What kind of a shirt do you wear when hot weather bushwhacking?

I think the merino wool T-shirts have a lot of merit, even in the summer. I still like a good synthetic, long sleeve buttoned shirt. My preferences are 5.11, Craghoppers, Columbia, Ex-Officio and Arbor wear shirts. For cooler weather, I'll throw in my Swanndri Ranger Shirt.

I really like shirts that dry quickly. The problem here in the south is if you're in the woods and out of the sun and wind, it's just too humid and damp for cotton to dry out. Not a bad problem during the day, but as the temps drop and the wind picks up enough to feel, it really chills you. The synthetic long-sleeve shirts all quickly dry and also keep the skeeters at bay to some degree.

ROCK6
 
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I usually wear shirts from the British manufacturer Rohan in the summer, like the one above. They're synthetic Polyamide which keeps you cool enough and dries very quickly, and they're also treated with stuff to keep away bugs and to inhibt bacterial growth to stop the shirt from stinking. I also like the little loops at the bottom hem so you can hang the shirt up to dry anywhere.

The downside: they're not very durable, especially if you carry a pack while wearing one.

More info here: http://www.rohan.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=02594&cid=MensShirts&language=en-GB#
 
thewoodpecker said:
Light weight merino wool t-shirt...it sounds crazy but I've cycled 20+ miles in 95 degree heat in on. Check out Icebreakerhttp://www.icebreaker.com/site/icebreaker_man_superfine150_tech_t_lite.html...also,TAD Gear and Smartwool.
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:thumbup: I hike in this shirt and so far I am pleased with it. No pilling in the pack strap area yet, dries very quickly.

If anyone intends to purchase this particular shirt, Icebreaker changed to 140g wool mid-production. I found it scratchier than 150g for some reason. There are 150g shirts still around but check the hang tag to be sure.

Brace yourself for sticker shock. :eek:

I also like to wear the Cabelas guide series shirts. Cool,ventilated, and they keep the sun off me. Lots of pockets. :thumbup:
 
In really hot weather if I have to slog around in the bush or forced to do hot weather work in the bush, I wear an almost worn out see-through cotton T shirt for maximum cooling. I spray it Muskol if the bugs are bad.

I keep old Tshirts on hand for these types of situations including for weed whacker/brush cutting jobs on the trail and around the property. Cotton works the best.
 
I also like the columbia PFD shirts. Not fully skeeter proof, but they help keep them at bay. No problem with DEET and these nylon shirts either. Trust me, I use a lot of DEET!
 
I used to wear all kinds of T-shirts. Now I really dig a synthetic button up because when it's hot I can unbutton it and/or roll up the sleeves. And when it's cooler I can button up and/or roll down the sleeves. It's more flexible and I can adjust on the trail without removing my pack.

I feel like a bit of an old man hiking with a collar, but older is wiser, right?

Also you can fold up the collar to keep sun off your neck.

Typically it would be an Ex Officio or Duluth Trading synthetic shirt.

If it's *really* hot I'll wear a tank or no shirt.
 
OwenM said:
Me, too. Synthetics always seem to rub me somewhere, or grab onto chest hair in the summer time. Great for sleeping in, and for baselayers when the temperature drops, but I always end up wearing one of my work t-shirts outdoors while it's hot. I do wonder why they don't bother me as a base layer, but do when worn alone:confused:
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Guess I should post a :foot: after saying that last night. Was thinking mostly about UnderArmour HeatGear, and how it always messed me up if I worked a double shift. Some of the looser stuff doesn't do that, but what I have from other brands are almost all long sleeved.
Spent about 8 hours soaked with sweat today, and at one point my buddy looked at my shirt, and commented that it didn't even look like I was sweating. Was trying out a Russell Athletic "Dri-Power" t-shirt(and a Coolmax buff that did great under a climbing helmet), and even though it got saturated, it felt great all day, and never clung to me, or made me uncomfortable. Probably not what I'd use for "bushwhacking", but it made me want to go buy a few more. Academy has them on clearance really cheap sometimes, though they're way oversized, so you have to go down one.
 
SIXFOOTER said:
I am fond of the PFG shirts by Columbia, its hot here most of the time.
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Plus that on the PFGs..the nylon is tougher and it doesn't take the smell as much. I like the patagonia capalene t-shirts too, as well as cool max. When it is just a day trip though or a light woods trip, I really like linen for comfort and durability. In hot weather, the cooling factor works well with a shirt that stays wet, plus I'm always by some kind of campfire or in the thick brush. All my non-cottons have holes in them. All this other fancy material (though I love it) has only come about since the turn of this century and according to the books we've been surviving with linen much longer than that.
 
I never wear synthetics in hot weather.

I go to the Salvation Army store, and get lightweight cotton long sleeve shirts that are two sizes too big for me. About 3 dollars a piece. That way they fit like loose PJ top, and having been worn and washed many times by the former owners, are very soft and faded. I spent too much time in very hot places when I was in the service, and saw the locals using oversize cotton PJ's for clothing. I did as the locals did, and I was more comfortable than my Yankee high tech synthetic stuff that stinks at the end of the day. I don't do t-shirts either. Having had a brush with skin cancer, I keep the sun off.

Topics= very loose cotton.
 
Bigdumplings said:
i wear fishing shirts and quick drying nylon long sleeve shirts (with vents) that have high sun protection
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+1

I have Supplex nylon long-sleeved fly fishing shirts from Orvis, Cabela's, REI and Columbia. All are excellent, with the "Guide Wear" shirts from Cabela's being my favorite after trying these four brands.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Mountain Hardwear Canyon long-sleeved shirt. Does a much better job of concealing the moobs than a t-shirt (or so I tell myself...):thumbup:
 
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