I've worn the short sleeve version of this REI shirt for lots of
hiking, backpacking, and rafting. Love it, much better than cotton
T-shirts. Lightweight, dries fast, keeps you cool when hot and warm
when cool. Machine wash and dry with all the rest of your stuff,
doesn't "pill", looks like new after 14 months of alternating between
two shirts worn almost every weekend. So far, hasn't adopted any
peculiar odors.

I bought the "nickel" color, a compromise between white (cooler) and
showing too much dirt.

-- Rex

Alex Horvath wrote:
Since we are on the subject of clothing I was wondering what type of
shirts are best for warm weather paddling(or cold weather as a first
layer). I recently went on a warm weather trip and wore a cotton
T-shirt and that was a big mistake. I have some old capilene shirts
but they are black and I was worried I would get too hot. I was
thinking something like this:

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...S_CLOTHING_TOC

It's polyester with a 15+ SPF rating and comes in light colors.

I've worn the short sleeve version of this REI shirt for lots of
hiking, backpacking, and rafting.

Doesn't patagonia sell something similar called
SilkWeight capilene?

wrote:

Rex Sanders wrote:
I've worn the short sleeve version of this REI shirt
for lots ofhiking, backpacking, and rafting.

Doesn't patagonia sell something similar called
SilkWeight capilene?

Yes. I haven't bought Capilene in years, but thought it
didn't work very well after the chemical coating wore off,
or something. Maybe it's improved now.

Like Rex with his MTS, I have been inordinately happy with
my L.L.Bean Polartec Power Dry shirt. They say it's rated #1
for comfort and moisture-wicking performance. It dries fast.
Unfortunately color selection is boring this season, orange
and gray being the only warm-weather choices.

One thing you definitely want to avoid is Coolmax, which
(even in new versions) feels clammy and dries slowly.