Long Sleeve Shirt for Hot and Humid weather

[Nicholas Couis]

Hi,Can anyone give me feedback on the best shirt, long sleeve, that they have used in hot and humid weather and the material its made from.I know the new shirts from Backpackinglight have just been released so i am also waiting for feedback on these,Thanks.

[Christopher Plesko]

I like and use regularly a white Patagonia long sleeve capilene 1 shirt.

[Mark Verber]

My recommendation would depend on whether you are looking for just sun protection and maybe modest bug protection, or if you need sun & nasty bug protection. I have found that permethrin treatments applied to the typical base layer is effect against modest bug pressure, but doesn't provide adequate protection when the bugs are really nasty.

If it you are looking for sun and nasty bug, then you want something that has a tight enough weave to keep the bugs out, but loose enough to let some wind through to keep you cool, and ideally wicks well. Lots of folks make ok shirts from some 100% nylon supplex to nylon polyester mix shirts. My favorite are the new BPL shirt, railriders shirts (I like the adventure shirt the best), or the MH canyon shirt. The BPL shirt (only worn in a couple of days) is 1/2 the weight of most supplex shirts, seems a bit better at wicking, but isn't quite as air permeable… so approx as comfortable at railrider shirt, a bit better than the canyon shirt.

If you aren't looking for a shirt that will protect you from heavy / nasty biting bugs, then I would suggest some feather weight base layer in white (or something made with schoeller Coolblack which should be avail next year). Some people like wool, some people like synthetic (ideally with a silver based anti-stink treatment). Take your pick.

My favorite hot weather shirt is an inexpensive Terramar micro mesh shirt: very air permeable, drys quick, and VisaEndurance seems to effectively keep stink down. Alas, looks like only the short sleeve version of this shirt is sold now. There is a somewhat similar Terramar featherview long sleeve shirt which can be found for $14 at STP or campmor which might be good.. also with VisaEndurance.

–mark

[Anonymous]

Like Christopher I use a Patagonia Capilene 1 LS shirt. I would skip the tight weave shirts, which are less breathable, and go for breathability. You can always use permethrin if bugs are a concern.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Light weight – REI Sahara or Columbia Titanium, both in polyester

Mid weight – .511 (the brand name) tactical shirt, of heavier, non-shiny nylon ripstop.

Heavy weight – Cabela's polyester Wosterlon shirts that feel like wool. Their mid weight is good for fall & the heavy wosterlon (if you can find it) excellent for winter.

I've got 3 heavy Wosterlon shirts and 3 light Wosterlon shirts. Most are for dress but they are very high quality.

Eric

[John Sixbey]

I've been meaning to try Railrider's ecomesh shirt. It's nylon, spf 30, has mesh on the sides, and is 6.8 oz. The colors seem a little foofy and they're spendy, but they're on my list of new gear to buy.

[Huzefa @ Blue Bolt Gear]

The shirt on my wishlist is BPL UL Merino -wicking and wool knowned for its stink-resistance. It is thin enough to be comfortable in hot weather and can be used in cool to cold weather as a base layer. From one review in 'Reader Reviews' flies cant bite through. Perfect.

[Christopher Plesko]

Not if it's black though!

[Brett Tucker]

Lots of times when a hiking shirt, let's say, is marketed as a "desert" shirt, or a shirt for hot / summery use in general, the matter of SPF, or UPF as I guess they're calling it now, comes up.

Now, if the shirt is long-sleeved and features a stand-up collar, then we can all readily see how that shirt – as a simple physical barrier to sunlight – will help guard against getting a sunburn. But usually, regardless of the shirt's specific feature set, these garments will be marketed as offering a specific UPF – something convincingly impressive like a 30x or 50x protection factor – with the implication being that the fabric features a tight weave that the sun's rays can't effectively penetrate.

