actually going shirtless would be even cooler. I would go shirtless more often if pack straps didn't rub shoulders uncomfortably, sometimes it's just so much more practical to not wear a base layer.
    In direct sun long sleeve is generally better.

    I almost always wear a long sleeve button up shirt. Cotton for hot weather, polycotton for warm weather, and nylon for cold/wet weather. I keep the sleeves rolled up 75% of the time and roll them back down when I need sun protection or protection from brush.

    #2055413
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    > But no, I think sun protection plus bug protection plus the flexibility of rolling up your sleeves makes LS the "best" choice.

    Well, that's what I'm thinking. I purchased several SS knit shirts for 'packing, and I'm thinking I won't end up using any of them. Seems that either I want to be warm, or I want the protection from the sun/bugs/brush. I bought 'em, but I don't think they were the best purchase I've made…

    #2055417
    hwc 1954
    Member

    @wcollings

    I always wear a short sleeve tech t-shirt for hiking when it's 60 degrees (F) or warmer. I can always put a long sleeve shirt on over it if I were to get cold.

    I want the sun. In NH, it's almost impossible to get enough due to the latitude. If the bugs are flying, I'm going to wear bug spray anyway, so putting some on my arms is no big deal.

    #2055465
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    Most of the year I hike in a Rail Riders Eco-Speed T and Patagonia Baggies. A Houdini or Poncho covers the bad weather. This year through spring, summer, and fall I did trips in the Sierras, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and a few other states and I didn't see enough bugs/mosquitoes to be a problem. I think they must be an urban legend :)

    Alaska and Minnesota might be a different story.

    As for the other thread on shorts and cancer… I don't understand the fear of shorts.

    AT

    I do adhere to Fletcher's "Second Law of Thermodynamic Walking: Give your balls some air," whenever possible.

    Had to edit this, since I spilled a Diet Pepsi on my keyboard the the Shift key is sticking.

    #2055479
    M B
    BPL Member

    @livingontheroad

    Long sleeves work best in low humidity places with lots of intense sun.

    You will want short sleeves where there is humidity and shade.

    On the AT I wear short sleeves down to about 50, and just put fleece on when stop

    #2055485
    Paul Magnanti
    BPL Member

    @paulmags

    Locale: Colorado Plateau

    As an East Coaster by birth, and Rhode Island in particular, I have to say the insects in the thick of summer can be awful. Black flies in mosquitoes in northern New England in June? Egads!

    But ticks in particular can be worrisome.

    Lyme disease is a real concern, even more so than when I moved away from there 15 yrs ago.

    I'd actually be more concerned about ticks on my legs than sun exposure from wearing evil, nasty shorts here in Colorado. ;)

    Lyme, CT is where the name Lyme disease originated after all….

    **** Really..you went hiking in RI? Not many people do. Curious where you went? Went hiking back there on a recent family visit and hit the start of peak foliage season. Rather nice.

    #2055542
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    > Long sleeves work best in low humidity places with lots of intense sun. You will want short sleeves where there is humidity and shade.

    Well, that puts a lid on the issue for me. I'm a southwest desert rat. Sun and dry, not much shade.

    In my defense, I'd gotten the SS primarily for duty as a base layer. But recently, on one warm hike, I took off my LS shirt and hiked in the SS because it was convenient. End of the trip my arms were way more brown than I like them. So I need to exercise some discipline and keep those LS shirts on. I'm going to put this into effect by simply not carrying any SS shirts.

    That'll teach me.

    #2055543
    bjc
    BPL Member

    @bj-clark-2-2

    Locale: Colorado

    He was the man! Whenever I get to obsessed with gear and tech I pull out and read his stuff. The guy used a one compartment pack when he went to an internal frame,a plastic tarp and an ensolite pad! My oldest son is named for him. As to the shorts, I almost always hike in baggy shorts that I can put something under or over as needed. Currently using a long baggy Golite short with the liner cut out!

    Forgot the original intent of this thread after reading Nick's post! Unless I know it is going to be cooler I prefer a s/s shirt as my bottom most layer. I carry a long sleeve shirt and wind shirt as well so if I need to I can layer or wear either shirt singly. Spending a lot of time above treeline, weather, biting insects can influence my choices but my first choice is almost always a s/s shirt.

    #2055563
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    Paul,

    Did a good part of Mid State Trail and then down to the North South Trail in RI last June. Actually you could hike through the entire states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts on these trails. I just did a short section in RI, as some of the trail requires road walking. Camping is not allowed in most places, but use your imagination :)

    #2055564
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    Why even wear a shirt when the weather is nice?

    #2055572
    Paul Magnanti
    BPL Member

    @paulmags

    Locale: Colorado Plateau

    I meant to do the NST when I lived there. The one time I was going to, it was hot, muggy and my buddy and I said "the hell with it". :)

    My wife and I did a (very brief) stretch in the Arcadia Management Area when we visited this past October:

    Beach Pond

    To get end the thread-jack:

    re: Why wear a shirt if the weather is nice?

