Long sleeves during summer time?

My dermatologist freaks when he finds out I've been ignoring his advice to wear long sleeves. It's a good idea but I find it so uncomfortable, like wearing long pants. At least I'm wearing my Tilley M5

People all have their preferences… but you know what? This is one thing where most everyone can adapt and get used to — one way or another.

I personaly like to use a light long sleeve base layer (Patagonia Capilene 1)in the summer for sun and bug protection. If there is no breeze and its hot I can just pull the sleeves up. The capilene material drys fast and holds up well to pack straps.

Generally I wear long sleeves. It's easy to roll them up when necessary, not so easy to roll short sleeves down…

my icebreaker wool keeps me cool when its hot and warm when its cold. i always wear long sleeves for my baselayer.

My longsleeve of choice has been a Mountain Hardwear "Wicked" shirt. It's a fabric-y type of polyester mesh that breathes well, but provides sun and bug protection. I buy one size larger so it's very baggy and drafty. If I'm too warm, I just push up the sleeves. If I get really warm, I'll soak the shirt in a stream or just take it off. At night, I pull the sleeves back down and I don't get chilly as quickly.

I have yet to try wool in the summer (it seems warmer than synthetic per unit weight/thickness), maybe I'll get one of the new BPL wool l/s shirts and give that a try. My Icebreaker "superfine 190" l/s shirt was too warm last summer, though that was not a trip where I got a lot of rain.

I cut the sleeves off old baselayer shirts and carry just the sleeves. I can slip them on or off without breaking stride. This is an old trail runner's trick. This is also a great UL option, as you probably are wearing a short sleeve shirt anyway. You now need only add the weight and bulk of a pair of sleeves and not a whole shirt! You may find that you need to sew some velcro tape to the top of the shoulders to help hold them up. Experiment a bit to suit your individual need.

Peter

I wear a very light longsleeve wool base layer in the summer, and a wide brim hat. Mostly because I hate messing with sunscreen, which is otherwise necessary on a multi-day trip. The wool keeps me nice and cool, even more so than bare arms in the direct sun, in all but the hottest conditions. If I hiked somewhere really hot, like AZ in summer, I would consider the separate arm warmers trick.

I've tried the long sleeve baselayer in the summer (Patagonia wool 2) and it just doesn't work for me. I get way too hot. I also typically end up with mosquito bites on my shoulders. I haven't tried permythrin spray though. What I find does work well is a long sleeve supplex shirt. I like the Mountain hardware canyon shirt. It's much cooler than a light baselayer, and provides good bug protection. I'll use it with the sleeves rolled up and I roll them down for bug protection if necessary.

Dan

Due to my skin cancer I have had to switch to long sleeve shirts and a Tilly hat. I just cannot wear long pants as much as I try. I have to wear short while I am hiking

Another option that one could consider is a short sleeve shirt used with Defeet ArmSkin or ArmSkin Lite. Pull them on when you want long sleeve coverage, pull them off and your back to short sleeves. They stay in place, offer sleeve like protection from cold or sun and they dry fast. These can be seen at http://www.defeet.com if interested. Defeat makes top quality socks a hand gloves also.

Don't forget about Railriders Eco-mesh shirt. Plenty written about it.

Not perfect, but tough to beat.

I would second the eco-mesh… or it’s brother the adventure shirt which uses buttons for the neck rather than velco and has bottoms on the sleeves which makes it easier to push them up (at the cost of .8oz). Though is shows dirt quickly, I would also suggest getting it in bright “white”. I found that color makes a big difference as Richard pointed out in a thread about dessert clothing

The RailRiders Adventure top is indeed one of the best choices you can make because of it’s thin, UV-protectant fabric, and the amt of mesh down the sides. I’d like to throw another name into the ring though:

Coolibar Athletic Shirts are more fully featured than the RailRiders shirts, but receive little attention in the backpacking community. In fact, I’d say that this shirt is even cooler in the heat because the lower bag is completely mesh. The RR Adventure shirts only have mesh down the sides, and a tiny opening in the middle of the back. Coolibar shirts also have flaps that fold down from the sleeves that cover the back of the hand. There is also better neck coverage with the flip up collar.

I found the Coolibar shirts when I was looking for their sun gloves to use on the PCT this year. I also feel that the Coolibar shirts are more comfortable to the touch…a bit softer for sure.

Eric, how do the weights of the Coolibar and Railriders shirts compare?

My measurements put the Coolibar shirts at 2 oz heavier than the RR. There is a bit of excess fabric that could be cut off behind the HUGE zipper on the front side, that would allow for even better ventilation. This would probably eliminate .5 to 1 oz. They may be a tad bit heavier, but I think breathability is just as good, if not better than RR, and comfort is definitely better. The shirts just have a better fitting cut, at least for my sorta-skinny 6'1" frame.