What the marketing tends to omit, however, is that this tight weave is generally undesirable from the standpoint of ventilation and thus cooling, as it simply lacks good air flow and, often, moisture transport and evaporation. As if tacitly acknowledging the problem, those shirts of the genre that are marketing most aggressively at the "desert user" will tend to feature mesh panels along the sides, or a gusseted mesh port on the back, deep front zip, etc. These features will naturally tend to increase the garment's weight, complexity and therefore cost, but not always its objective ability to ventilate and move moisture. Sometimes this point may be overlooked by the wearer, however, specifically because of the marketing. And then there's the matter of all that mesh and various gizmos that in theory *should* work, and therefore, since we bought into the marketing, must be working. And that, by inference, the more simply featured garment must therefore be the inferior.

Now again, this is all founded on the premise that the tighter weave shirts are necessary in order to have us survive a full day in hot sunny weather without getting, well, burned. If we ignore this possibility for a moment, and just seek to find the lightest, most breathable, best wicking shirt – the one that actually performs best in all around hot weather, be it humid or dry, while we're exerting heavily, I would hazard to say we'd generally end up with one of the ~4 oz loose weave knits, and to heck with the tightly woven fabrics.

I know, I know. What's with this "we" business. Isn't comfort, just like fashion, entirely subjective? Well, okay. But will someone – anyone – who's actually gotten a sunburn while wearing the breeziest shirt in their closet please tell their story?

I just don't think I buy the hype about sun shirts. I think these companies are trying to scare me. And as a fair-skinned lad who happens to be infatuated with hot weather and desert travel, experience simply doesn't bear out the marketing claims for me.

[Terry Morris]

OK, I know this is probably heresy on this forum but the most comfortable long sleeved shirt I've found for hot tropical climates, especially if there is some breeze and if you aren't actually having to have to backpack this thing around, is an oversized loose weave linen shirt.

I was just in the Yucatan planting trees in the midday sun, luckily by the coast where the was some breeze. It was in the mid 90's and 100% humidity. I had a close fitting REI Tactel Nylon sunshirt with me with various mesh panels, zippers, and inserts. There was no way I could keep that thing on. In a dry climate maybe, but in a humid one it was an immediate sauna. The fabric is tight enough to work as a windshirt. Even with the side panels open I was very uncomfortble.

On the other hand the large loose weave white linen shirt I had with me did get wet with sweat and the humidity, but the breeze blew thru the damp fabric, and it cooled down before it reached me. It seemed to work kind of like a swamp cooler. It also helped that the shirt fitted quite loosely on me so breeze could enter from below.

I did not seemed to get burned at all thru the linen shirt. I don't know about the bug factor as they were not out in the direct sun during the heat of the day, and it might not work in a humid climate with no breeze. Yeah, linen is heavy, but for staying cool it worked for me, but then I was not backpacking. As for the people who lived there they sensibly avoided working in the midday sun and we eventually learned to work only in the early morning and late into the evening as as they did.

[John G]

The summer temps in my area are usually around 85-95, and the humidity is usually around 80-90 percent – and shady / overcast days are rare (although rain is not…)

The best thing I've found for hiking is loose fitting, polyester T-shirts. I tried cotton, but it feels very clammy – which makes the humidity seem much worse. The poly T makes the temps (with high humidity) feel about 10-15 degrees cooler (depending on how high the humidity is and how much breeze there is).

The poly T-shirts are thin. About 1.5 times as thick as the white undershirts sold for wearing under a dress shirt & tie. About 1/2 as thick as many cotton T-shirts. (At least judging from the amount of light that shines through when you hold them up and look through them from the inside). The breeze also blows through them very well.

Despite this, I've never gotten sunburned even the tiniest bit though them (and I burn relatively easily). This includes trips to the beach and Arizona, where the back of my neck and tops of my forearms (not covered by the T-shirt) got burned. The thin shirt protected my shoulders and upper back just fine at the beach.

