Fishin' Fashion: Long sleeved shirts for hot weather?

[Litchfieldwalleye]

X2 on the long sleeve/long pants being cooler in hot sun. There's a universe of choices out there... I like the thin, non-cotton stuff, as the modern fabrics breathe just fine and dry quickly if wet. Wide brim hats might not win any fashion contests, but they will help reduce skin cancer risk. WORTH IT.

[Chode2235]

My favorite fishing shirt is my Patagonia Cepilene 1/silk weight shirt.

The thing is nice and comfortable like a long sleeved t-shirt and has SPF 50, lets a lot of air through it and is great. Very comfortable

Some other brands have similar shirts too. I like this style a lot better than the collared button up style shirts.

[Nofish]

Everything here is spot on. There are a lot of clothes made specifically for blocking sun and keeping cool. But it is hard to beat a cotton dress shirt, any cheapie will do. I have done so for years and when I was active on the MWC many can attest to seeing me in a big white, long sleeve, ugly, light colored dress shirt from Goodwill. Fish don't care if your shirt is ugly! And my big ol stupid wide brimmed hat. Got the hat idea from Bob Probst Senior himself!

Fishing is fun, sunburn is not and I prefer to keep the chemicals at a minimum! I still do this to this day only now from a canoe or Kayak or boat.

[Rod Holder]

Two years ago I found this hat on sale at Cabela's, bought it, and have never regretted my purchase. It has a wide brim, is light (microfiber), and provides good protection from the sun. I usually put the chin strap on top and tighten it up slightly so that it stays in place up there. When I am fishing, I am not trying to impress anyone with my appearance. I am after functionality. I can dip this hat in the water if I choose for further cooling and another thing I do, similar to one other poster, is dunk a surgical towel in the water, drape it over my head and the back of my neck, and then put the hat back on over the towel. There are long sleeve shirts made of microfiber which are light and airy as well. I was given some resterilized surgical towels some years back and they make nice hand wiping rags for the boat. They make good head coolers too.

http://www.columbia.com/Bora-Bora%E2...fault,pd.html#

[MarkG]

I just wear long sleeve flannel shirts,and they are fine. But they are 100% cotton. What am I missing?? Why are so many not liking cotton? Open for suggestions.

For a hat,this is the one I have settled on. I wear one of these jungle combat style hats. Don't care if it gets wet,sometimes even soak it down with ice water to cool me off. Also packs away nicely in any compartment or bag,taking up no room at all.
http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/sh...mo-538421.html

[fishincrazy]

Originally Posted by MarkG

I just wear long sleeve flannel shirts,and they are fine. But they are 100% cotton. What am I missing?? Why are so many not liking cotton? Open for suggestions.

For a hat,this is the one I have settled on. I wear one of these jungle combat style hats. Don't care if it gets wet,sometimes even soak it down with ice water to cool me off. Also packs away nicely in any compartment or bag,taking up no room at all.
http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/sh...mo-538421.html

With that hat on and a flannel do you look like Bill Murry from Caddy Shack?????I used to have one but left it in a hotel room after a fishing trip I miss that hat.

FC

[Wade B AKA: Ruger2506]

Originally Posted by MarkG

I just wear long sleeve flannel shirts,and they are fine. But they are 100% cotton. What am I missing?? Why are so many not liking cotton? Open for suggestions.

Flannel?? Holy hot batman. The new fabrics are extremely light, breath extremely well, and dry exceptionally fast.

If it works for you that's great. Cotton is a fabric of the past. I don't use cotton at all in any of my outdoors activities. There are so many modern fibers that are much better suited to the task at hand.

Love the Boonie Hat. I used to wear them all the time. I traded them in for a hat with a bigger brim and more protection.

[yarcraft91]

Tilley hat- LTM6. Tops of your ears will thank you, cool, comfortable, a gale can't blow it off your head.
http://www.tilley.com/catalog/search...r=&search=ltm6

I recycle the worn-out long-sleeve dress shirts my wife told me to stop wearing to work. Light, cool and I have a lifetime supply.

[zooks]

Originally Posted by Wade B AKA: Ruger2506

Cotton is a fabric of the past. I don't use cotton at all in any of my outdoors activities. There are so many modern fibers that are much better suited to the task at hand.

Yup, gotta remember the old saying - cotton is rotten. I'm the same, can't remember the last time I worn anything cotton while fishing, pants included. I don't own any cotton socks or briefs anymore and I've got about a dozen long sleeve T-shirts of different weights plus a couple collared button downs if I want to look classy...

I even found some discontinued softshell pants that were made use under waders for winter fly fishing. They've got fleece backing and feel like you're wearing PJ's, they worked great last fall in the boat and this winter for ice fishing.

I get sick of wearing the booney hat all the time, so the next purchase will be a neck gaitor like you see the saltwater guys wear that can stretch over the back of your head to cover you ears and face if you want to.

For the guys wearing the old long sleeved work shirts, just know that cotton usually has a UPF of around 8, so while it should help for a sunburn, it may not block the rays that cause skin cancer.

[yarcraft91]

Originally Posted by zooks

For the guys wearing the old long sleeved work shirts, just know that cotton usually has a UPF of around 8, so while it should help for a sunburn, it may not block the rays that cause skin cancer.

That is true for new cotton fabric. Each time cotton is washed, it picks up optical brighteners from the laundry detergent, which increases the UPF. By the time my shirts are ready for fishing use, they have been laundered many, many times.

If concerned, adding RIT Sunguard to the wash will increase the UPF to 30 or so and will last 20 washings.