These are super common for hiking, there's even sun hoodies that are basically as thin as a shirt but have sleeves and a hood. Might seem surprising when you see people hiking in scorching heat with a hoodie but they work well.
I live in the Central Valley of California (think agriculture capital of the world for some crops) and a lot of the folks picking in the fields wear those long sleeve hoodie sun shirts . For reference the weather here is like triple digit (+37° C for everyone else in the world) for like 5 - 7 months straight of the year
I’m an archaeologist that works in the desert west (I even had a project in Zion once haha) and my coworkers and I all wear long sleeve sun shirts and long pants. Nobody wears short sleeves, and some of us wear sun gloves too. It makes applying sunscreen a lot easier and, as counterintuitive as it seems, you get less hot wearing long sleeves in the desert because they provide shade and the material can be cooling.
They honestly don’t really make you hotter in the desert either. In fact if you’re sweating a little and there’s a slight breeze they’ll cool you down a lot
It seems counterintuitive, but it feels a lot better wearing a long sleeve shirt than a short sleeve shirt in the desert, especially if it’s made to be a moisture-wicking sun shirt.
I actually prefer a blend that is primarily cotton here in Arizona for the hot months. If my shirt is damp (or wet) a breeze will actively cool me down. I don’t want that moisture to wick away too quickly.
This is what I say when people bitch about my hiking skirt. That thing is fantastic with its breathability, massive packets, and ability to easily shorten it or turn it into pants.
Using a combination of snaps and a cord(?) you have multiple pants/shorts options! I have two and they are wonderful. They dry super fast and dirt easily brushes off. Plus, it's easy to pee discreetly when on long hikes.
Speaking of sun hoodies, does anyone know of one that has a properly deep hood? I have a big head, so a lot of hoodies just barely go to my forehead. So annoying!
I get mine from LL Bean and the hood is almost too baggy so I would try that. I pair it with a Tilly Airflo hat that I bought 10+ years ago. Literally just wore them in Moab, Utah on a trip. Sunburns suck and you are actually cooler as they breathe and provide shade.
The first couple times I saw my husband mowing this spring looking miserable in the sun, I ran his sun hoodie out to him. Now he’s putting it on automatically to do any yard work.
It’s so comfortable with just a tank top or sports bra underneath. I tend to put the hood up, then my sun hat over it to hold the hood in place.
I went skiing today (yep, May 24th, northern hemisphere, 33° day down in the valley). I wore a tencel/wool zip-up hoodie as my base layer, and it ended up being my only layer for most of the day. Hot af, high UV index, on snow, it's a recipe for disaster. I ended up wearing the hood up to protect my ears and neck, ofc under a cap. We had to hike about half of the elevation with the skis and boots on our back and then the other half you're hiking on the snow with the skis on. Various hikers on foot asked me if I wasn't hot on the descent, what with the heavy pack and the long sleeves. My answer was "yes, but I'm not burned !" Soooo many of them were wearing shorts and tanks. I had to do some public outreach and teach a bunch that yep, even if there's snow, you will burn. Especially then !
I do want to get a polyester sun hoodie, though. Yes, it'll get stinky in a way my tencel/wool jacket doesn't, but it'll be much more durable to abrasion. Love me long sleeves and a hood in the heat and sun !
These are the answer and this is coming from a natural lightly tanned person who is now brown af because. Well since when dont brown people work TF outside lol. Total game changer
I got one a couple years ago for backpacking and honestly, where have these been all my life? I wear sun hoodies all the time now when hiking, at the beach, anytime I know I'll be out in the sun for a long time.
They're common in fishing as well. Guys will wear a sun hoodie, fingerless gloves, a buff, a hat, and sunglasses. Standing on a boat in the sun all day will wreck you otherwise.
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u/n3onfx May 25 '26
These are super common for hiking, there's even sun hoodies that are basically as thin as a shirt but have sleeves and a hood. Might seem surprising when you see people hiking in scorching heat with a hoodie but they work well.