The shirts offer zero protection from biting insects though. I often use a windshirt if the bugs are really bad, but it's like a sauna in hot humid weather. Sometimes I just prefer to get bitten.

ps: The poly T-shirts I have are a cheap generic type sold at Dick's Sporting Goods for around $20 ($10 on sale). The back label say's "Fitness Gear". I think the hang tag said something about Dry Weave (or Dry Clime ?), but I don't think there was any sort of anti-stink treatment. Despite this, they don't get stinky even when wearing them hiking for 3-4 days. I think it's because they breathe so well and are too thin to hold a lot of sweat.

[Michael Davis]

I've tried many nylon "camp" shirts such as Columbia Silver Ridge and Railriders Oasis. While all these are good shirts, the almost non-breathable fabric just doesn't cut it in summer. In addition, I can't stand the way i smell in synthetic shirts.

My recommendation would be one of these Icebreaker Merino long sleeve wool shirts. Either the 140 weight Solo crew top, or 150 weight Bodyfit Atlas crew top, or 150 weight Bodyfit Atlas half-zip top.

You can feel the breeze blowing through these garments and they are durable enough for all but the most rugged bushwacking. For insect protection, wash them in Sawyer permethrin.

And, they actually come in a variety of colors!

[Terry Morris]

Michael- Tell me a bit more about the weather you are wearing the Merino longsleeves in. How hot and how humid? Doe you wear the shirt tight or loose?

Knit fabric does seem like a good idea for letting the wind thru while keeping out the sun. It is just hard to imagine wearing anything too clingy in the tropics, I'd think you would need some room for the air to circulate to effectively cool you off, or is the cooling accomplished by wicking and water evaporation?

[George Matthews]

For hiking along tree covered mountain trails…

Backpacking Light Merino UL Shirt

When hiking in the sun…

Patagonia Cap 1

However, I usually go short sleeves for hot and humid. Tried shirtless on one 'oven' day this summer. Was fun. Did a couple of day hikes with white cotton tees and it worked well (I know, I know, I shouldn't be alive to tell the tale)

Try different materials and see what works for you.

[Nicholas Couis]

Yes i agree that breathability is the most important.I have tried most of the shirts listed .I know that armies use 50%cotton/50%poly for there clothing for jungle use.This seems to work as well as any other.Could Brett or Miguel in Japan offer any info as i know that they have experienced hot/humid weather over there.Also could Richard Nisley offer any technical information on materials suited for hot/humid weather when sleeves have to be worn down.Thanks again.

[Michael Ray]

I'm confused like Terry, and Michael never responded back to his question. Seems I've read many conflicting things on whether the clothing should be tight or loose. If it isn't a good wicking material (eg, linen, cotton), then loose seems to be the case, and that makes sense. I'd think if you wanted merino or polyester to wick that it would have to be in contact with your skin, no?

Being from a snowy climate, it does seem weird to me to learn that wool is being used on hot and humid climates, too. I'd think you'd burn up. :) I know I do NOT like cotton for boxers or shirts for summers in Indiana.

Edit: corrected double negative that reversed my meaning.

[Philip Mitchell]

I live in South Florida and did a trip from Lake Okeechobee to Hobe Sound Beach a couple of months ago. It was pretty hot during the day, humidity not too bad. I wore an Icebreaker 140 short sleeve for the entire trip. The shirt was breathable, and kept covered areas from being burned. The shirt dried quickly after soaking up sweat and didn't even start to smell until day five.

I usually wear capilene1 down here for day hikes, which is pretty comfortable, but it does stink.

[Art Sandt]

There are probably better options, but I have always used a MH Wicked L/S shirt, sized up a size from what I normally wear. It's semi-mesh poly fabric, not too heavy, but not so thin that you'll get a sunburn through it. When it gets too hot I just push up the sleeves.

