Sun Shirt

well….

I keep trying shirts – and I keep coming back to the Rail Riders Adventure shirt. It is truly a work of art in the Dork department, but of all the shirts i keep trying here in the central Texas sun (and in my high sierra treks the past 2 years) it's the one that seem to keep me the coolest and the one I keep coming back to.

All I need to do now apparently is pair it with the Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat and I'll NEVER get a date again….

I have several Columbia silver ridge LS shirts that I bought on close outs. They claim a 50 SPF rating and are very comfortable. I bought them when I went with clothing as a defense against bugs instead of chemicals. They too are vented at the back but mesh paneling would defeat the bug proofing aspect anyway.

jimmyb

The Kuhl Wunderer. Love it. It is my go-to shirt for most trips, including fishing.

HTH

KJ

+1 for the Railriders Adventure Shirt. Some of the mesh on the back may be blocked, depending on which backpack you use, but the mesh under the arms lets the cooling breezes through.

I should also mention that I treat the shirt with permethrin to solve the problem mentioned by jimmyb.

it's a relatively loose fit, does a great job of wicking moisture off the skin and dries very quickly when wet. no vents, but it breaths. i have a couple of them and wear them in the field all the time. it's my go to shirt if i'm going to be at the beach or pool and i pretty-much don't take it off. not sure what the spf is, but it appears to offer good sun protection. i pair it with a sand colored boonie hat and i'm good to go. not only is it good for the dog days of summer on the trail or at the beach, but it makes a great base layer for glacier travel when things have heated-up and you've peeled-down and the folks wearing dark colors are baking.

Just ordered the Rail Rider Adventure Shirt.. on sale for 19.95 .. so I ordered 2 different sizes with 2 day shipping… SWEET

I wear a Houdini windbreaker or something like it with nothing underneath.

Depends on where. If rain is unlikely as in the Sierra in the summer or the desert, I wear long sleeve cotton T-shirt… yes… cotton. It's cooler. In crease sun protection by washing in Rite Sun Guard.
https://sunguardsunprotection.com/

billy

I like tightly woven cotton for hot weather if it isn't super humid.

I recall answers to a similar question a while back and the best recommendations I gleaned from that are the RR Adventure and also the Solambra Ultra Athlete (http://sunprecautions.com/product/15400). Guaranteed to get you a date with Jennifer… =)

> I wear a Houdini windbreaker or something like it with nothing underneath.

That sounds ghastly in the hot sun.

I just wear your basic button-down hiking shirt. I have one I got in the Fishing department. Fishing gear is cheaper than hiking gear, probably because there are a lot of poseurs wearing hiking gear. Also, a polyester-cotton men's dress shirt works great. You just don't get as many good pockets.

I saw you already picked up the RR shirts but for future reference and research of others:

Patagonia Sol Patrol II long sleeve shirt. It's like all the other "fishing/safari/hiking" type shirts, but it's made from polyester rather than nylon. So it actually breathes through the fabric (I'd say it has at least 30 CFM rating, but don't kill me if I'm wrong) and not just the vents, although it does still have a vent and vented chest pockets. It has really good sun protection, a couple chest pockets, rollable sleeves with the button holder thingy, back vent and a double collar that flips up extra high.
It's a pretty nice shirt.

I'll also use a Nike Drifit hoody that's a very light gray. Actually multiple light grays as its striped on the body and solid for the shoulders, hood and arms. Light, thin fabric that breathes well and the hood is great for the sun.

Simms LS Solarflex UPF50

Comfortable, long lasting, great sun protection, I basically live in these shirts. My girlfriend loves the hoody version.

I like the Columbia Tamiami II
UPF 40, but the jam is the fabric…very light and stretchy. When it gets wet (rain or sweat) it doesn’t seem to stick to me like other shirts. You can find them at most big box sporting goods stores so they are easy to check out before buying. They used to make a version that was pre-InsectShield treated, but I haven’t seen one of those in a couple years.

BTW, If you decide to send it to Insect Shield yourself, it will shrink enough to change the fit, so buy a little big.

Montbell just came out with a sun hoody…I'm curious how well that works.
Patagonia's version didn't really do it for me.

I have an old arcteryx whitish cotton/poly button down shirt. I like the fit (not so freaking tent like) and the little bit of cotton keeps it way cooler than anything else.

on the other hand, it smells soo bad after about a week on the trail.

Cool Hoodie?

This Red, a dark Blue, and a Gray. All cookers in the sun, IMHO.
7 ounces, is good. Actual air flow? Unknown.

On my last trip I tried out a Rail riders shirt, it has very good ventilation, also has insectshield.

Oh, and you have an appropriate name for the topic.
.

I use a Mountain Hardware sun shirt…I'm not sure if it even exists anymore it' so old, so obviously it's bomber. It has mesh lining under the arms and armpits, not in the back. Mesh in the back is blocked by your pack. It's polyester, so sort of warm, although I don't notice it…also keeps mosquitoes from biting. A nice big zip pocket in the front and you can turn up the collar to go all James Dean and protect your neck as well.

I have two options at my disposal.

First up is a linen button-down. Absorbs sweat well and releases it slowly, way better than cotton in high humidity. No idea of the SPF, but I don't get burned in it.

Second option is an REI Sahara nylon shirt. SPF 50. Wore it all day on the salt in Bonneville. Got burned on my upper thighs from sunlight reflected off the salt up my shorts, but my upper body didn't burn.

OR Sunrunner cap with snap-off neck cape. I hate wearing sunscreen, but when I do it's from Sawyer.

NUTS.
I live in Atlanta…
5 REI's, 1 Patagonia, 1 Bass Pro, 1 Cabela's and 4 Outfitter stores.
I can probably go find most of these to check out..there goes my Sunday.
And I wonder how I got to be such a gear addict-DUH :)

Nevermind found my answer.

I use an ExOfficio Bugsaway Check shirt with insect shield. No complaints and the check pattern makes it a little more stylish for around town use IMO.

Ryan

I tried on that montbell hoody at the store and I like it a lot. The material is thin and breathable and has a 3d structure so it should wick well. Its the same material as their lightest base. The blue color is fairly light and I don't think any of them are too dark for a sunshirt, although lighter would be better. I've come to like using a visor in combo with the hood from my light wool hoody for sun protection, but I've yet to find a similar setup for warmer weather, but this one seems promising. Man, wish I had more $75 baselayers in the budget.