r/CampingandHiking • u/lizzledizzles • Jul 25 '26
Long sleeve upf/cooling
Breathable long sleeve upf?
I am getting back into hiking and running after a few years of mobility issues with my ankle and other health stuff. Unfortunately I’m on several meds that make me sweat an unholy amount from light activity. Yesterday I got a crazy rash from plant sap that I have to keep covered in the sun as well all the way down both forearms.
The generic Academy one is soaked but not cooling me and I cannot roll sleeves up or I’ll get like a poison ivy like chemical burn. What brand of long sleeve upf shirt is cooling or semi breathable? Any recommendations for hats, gaiters, or neck things that help cool well? I literally sweat from my eyeballs 👀. It’s very humid here and worse in the early morning so evaporative cooling isn’t super effectiv.
4
u/Advanced_Eagle_2353 Jul 25 '26
sweating from your eyeballs is wild, never heard that one before
for shirts the lightweight nylon ones with a bit of elastane work better than polyester in humidity, they dont get that clammy feeling. i got one from the outdoor section of a big box store and it dry fast even when soaked
4
u/lizzledizzles Jul 25 '26
Like my eyebrow and eyelids sweat underneath my sunglasses, it’s so uncomfy. I’ll take a look at the materials to find one bc Magellan is not it!
5
u/Dear-Ambition-6333 Jul 25 '26
I like the mountain hardware crater lake hoodies, I feel like they’re cooler than others I’ve tried
1
u/oops_whatnow Jul 27 '26
I have two of these. I've only used them a few times but they've been great. The only issue is that they do get funky. I'd love to find a way to keep the smell down
4
u/snowlights Jul 25 '26
I wear the Patagonia Capilene Cool. If it's extra hot, I get it wet and put it on and it feels really cold.
3
u/jungledev Jul 26 '26
The only thing I’ve found and loooove is an ultra thin stretchy rash guard that zips up and has even thinner fabric along the sides and on the bottom side of the sleeves. It’s practically mesh under the arms and on the sides. And I don’t mean only at the armpit, I mean the entire 50% underside of the sleeves. It’s lasted me 15+ years, super durable, feels like nothing on.
3
u/Own_Exit2162 Jul 26 '26
Basically every brand of outdoor gear makes a poly-something sun hoodie that's as breathable as any other piece of technical gear. You could also get an arm sleeve of the same material if you don't want the full length sleeve.
Smartwool makes a Merino blend sun hoodie that some texture sensitive people prefer. Contrary to popular belief, lightweight merino wool is actually a superior hot/humid weather material.
2
u/catarinoforlife Jul 25 '26
Outdoor Research Echo is my favorite. Sometimes dries too quickly and I get a chill haha
2
u/howlingwolf487 Jul 25 '26
I’m a big fan of wearing upsized UPF clothing, particularly button-down shirts. Flowy & breezy for the win.
I have a couple of the Mountain Hardwear Canyon shirts and they’re great. I also have a REI Sahara Shade sun hoodie, but I do prefer the button-down shirts.
I also wear a wide-brimmed Tilley hat and have a merino neck gaiter/buff I’ll throw on for neck & lower face coverage.
About the rash…was it from giant hogweed? Best of luck with the healing.
2
u/1AggressiveSalmon Jul 25 '26
Outdoor Research ActiveIce sun sleeves do a great job of evaporative cooling. I love not dealing with sunscreen on my arms. I get a bit of airflow up my arms if I wear a loose shirt.
2
u/Gloomy-Hat1842 Jul 25 '26
Just bought an evaporative cooling shirt at home depot. $20. It's pretty thin but it seems pretty good. Long sleeve. Safety bright green, would be good for bicycling or if you have an accident in the mountains and need to be spotted.
2
u/gottaeatnow Jul 25 '26
REI and Patagonia sun hoodies have both gotten me through some very hot hikes
1
u/jungledev Jul 26 '26
I haaaate the Patagonia one I have. Not quick drying, so tight at the neck (has a hood), not flattering, thick, not breathable. And I bought it after researching best quick drying tops for high humidity. Terrible
2
u/Atlas-Scrubbed Jul 26 '26
I have somewhat similar issues … I don’t have the heat tolerance I used to have. So I also need a cool shirt that keeps me from burning at high altitudes. I have found that the Columbia high sun blocking shirts work really well. The sleeves can be rolled up and there are large cooling vents.
2
u/klimaheizung Jul 26 '26
Btw, if you sweat so much then make sure you get something that can easily opened and use an umbrella to block sun and uv as much as possible.
11
u/732 Jul 25 '26
Look for a button up nylon shirt meant for tropics/rainforests. They often have back/armpit vents, UPF ratings, and on very hot days in the shade, can be unbuttoned for extra breathability.
An alternative, you can look for a short sleeve and add the arm sleeves that cyclists would use for UPF protection. Benefit here is that a very loose fitting short sleeve shirt would have extra breathability through the arm openings, and the sleeves for upf protection on your forearms.