[Miguel Arboleda]

Pure wool, like Merino, is not popular here in Japan for the summer walking… it just gets too clammy in the muggy heat. Cotton is the preferred material when you don't climb up high where it gets cold. Most of Southeast Asia uses cotton for the very hot, muggy weather. The properties that make cotton so bad for cold climates… the inability to dry quickly… is actually a big plus for humid weather because the retained moisture helps to cool you down in even the slightest breeze. Most people who walk in the tropical rain forests tend to go with just t-shirts and shorts (or long pants for when you're trying to avoid insect bites).

Wool is used in dry, hot climates, like Egypt and the Atacama in Chile. It breathes very well and stays warm when the cold nights come.

Here in Japan wool/ polyester (or rayon) blends are popular for the mountain walks because you often ascend from very humid valleys up to cold summits. My favorite shirt is one made by a Japanese outdoor clothing manufacturer named Taras Boulba (an offshoot of ASICS), in a 32% wool/ 58% Polyester/ 10% Polyurethane blend called "Sportwool" that has the warm of wool, but the quick drying capabilities of polyester. It works great in the humid weather here. I usually use it in lieu of a merino base layer as it is loose and allows airflow, and only add the merino base layer, short sleeve shirt when it gets cold.

[Brett Peugh]

I don't know how anyone could wear a synthetic baselayer as a sun shirt. I tried a few times and I was just roasting after doing any exertion. I was looked for a better sun shirt but being tall the RailRiders stuff was too short. Instead I found the SunTech from Patagonia which has mesh down the side and to past your elbow. Loose fitting and still looks decent enough to walk into town and eat at a restaurant. There is also a button up past the elbow so you can roll the sleeves up and tie them up so they stay in place.

[Jeff Jeff]

Pretty much anything other than "shirtless" is going to suck in those conditions. Look into UnderArmour heat gear. It's form fitting so it feels like wearing nothing and it dries very very quickly.

[Amy Lauterbach]

For me, the most critical thing has been to shorten the hem on whatever hot weather shirt I'm using. I make my shirts long enough to cover my navel and keep the sun off my belly. But it leaves a plenty big gap for air to move around.

My current favorite hot weather hiking shirt is the Patagonia Island Hopper, short or long sleeve. I've been using it for ~5 years. Prior to finding the Island Hopper, the RailRiders EcoMesh was my favorite. I like the Island Hopper pockets more than the RailRider shirts – they are really large and secure, will easily hold passports, tickets, sunglasses, etc.

[Hikin’ Jim]

I went on a hiking trip in Japan in August '07. Talk about humid.

One thing that noticed was that nylon dried very well, whereas things like my shoes and socks did not. I will tell you that it was extremely nice to have dry clothes in the morning to put on.

Having said that, I'm sure that Island Hopper, Railrider, etc. shirts will do well, but if you already have nylon pants and shirts, they will dry out well. Not saying that nylon breathes the best, having no knowledge either way, but it worked for me.

You might also consider thinner socks than normal if you can make them work, again so that they dry out.

When I left Japan, I just threw my hiking shoes in the trashcan; they reeked so badly.

[Nicholas Couis]

Howw is the sizing between the Patagonia shirt and the Railriders. Also how is the fit between the two. I have the Railriders but find comfort and breathability to be soso.In Hot and Humid connditions breathability is extremely important.I am using the shirt , not base layer, for travel and hiking so it will also be worn to restaurants et, thanks.

[Erik Graf]

I like sun protection b/c I hate to lather myself up and have that goo on me (which transfers to my bag) for days at a time.

In the East/Rockies: Rail Riders: http://www.railriders.com/men-adventure-top-p-823.html?cPath=104_111

In the Desert: TNF or Columbia sun shirts with high SPF.

I usually sleep in a Patagonia capilene shirt (keeps my bag clean and is silky and nice) which serves as my "back up" shirt and usually is the shirt I walk out in on my last day of hiking (ie. my cleanest item left). I have several I use for kayaking (I have the older Graphic Crew shirts with the Hawaiian print or the Quileute Indian type design) so they pull double duty for hiking.

http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/product/mens-capilene-1-baselayer-long-underwear-graphic-crew?p=45370-0-653

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