Sun hoodies, hiking tights, and hot weather

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

To hike the CDT I wore my zip-offs as shorts. When walking into the sun it was unbearable. I clipped a large bandana to my shorts pockets in front. This would shield my legs from the sun, kind of like a skirt, without adding any heat to my body.

I wore a Jolly Gear button down hoodie. I really liked the hood a lot. It provided good shade for my face. What I did was clip it to the bill of my cap with a binder clip. It added warmth when it was cool and kept mosquitoes away. It did feel a little hot in the sun but it provided shade for my face so that made up for it. The rest of the shirt is just a button down shirt. The fabric on the sleeves is very light. When it was hot out I was hot but I would have been hot no matter what I wore.

[W I S N E R !]

It’s going to be 95 where I live today. This isn’t even a full-blown heat wave. I’ll be hiking later this afternoon.

Heat acclimatization is real. I think this is part of what’s getting lost in this discussion…and not just acclimatizing to temperature, but also to clothing. I can understand that sweating in full coverage clothes with a hood would feel disgusting if you don’t do it regularly. But for me to hike safely year round, it’s a fact of life that I came to accept long ago. If I visited the Sierra to hike once per summer maybe it would be different. But I live in those conditions all year.

Something to note: you will rarely if ever see construction workers, gardeners, or farm workers in short sleeves or shorts (let alone exposing their ears and necks) anywhere in Southern CA, even on the hottest days. There’s a reason for this.

If all the clothes feel “gross”, it’s better than the alternative.

[Brett Peugh]

I know alot of people like the Echo Hoody, how does the hood hold up for sun?  Asking because I have an old white Echo ls 1/4 zip but thought the hood would be too thin for my bald head.  Thanks!

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