Which is cooler, long or short sleeved shirts?

[Paul_B]

It's starting to get hot again. Blue skies and the risk of sun burn is high. T-shirts are ubiquitous right now, however I don't know if they're the best solution for heat and sun.

I'm usually wearing wickng t-shirts when walking out and about. Exercise and heat I reckon needs care even in Britain where we rarely get extremes of temperature.

A good decade ago I was doing more walking than now and started wearing a long sleeve cragghoppers expedition shirt over a base layer t-shirt. I was convinced that was actually cooler than just a t-shirt. What do you think?

Reason I ask is I need to kit up a bit and want a slightly smarter shirt for walking and other things in. I could choose long or short sleeve shirt as most brands do the same shirt in long and short sleeve versions. Details are exactly the same just sleeve length. I can't spare money for one of each but I really don't know which is best. I can't find my old ls shirt to see if that's better and I don't have a as version of those button up shirts.

I want a shirt simply because the two brands I'm looking at (cragghoppers and Rohan) have a double flip up collar. I like that because I'm tall and my neck burns occasionally because even Sahara cowls to hats don't cover my neck good enough. Both brands have mesh vents across the back of your shoulders, mesh vents in armpits, built in insect repellant and high upf sun protection. I don't always carry a rucksack so I guess back vents would cool me down better than a t-shirt could.

So what's your view? Long or short sleeve? Button up shirt or simple base layer t-shirt?

 

[Broch]

Long sleeve and, when you want to/need to, roll the sleeves up

I've used the Graghoppers in deserts and have no complaints; they stay cool and comfy and, as you say, the extra material on the collar protects your neck. I'm sure there are more expensive makes out there (sorry, 'better' makes) but Graghoppers have always done me fine in hot conditions.

It's not just the sun that long sleeved shirts protect you from; depending on where you are they protect you from biting beasties as well.

 

[JonathanD]

What Broch said Always good to have long sleeves and a collar.

 

[Mowmow]

I'd go for a long sleeved shirt for the versatility. You can always roll the sleeves up.
It will also provide better protection from sun, insects, brush, etc.
They can be cooler sometimes, and hotter other times than having more exposed skin, depends on wind, shade, activity level, etc.
But according to Les Stroud you become dehydrated quicker if your skin is exposed due to the breeze n sun. Your clothes will trap moisture in. I'd also say that if your clothes are sweaty you cool much quicker, its just a bit clammy feeling.

If youre going for a hot weather shirt, id go for one that is fairly loose fitting, with plenty of room and airflow.

I'd avoid any synthetic fabrics in the summer sun, regardless of if they're wicking or not. A nice dry base layer to change into when it cools off in the evening or whatever is a good shout though.

Theres new ideas about how colour doesnt really make a difference in how cool different colours keep you.
In my opinion though, in direct sun, black is miserable and hot to the touch.

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[Paul_B]

There's black and there's coolblack. What's that you might ask. Well iirc some fabric company had developed a black colour fabric that actually reflects light and heat making it cooler than lighter colours. Basically you don't get that hot to the touch black trouser leg when sat in the sun. Iirc mammut is the brand that first brought out products in this fabric. It be works too I read once.

 

[Paul_B]

I had a sort of slight green tinted cream fabric shirt from cragghoppers. It was as little baggy too. I could button up or have it loose at the front over a quality, wicking base layer. That was cooler it felt to me than just the t-shirt. That's on Lakeland fells in full day heat of summer.

I really don't know why but I can never get the long sleeves comfortable when I roll them up. They always go bulky and round cross section that just feels too bulky against my arms and body. I'd agree with ls being more practical as in capable of being ls or as but this bulkiness is putting me off a bit.

Cragghoppers do an expedition 3 shirt in ls and we plus a pro IV shirt. I had the exped original version but like the pro IV. Anyone got experience of the Pro shirt by any chance? Which one would you use for walking?

 

[Robson Valley]

When you look at pictures of crowds of people who live in warm places,
you see the men all wearing baggy long-sleeve, white shirts.
I believe the long sleeves wick away perspiration better, every time the fabric touches my arms.
To me, 47C in the shade is enough to make me use a fan, even outside. I'm ready for it.

 

[Paul_B]

We never have anything as warm as that in the UK but then when we have warm for us we're not that good at coping. If it gets close to 30C up here in North Lancashire we're usually complaining more than if it's raining and 10C!!

 

[Robbi]

check out youtube videos on how to fold up long sleeve military shirts ( yes they do exist ! )

you'll never have a sleeve come loose again !