    Personally, I would not want to scare people! ;)

    I thought this was a joke thread a first (guess not!), but I often wear a short sleeve for day hikes. Long sleeves for multiple days as I do not like wearing sun screen. Clogs the pores, picks up dirt and feels "icky" on long term trips.

    If I was back East in the southern Appalachians, I'd probably do short sleeves.

    #2055626
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    "Why even wear a shirt when the weather is nice?"

    Nick, didn't you wear a shirt when you got married?

    –B.G.–

    #2055676
    Edward Jursek
    BPL Member

    @nedjursekgmail-com

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    I hike in SS Ibex Echo with the zipper. I find that when I roll up the sleeves of a LS shirt it makes my arms warmer and is uncomfortable. I use a combo sun tan/bug lotion so insects are not an issue.

    #2055685
    Clayton Black
    BPL Member

    @jivaro

    If you have 'guns' you wear SS under any and all conditions.

    Otherwise use LS and roll them up.

    I wear LS.

    #2055689
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    > If you have 'guns' you wear SS under any and all conditions.

    Ha ha! Well, good point, actually. My contractor, who has massive biceps and triceps muskles, wears nothing but sleeveless at all times, even when he's shivering with cold.

    #2055710
    Rick M
    BPL Member

    @yamaguy

    del

    #2055728
    Dustin Short
    BPL Member

    @upalachango

    Maybe you're typical LS Rick, but not my dead bird Phase SL!

    But yeah, for the most part I wear a LS year round due to either cold or dry and hot conditions. Now if I was in the midwest or southeast the SS may come out, although I'd probably stick to a looser fitting LS that lets me roll and button up the sleeves (like my ex-officio ASL shirt).

    One place I'm considering wearing a SS is as my next to skin in winter. Still toying with the idea, but I could use a merino SS to maintain odor control and then something heavier like a cap4 hoody for overall warmth. This has the benefit of reducing the number of tight/trim layers around my elbows so I don't feel any restriction of movement…but convenience says I'll probably still stick with a LS base layer.

    #2055789
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    "One place I'm considering wearing a SS is as my next to skin in winter. Still toying with the idea, but I could use a merino SS to maintain odor control and then something heavier like a cap4 hoody for overall warmth. This has the benefit of reducing the number of tight/trim layers around my elbows so I don't feel any restriction of movement…but convenience says I'll probably still stick with a LS base layer"

    Sort of similar. On my last trip i wore a NB sleevelss synthetic summer type shirt as a baselayer, with a Paradox Merino dri release LS shirt on top of that, with a wind jacket. I also used kevlar arm sleeves with a thumbhole for dusk and morning hiking.

    The NB shirt has a polygiene treatment. The reason i wore that shirt and in combo with the Dri Release Merino was because i was trying out a VBL shirt for sleeping, and i wanted stuff that would dry fast and not smell.

    Worked well, and i thought the little extra for the torso was nice while hiking at around 25 to 29 with freezing rain pelting me.

    According to Richard Nisley, or rather his research into the military research, silver treatments are superior to even merino as far as odor control. Not sure if that is definitely true or not, but the NB sleeveless shirt did well with the VBL despite that it was higher humidity and higher temp than ideal for VBL use. (it was clammy at first). This was only a weekend trip, no idea how it would do more long term.

    So i think in Winter at least, sleeveless shirts have a place.

    #2055800
    Jake D
    BPL Member

    @jakedatc

    Locale: Bristol,RI

    Woo RI peoples ;)

    I wear short sleeves most of the time until the fall. i'll add arm warmers for cool mornings. i usually have a Icebreaker 200 LS in the pack for sleeping in.

    i stopped wearing bug spray in NH a while ago and go with light long sleeves instead. more comfortable and less smelly. getting above treeline is even better.. there is usually a breeze and that keeps them away.

    #2055817
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    Thanks for the post, Justin. Also pleased to hear of odor control experiments gone well. You put me onto Paradox Merino Dri-Release and I'm very happy with them so far, both for warmth and odor control. Just recently got the base pants to match the base shirt.

    #2055823
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi Delmar,

    Your welcome, and i appreciate the appreciation.

    #2055835
    Dale Wambaugh
    BPL Member

    @dwambaugh

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    I wear a short sleeve base layer tee most of the time in the summer. I always have a windshirt so that can take care of intense sun and bugs if needed. My skin leaks in the presence of switchbacks so cool is good. I'm usually in the trees and I don't burn easily either. Keeping a cold rain shell off my arms is a good thing, so it's long sleeve if I know it will be raining.

    If I was going to take off on a through hike I think I would get the lightest weight, white color long sleeve base layer. I definitely wear a long sleeve base layer for shoulder seasons and even thicker base layers for winter.

    If you haven't gathered, there is no such thing as too many base layers :)

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