Long sleeve sun safe top

[avoca]

Hi all, I’m planning to take a short sleeve top and a long sleeve top with me on my Portuguese Camino this may/june.
I’ve already got my merino tshirt and I love it. Now looking for a long sleeve top.

Everyone seems to recommend merino, but long sleeve merino tops seem to be marketed as being for cool weather, rather as a sun smart option. For example, I like this one from zorali but unsure if it will do what I need it to.

Would a merino long sleeve top still keep me cool and protected from the sun?

Or should I go for a more SunSmart option like this one from Solbari which is polyester.
Or should I go with more of a traditional hiking button up shirt like this Kathmandu one made from recycled polyester?

Keen to hear what’s worked best for you.

 

[SioCamino]

I used something like this from Craghoppers last year https://www.craghoppers.com/womens-nosilife-adventure-long-sleeved-shirt-iii-seasalt/
It was great, I was walking during a heat wave and it was very hot for me, I'm also very sun sensitive and burn easily. I found the shirt cool to wear light and easy to wash, wondered why I hadn't gotten one years ago!

 

[ElCee]

My very sun sensitive walking partner wore a long sleeve linen shirt every day in very hot weather and loved it. It didn’t always dry over night but she didn’t mind wearing it a little damp. She wore sun screen, as well, and didn’t get burned. She also carried a sunbrella that she loved. She said she wouldn’t have been able to complete the Camino without these two items.
I would love to know the difference in UV protection between a regular long sleeve t-shirt like a quick dry poly athletic type shirt and these UV shirts. Is it that big a difference? I have a Uniqlo UV hoodie that I never wear because its thick and just seems too hot.

 

[J Willhaus]

I have a couple similar to the one that @SioCamino mentioned. One is a PFG fishing shirt. The other newer one I got from TravelSmith/Magellan on sale last year. They make a good sun shirt and also an extra layer for cool evenings. Loose fitting and have a front pocket for tissues, chapstick, etc.

 

[lt56ny]

I walked the CP and if you are walking from Lisbon there will be very long stretches in the hot Portugal sun. In 2021 I walked the VDLP and it was in the mid to high 90's every day for the first 8 days or so and this was in late October. I decided to walk with one pair of very light long pants and two UV protective long sleeve shirts. I was afraid I would be really hot in long sleeve shirts and pants. It turned out I wasn't any hotter than I would have been in shorts. I also wore a sunrunner hat from Outdoor Research which covered my entire neck and almost my entire face. My recommendation.

 

[t2andreo]

To save money, I recommend starting in your favorite local hiking / camping supply store. See what they have on offer. Many people find thhat Columbia line of fishing shirts work very well. They have roll up sleeves with tabs to hold the sleeve up, a well ventilated pack panel, generous pockets, an adjustable collar to protect your neck, and the fabric is rated at SPF 50 or more.

My point is that there are places you can get what you are looking for that you might not imagine at first - try fishing apparel outfitters. Especially in OZ, this should be a no brainer.

Or, try an Amazon search for "fishing shirt, UPF protection, lngn sleeves."

Should do the trick.

 

[Tickbush]

Hi all, I’m planning to take a short sleeve top and a long sleeve top with me on my Portuguese Camino this may/june.
I’ve already got my merino tshirt and I love it. Now looking for a long sleeve top.

Everyone seems to recommend merino, but long sleeve merino tops seem to be marketed as being for cool weather, rather as a sun smart option. For example, I like this one from zorali but unsure if it will do what I need it to.

Would a merino long sleeve top still keep me cool and protected from the sun?

Or should I go for a more SunSmart option like this one from Solbari which is polyester.
Or should I go with more of a traditional hiking button up shirt like this Kathmandu one made from recycled polyester?

Keen to hear what’s worked best for you.

I wear fishing-style shirts, because there’s a collar to keep the sun off my neck. But, here’s my 2-cents worth on UV clothing: I worked outdoors for most of my life, before the advent of UV clothing. I never once got a sunburn through my clothing. I think the whole UV clothing thing is a lot of hype.

 

[Telelama]

I love my Free Fly hoodie! It's made of bamboo, ultra-lightweight, UPF 20+, very breathable, it's my favorite. I don't know exactly what countries in which they sell, but here's their site:

https://freeflyapparel.com/

Product Features​

• Ultra-lightweight construction doesn’t weigh you down
• UPF 20+ offers lightweight sun protection
• Breathable fabric keeps you cool
• Crossover hood for complete neck coverage
• Left chest pocket for storing your shades
• Thumbholes keep sleeves in place

 

[walkingagain]

My favorite is the Sahara shirt from REI. It’s SPF 50, has a hood and thumb holes so it’s like wearing sun gloves. I wore it every day for the 1st two weeks of my Camino and kept me cool as could be in the sun and dried quickly after washing. My mom wore one too.

 

[Former member 114310]

Hi all, I’m planning to take a short sleeve top and a long sleeve top with me on my Portuguese Camino this may/june.
I’ve already got my merino tshirt and I love it. Now looking for a long sleeve top.

