The North Face Reactor Hoodie

One shirt to rule them all!

After seeing rangers and guides on Mt. Rainier wearing lightweight hoodies to protect themselves from the sun I decided to find one so I could wear less sunscreen. Sunscreen collects dust and becomes a stinky mess after a day on the trail.

Plus, my daughter and girlfriends all universally hated my Lawrence of Arabia handkerchief-under-the-hat look:

My old hoodless shirt to was snagged, stinky, stretched out to size XL and stained. You know it is bad when you smell YOURSELF. Washing didn't completely eliminate the funk. We had great times together but it was time to move on.

Why wear a long sleeve hooded shirt?

I hate wearing sunscreen about as much as I hate getting sunburns. Using this shirt's hood to protect my neck works great. Even though a hood and longer sleeves can hold in a little extra heat the added shade the hood provides makes up for it and the wicking fabric has a cooling effect as well. Want short sleeves, push them up. Getting cooler, pull them down. 

It also happens to pair perfectly with a Trailspace cap. 55°F and drizzling.

Fit/Features

Although I find thumb holes in sleeves to be effeminate, they are an okay feature and add length to the sleeve to accommodate my long-ish arms. 

The hood is double-layered to keep more heat in, or out. Whichever you prefer. 

To get the looser, air-circulating fit I like I opted for the size large rather than the medium I normally wear. I am 5'-10" and weigh about 190#. My build is medium. 

Another sweaty approach hike. 85°F. Note the teal interior fabric of the double layer hood.

This thin shirt is now my go-to and take everywhere layer. It fits under everything and is perfect for sunny days when I am working up a sweat. 

Hot, sunny day comfort on top of Kaleetan Peak with my boys and our new +1.  About 90°F this day.

Starting to get windy and foggy atop Guye Peak.  

Durability

It doesn't seem to snag as bad as the coolmax type weaves I used to wear.

After wearing this shirt all summer on several hikes and scrambles it shows zero wear.

Warm enough for days when my girlfriend steals my Rab Strata jacket. About 60°F with a light sprinkle this day at Colchuck Lake.

Dislikes

The thing I dislike about this shirt is that the ultra-plush, soft, touchable fabric attracts and holds lint like a magnet. Straight out of the dryer I have to pick it clean for a few minutes. Plus it's spendy. I tried to find a cheaper version, but to no avail.   

Lint MAGNET!! This pic is when I took the shirt straight out of the dryer.

Conclusion

Hate sunscreen? Like shade? Want one shirt to wear every day? Got 40 bones laying around doing nothing? You're welcome. 

Update 06/13/19: STILL MY FAVORITE THING TO WEAR IN THE BACKCOUNTRY

My base layer on Mt Hood



Mt Adams

Background

I've been struggling with something to replace sunscreen for a long time now. I just hate the way dirt and sweat mix with it on multi-day trips.
I've been climbing and hiking my whole life and I've summited all the Washington volcanoes (except Glacier) plus Mt Hood several times.