 

[Erbswurst]

Between 30*C and 45*C I prefere this shirt.

LIGHTWEIGHT CLOTHING - Short-sleeve hutning Shirt 500 - Green

£9.99 - LIGHTWEIGHT CLOTHING - Short-sleeve hutning Shirt 500 - Green - SOLOGNAC

www.decathlon.co.uk

I wear it outside the shorts and get ventilation from the belt line to the collar and to the back gap and to the button line. That is far better than a usual t -shirt.

But it is very thin and doesn't protect the body if it starts to become fresh in the evening.

I wear this shirt in southern France, but in Germany I use a thick midges proof long sleeved shirt, which I can wear inside or outside the zipp off trousers and where I can roll the sleeves up and down.

That here is a new original German army shirt by the way. Surprisingly cheap. Still made in Germany by A.Bloechel in Neuhaus am Inn.

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[santaman2000]

We spent most of today on the beach. A little over 92f here today (33c) It was wonderful having a cool day. Short sleeves and lots of sun block.

 

[TLM]

If something looks black to the eye it absorbs visible frequencies, there is no way around that. It can still reflect IR which we don't see.

Also cooling with sweating is directly proportional to the amount of water evaporating from your skin (most efficient way) or to a lesser degree from tight clothing.

Clothing blocking (reflecting preferably) direct sunlight and loose enough to allow air circulation would be a good start. It is difficult to achieve with a backpack though.

I have used long sleeved Supplex (DuPonts trademark for fine thread polyamide) shirts with lots of meshed openings with good record. Dries fast too if it gets wet.

 

[John Fenna]

Loose, long sleeve, cotton or linen shirts in a khaki drill or pale olive green seem to work best for me for keeping cool in hot weather. I roll the sleeves if I want (military style - it works! Taught to my by my mother whose father was a CMS in the KOSBies, her first husband a Sargent in the same, her brothers in the ranks - my father was in the RAF during Military Service after WW2 ). Natural fibers tend to pong less than synthetics if you cannot wash them too often (ie on exped) but tend to rot faster in the jungle!
Strangely enough light wool works very well in hot climes as well...

 

[Broch]

Experiments have shown that black Bedouin robes are as cool as light colours - it is presumed they create a 'chimney' effect which causes air to circulate and cool the body. Whatever the truth of that, in desert conditions, loose clothing covering as much of the body as possible is the only way to survive.

I never wear shorts or short sleeve shirts in the desert, scrub or the woods - when you're trekking, getting burnt can terminate your trip, and ticks, flies and mosquitoes are a short term annoyance and a potential long term killer.

 

[TLM]

When walking in a sunny hot desert I think that radiation does not affect the overall heat balance all that much, night time is very different. But one should remember that full insolation is about 1 kW/sqm. That is actually quite a lot.

 

[MikeLA]

Hi. Your comment -

A good decade ago I was doing more walking than now and started wearing a long sleeve cragghoppers expedition shirt over a base layer t-shirt. I was convinced that was actually cooler than just a t-shirt. What do you think?

Reminded me serving in 130 degree heat in the forces in Kenya that was the daily temperature at a place called archers post.

We were issued with a string vest and a tropical shirt. The idea being the string cloth kept the red hot shirt off your skin and also kept a space between for you to remain cooler.

Long sleeve shirts are always better and give far more options.

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I have several of the Bear Grylls shirts made by Craghopper, at the time I think they were the next generation of the standard shirt, so had the flaps, extending collar and straps for keeping your sleeves rolled up.
I wore one in China and it was brilliant, able to wash it at night in the shower it was dry the next morning, creases falling out of quite quickly so I bought two more when I came home.
If you have limited funds I would always buy the long sleeve shirt because as other have said you can file the sleeves up.


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[TLM]

Fishnet shirt underneath is an old solution to the problem, I have limited experience in the tropics but the one I have is positive for fishnet, spent some months in Dubai. Was laughed at by the locals for my wide brimmed hat but that worked too.

 

[Erbswurst]

Of course a Sombrero works well.
The Asians use similar hats too and we had such stuff in Europe as well.

I think the arabs don't use them because they had originally no straw and would loose it in windy conditions on their camels.

 

[Broch]

I think the arabs don't use them because they had originally no straw and would loose it in windy conditions on their camels.

The 'Arabs' (a very generic term) don't use them because they don't keep the wind-blown dust out of your ears, eyes and mouth - the head scarf (turban, keffiyeh, smagh - or whatever regional name you prefer) is a very flexible piece of headgear that can instantly be turned from head and neck protection from the sun to full facial protection from dust storms.