Everyone seems to recommend merino, but long sleeve merino tops seem to be marketed as being for cool weather, rather as a sun smart option. For example, I like this one from zorali but unsure if it will do what I need it to.

Would a merino long sleeve top still keep me cool and protected from the sun?

Or should I go for a more SunSmart option like this one from Solbari which is polyester.
Or should I go with more of a traditional hiking button up shirt like this Kathmandu one made from recycled polyester?

Keen to hear what’s worked best for you.

Lightweight merino is cool in the heat but for some reason most of them except Smartwool don’t seem to have a UPF rating.

Solbari have some nice polyester options, some including anti-odour systems. Likewise Macpac.

 

[JustJack]

On my VDLP in two weeks I will be taking 1 x merino wool tshirt, 1 x merino wool long sleeve baselayer, and 1 x Outdoor Research long sleeve sun shirt. That will give me what I need regardless the temperature, and all three can be layered together.

Regarding a long sleeve sun shirt (yes they are cooler than a long sleeve merino wool shirt), a couple other things to consider:

- does it wrinkle? There's a big difference in how much some shirts will wrinkle.
- is it lightweight? It should weigh almost nothing.
- how much will it smell when you sweat? Unfortunately there's no way to know this before buying and trying. I've found that while my merino wool shirts never smell, my polyester sun shirts do smell, very quickly. Some brands have built in odor reducing material. Get that if you can.

 

[Mandy Walker]

Hi there. I took a Columba Womens Tamiani long sleeved shirt. I recently went to Anaconda ( here in Oz) and bought another. Long sleeve, roll up sleeves, lightweight and quick drying. Anaconda have a large variety of colors , plus 40% discount store wide.

 

[avoca]

I used something like this from Craghoppers last year https://www.craghoppers.com/womens-nosilife-adventure-long-sleeved-shirt-iii-seasalt/
It was great, I was walking during a heat wave and it was very hot for me, I'm also very sun sensitive and burn easily. I found the shirt cool to wear light and easy to wash, wondered why I hadn't gotten one years ago!

Thanks for sharing

 

[avoca]

Thanks to everyone for your advice. I looked at all the options you gave me, and Leo looked into fishing shirts. In the end I ordered the same shirt that @Mandy Walker suggested, with a matching coloured buff too (love a sale). Everyone’s feedback was really helpful, thanks!

 

[K_Lynn]

I have a long sleeve merino shirt from Patagonia that I love. It's very light weight and wasn't too hot.

Patagonia Women's Long-Sleeved Capilene® Cool Merino Shirt

Our Patagonia® Women’s Long-Sleeved Capilene® Cool Merino Shirt is designed to naturally regulate your temperature, control odor, and keep you comfortable.

www.patagonia.ca

 

[Angela Stewart]

I like the Kathmandu option. I have been wearing mine for years, it won’t wear out. Roll up the sleeves, undo the buttons over cami or t-shirt or extra warmth under an outer layer. Very quick to dry as well.

 

[TheRealPixie]

I have a couple similar to the one that @SioCamino mentioned. One is a PFG fishing shirt. The other newer one I got from TravelSmith/Magellan on sale last year. They make a good sun shirt and also an extra layer for cool evenings. Loose fitting and have a front pocket for tissues, chapstick, etc.

Columbia also makes these sun button downs.

 

[David with new Kit!]

I used something like this from Craghoppers last year https://www.craghoppers.com/womens-nosilife-adventure-long-sleeved-shirt-iii-seasalt/
It was great, I was walking during a heat wave and it was very hot for me, I'm also very sun sensitive and burn easily. I found the shirt cool to wear light and easy to wash, wondered why I hadn't gotten one years ago!

Great choice - I wear the male version and one can have sleeves up or sleeves down. I never wear short sleeves on a summer Camino in case I forget to apply sun tan lotion. I've seen too many "lobsters" walking!

 

[starrysky]

I wear fishing-style shirts, because there’s a collar to keep the sun off my neck. But, here’s my 2-cents worth on UV clothing: I worked outdoors for most of my life, before the advent of UV clothing. I never once got a sunburn through my clothing. I think the whole UV clothing thing is a lot of hype.

when I was looking at UV clothing in an REI (a US outdoor shop) The sales person told me that there was no difference in sun protection between the UV clothing or just getting a regular long sleeve shirt!

 

[TheRealPixie]

when I was looking at UV clothing in an REI (a US outdoor shop) The sales person told me that there was no difference in sun protection between the UV clothing or just getting a regular long sleeve shirt!

Yes, if it is a tightly woven fabric.

 

[dougfitz]

Everyone seems to recommend merino

There are vocal proponents of merino that appear to be in the thrall of the marketing from various wool promotion bodies, including national bodies like Australian Wool Innovation. The polyester garment you have found should be fine, and will be easier to launder and care for generally than a wool garment.

My own preference is for a classic, long sleeved shirt, but I also have a few knitted tops (both polyester and merino) that I wear locally. Call it vanity, but the merino tops quickly reached a state of holiness where I didn't think they were suitable for evening wear. The polyester tops have taken many years have never done that, but do have some obvious thread pulls. I always find a classic shirt is a good evening wear option.