Shirts

Featured review by G00se

Outdoor Research’s Echo Hoodie is an ideal alternative to the grease and chemicals of sunscreen. Weighing in at 4 ounces, the Echo Hoodie provides SPF15 sun protection, with material that wicks sweat and keeps you comfortable when the sun is beating down on you. This hoodie and a ball cap completely negated my need to carry sunscreen (and bug spray) over the summer.

The Echo Hoodie became my go-to shirt for all outdoor activities this summer. I hiked in it—a lot. I ran in it. I rappelled into a cave in it. I mowed my yard and took a follow up nap on my deck in it. I even wore it on a winery tour for style and sun protection.  Balk Knob, Shawnee National Forest Rock Island State Park, Tennessee Cumberland Mountains, eastern Tennessee Initial Impressions Right out of the package, I was surprised by how light and thin the hoodie was. The shirt packed down to the size of a softball in my hand and only weighed 4 ounces.  The fit was just right.

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Featured review by Twig

A Purple Rain Adventure Dress is a nearly perfect hiking garment, especially for hot, muggy, and shaded conditions such as those found on the Appalachian Trail. I wore mine continuously for my AT thru-hike. I prized it for its supreme ventilation, simplicity, functionality, durability, comfort, and quick-drying materials. The side-pockets were perfect for carrying my phone, snacks, toiletries, and a myriad of other things. I never thought I'd find a more comfortable piece of clothing than a Purple Rain Adventure Skirt, but the dress design is my new favorite.

  The most classic of AT scenes atop McAfee Knob The Purple Rain Adventure Dress in Shenandoah National Park My Background & Experience with hiking skirts and dresses: In 2017, I began a series of adventures that would eventually lead to a career, of sorts, in thru-hiking. I started with several section hikes of the Appalachian Trail, as well as a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail. These were my first trails wearing a Purple Rain Adventure Skirt, for which I published a review of my very positive experiences at the time.  Southern Terminus of the CDT, in my favorite Purple Rain Adventure Skirt (worn on the PCT, CDT, and AZT)  and a merino T-shirt.

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Reviewed by PhilNC

An excellent and sustainable work-shirt for days in the sun and other weather. I was comfortable in non-summer conditions in the southeast US. This is not a hiking shirt, but a functional shirt for those in outdoor jobs also suitable for casual office situations. Excellent design with functional pockets and a good fit, along with what initially seems like solid durability. Best thing I can say is I am about to order two more after testing this one.

  Patagonia Light Farrier's Shirt I began testing the Patagonia Light Farrier's shirt in Fall 2023 through the winter for work outdoors as a natural resource consultant in the southeast US.  My uses included field reviews, wetland delineations, and species surveys in all sorts of terrain, vegetation and weather.  I can honestly say it is now my favorite field shirt between October and April in my area (when days are typically not higher than 70's (deg F).  I am planning on buying two more this summer, which is the highest recommendation I can make.

Read more: Patagonia Light Farrier's Shirt review (1)

Reviewed by Twig

The Trew Superlight NuYarn Wool Pocket T is an exemplary garment for layering or as a stand-alone summer T-shirt. It is one of the most comfortable and functional garments that I have ever worn. I am impressed by its continuous-wear abilities, which meet merino wool class performance, and may even exceed certain standards given the shirt’s lightweight and quick drying properties. The only problem it suffered from is some pilling in high-abrasion areas, which is common to merino wool fabrics. On my short-list of clothes that I would bring along for extended travel and/or a thru-hike, this shirt makes the trip, and that is the best endorsement I can give.

Product Description and Claims: The NuYarn Wool Pocket T is the layering equivalent of a smartphone—you didn’t know you needed one until you owned one, and now you can’t imagine the world without it. Our NuYarn Merino Wool has a smooth, silky surface, and is the quickest drying and toughest merino wool around.  38.9% LOFTIER, 25% WARMER, 35% STRETCHIER, 5x FASTER DRYING, 16% STRONGER FEATURES/SPECS 125 Superfine NuYarn Merino, 17.5 micron fine fibers 85% merino wool / 15% nylon Laminated stretch woven pocket Heat transfer interior labeling 4.9 oz.

Read more: Trew Lightweight Nuyarn Merino Pocket T review (1)

Featured review by Adam Jepson

I've had this fleece since 5th grade. I'm now four years out of college (that's 15 years!) and it hasn't begun to show wear. Just buy one.

For those of you who still want to know more about this fleece after reading the opening summary, it is true...I've had this thing for 15 years and I've worn it in all sorts of weather doing all sorts of activities. Yard work, hiking/camping, wearing it to football games, you name it. This thing has been with me through lots of life — campfires with friends, long hikes for contemplation, a first date with my (at the time) future wife, and it collected all of the shedding hair from the puppy we brought home a few years back.

Read more: Patagonia Synchilla Snap-T Pullover reviews (5)

Featured review by Ashleigh

The Patagonia R1 is the ultimate mountain shirt. It is great as an insulating piece in cold weather and a great stand-alone fleece in cool weather. It can be used for almost any cold weather activity. I personally used it mostly for backpacking and hiking, but I have also seen many climbers wearing R1 Pullovers and hoodies.

The Patagonia R1 is a staple in my backcountry gear. It goes on every trip with me. I love it so much that I bought two! I wear it as a stand-alone fleece from 45-59 degrees. I could wear it while hiking/running at 20-40 degrees. I wear it as a baselayer (under a puffy) when the temperature drops into the 30's. It is a very minimalist piece that has no pockets, hood or adjustablilty, but it only weighs 9.7 oz. If you are interested in a hood, try the R1 Hoody. If you are interested in pockets and would like a little more room, try the R1 Full Zip Jacket.

Read more: Patagonia R1 Pullover reviews (4)

Reviewed by Mary Beth Skylis

The Showers Pass Basecamp Merino Hoodie is a terrific outdoor companion to anyone who values high-quality activewear made from natural fibers. The midweight, wool hoodie is great at moderating temperatures and resisting odors, while providing you with an eye-catching, cozy mid-layer. It's also a versatile piece for year-round performance—as a nighttime layer around a summer campfire, as a hiking layer in cool temps, or as part of a system of winter layers.

Showers Pass Basecamp Merino Hoodie If I could make every garment I own out of wool, I probably would. I love the material for its sustainability, efficiency, and general comfort. And the Showers Pass Basecamp Merino Hoodie is perfectly demonstrative of these points. Available in men's and women's sizes, the hoodie is made from 230 gsm, midweight merino wool, which is an environmentally, biodegradable fiber (although some dyes prevent previously biodegradable fibers from degrading). Plus, it’s one of the coziest garments that I own.

Read more: Showers Pass Basecamp Merino Hoodie review (1)

Reviewed by LoneStranger

Wuru's Lightweight Hoodie brings their Nuyarn performance wool, a merino nylon blend, into a hooded base layer. Worn alone it has a UPF rating of 40, but is super comfortable paired with other layers in the cold. The hood provides bonus protection from bugs or snow. True four-season gear.

  . The Wuru Lightweight Hoodie is made with an eye for warmer weather use as a trail shirt, but when the chance came up to test it this winter I was eager to see how it did as a base layer. As you can see from the high rating and lack of Cons above, I think it did pretty darn well. Before we dig into the details on this shirt, let's take a little time to look into the company that makes it. The folks who founded the company are hikers and say it was on a trip to New Zealand that it all started.

Read more: Wuru NuYarn Merino Lightweight Hoodie review (1)

Reviewed by Daniel Oates

The Vargo Slag is a lightweight, short-sleeve tee which works well as an all-purpose shirt, though it does have a trim fit design. The biggest claim for this shirt is its TiFusion (fabric infused with Titanium) technology which allows the fabric to dry quickly and reduce that classic “trail stench.” I’ve found that the Slag meets my expectations of being quick drying and also smelling fresher longer than my other (both similar and different fabric types) shirts. If you’re active and prefer slim fit shirts, it’s hard to go wrong with the Vargo Slag.

Vargo's Slag short-sleeve shirt has piqued my interest in Vargo. The Slag is a lightweight shirt (though Vargo describes it as midweight) which I have been able to use for numerous activities from disc golf to trail running. The slim fit design makes it best for any type of  physical activity with high mobility, though the tighter fit may not suit all body types. The quick dry time and odor fighting fabric also makes it easy to choose the Slag when you need only one shirt for multiple days while at the same time being very durable.

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Reviewed by Jake W

The OR Astroman Sun Hoodie is an extremely lightweight, long sleeve, hooded shirt designed primarily as a sun layer for climbers. However, I believe this shirt has uses far beyond that—biking, exposed peaks, glacial travel, on the water/ paddling, travelling, and as a wind layer. The shirt boasts a UPF rating of 50+, full coverage hood, packs tiny, and weighs in at 6 ounces (no reason to leave it at home!). The thin fabric requires a little extra care around rough rocks, thorns, etc to ensure it lasts.

 *This review is for the Astroman Sun Hoodie (available in men's and women's), however Outdoor Research also makes an Astroman S/S Sun Shirt and an Astroman L/S Sun Shirt, both in men's and women's.*   As you can see the fit is quite boxy, not much tailoring, great for airflow.  FIT/ COMFORT The fit of the Astroman Sun Hoodie definitely airs (pun intended) on the boxy side. There is plenty of room underneath for air movement to keep the user cool. I've worn the hoodie both directly against the skin (it's uber soft) and with a thin merino tee, with a high level of comfort in both.

Read more: Outdoor Research Astroman Sun Hoodie review (1)