On the start of my AT thru-hike this year, I met a guy named Hermes wearing a desert shirt. It was longsleeved, but I'm assuming had some insane venting qualities to consider it desert worthy...where do I find one of these online? Now that I'm contemplating a thru-hike of the PCT next year, I'm thinking about desert clothing. I have fair skin, and never really tan, instead getting reddish. So the desert will probably tear me apart and I want to be prepared. Perhaps a long sleeve extremely breathable shirt (desert shirt) coupled with a long homemade manskirt will work out well. Either way, help finding one of these shirts would be swell.

edit: did find this shirt http://www.backcountry.com/store/MHW0027/c11/s100000006/Mountain-Hardwear-Canyon-Shirt-Long-Sleeve-Mens.html but man is it more expensive than I was expecting. I remember the shirt that Hermes had was without a collar (saving weight!), and looked almost like scrubs that doctors wear.

edit2: ok, i found exactly what I was looking for. http://www.railriders.com/eco-mesh-shirt-p-835.html?cPath=104_111 I think this shirt will be fantastic, but Rail Riders also has a few other shirts that would work. Backpackinglight recommends them, and I'm going to look into this more.

I would have deleted this thread, but i couldn't find out how to. Instead, I'm going to leave it as is, with the hope that other people may be looking for desert clothing ideas as well.

You could just wear long sleeve cotton/nylon blend shirt and long pants, a 30 pound vest, and a kevlar helmet like the thousands of young men and women currently depoloyed to the middle east. -Just sayin'

I wore Supplex pants and shirt on the PcT but ended up rarely wearing the shirt while hiking because it got so hot. If I were to do the PCT again, I'd wear a lightweight long sleeved cotton shirt in the desert and save the Supplex for the Sierras, where it is good protection against mosquitoes. Same with the pants. I brought Supplex pants but only wore them in the Sierras to protect against bugs. They were just too hot in the desert so I ended up unzipping the legs most of the time.

Don't forget your hat. A really good hat with a wide brim is essential for the PCT.

Planning on using my Kavu Chillba for a hat, but I noticed today that it doesn't quite cover my neck as well as I thought it did. I may supplement that with a bandana hanging down onto my neck, or possibly switch to a Golite Chrome Dome umbrella

Check out patagonia. Expensive but very good stuff.

During a week in the Grand Canyon, I wore a long-sleeve Patagonia silk-weight capalene shirt. The shirt worked great in temperatures that up to 105 in the shade. This shirt is ofter found on sale at this time of year.

The only problem with the Patagonia shirts is that they are too tight. I was under the impression that a looser fit is desired to allow air flow, and for some evaporative cooling effect.

I have seen these (http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice.asp?pf_id=55EC&dir_id=12198&group_id=12205&cat_id=12244&subcat_id=12245&feature_id=18). They are said to be comfortable, but they're too rich for me.

Railriders stuff is very nice, and fits normally proportioned people better than patagonia stuff. I have an eco-mesh shirt and it breathes very well.

I find a poly-cotton (65/35 blend) thrift store dress shirt works very well for western/desert hiking. I paid the princely sum of $4 for a shirt that lasted the whole PCT. I only threw it out because my friend made me. :)

A similar shirt lasted from Helena,MT to the Mexican border last year. It also cost $4. I still have it and wear it.

(A deer ate my first hiking shirt on day 3 of the CDT!!!!)

As Ginny said, a wide brimmed hat is key for desert/high altitude hiking. I call it the Dorky Sun Hat. ;)

During a week in the Grand Canyon, I wore a long-sleeve Patagonia silk-weight capalene shirt. The shirt worked great in temperatures that up to 105 in the shade. This shirt is ofter found on sale at this time of year.

I've had similar experiences with plain cotton/poly blend button-up shirts hiking in the Grand Canyon and several other desert areas in Utah and Nevada. (June/July, 90 to 110 degrees.) In a true desert having long sleeves is no real problem. Your sweat never has a chance to accumulate in the fabric and become noticeably annoying before evaporating. If you sunburn easily (like me) they're definately worth using. At the least it's worth considering.

My 2 cents.

While Dinos rarely roam in deserts these days, the She-Dino did so in the past - long before all the newfangled tech fabrics where around. A light cotton or poly-cotton long sleeved shirt, light cotton pants (today's sleep pants would work, but I had some lightweight golf pants) and the dorky, but effective wide brim straw hat (with mosquito netting at times) were the She-Dino's clothing of choice. I got the items in the men's department at thrift store at the pre-inflation price of about $1 each.

As you seemed to have found, many people on the PCT wear Railrider shirts (http://www.railriders.com/)that have a full length mesh on the side of the shirt and runs the full underside of the sleeves. Their Echo-mesh and Adventures Top are the most popular shirts.

Many people just get a lightweight Columbia nylon shirt and are fine with those. The secret is getting a light color such as white. You care less about looking dirty as you do about being cool.

Get this (http://www.rei.com/REI-Outlet/product/750226) from REI for $22 and change. I have 3 of them and they lightweight, hydrophobic and are awesome!!!

That single railriders shirt did me just fine--and the flower print was half off. It lasted through my 850 mile section hike of the AT shirt this year, as well as my PCT Thru-hike. My kavu Chillba hat also worked wonderfully.

If I were to hike the PCT again, I'd do it with no trekking poles, a visor, a bandanna, and a 'World's Lightest Trekking Umbrella' (same size as the GoLite Chrome Dome, but much lighter, made by some german company)




Hermes

http://www.backcountry.com/store/MHW0027/c11/s100000006/Mountain-Hardwear-Canyon-Shirt-Long-Sleeve-Mens.html but man is it more expensive than I was expecting. I remember the shirt that Hermes had was without a collar (saving weight!), and looked almost like scrubs that doctors wear.

I'd think any old long sleeve cotton or cotton/synthetic combination would do just as well as an expensive 'desert' shirt. Would have thought a collar would be part of a good 'desert' shirt too - turn it up and keep the sun off your neck. I just used an old long sleeved cotton uniform shirt and it did just fine. :)
Geo.

ex-officio, TNF and Columbia also produce these shirts. I have all three and like them all but the Columbia is the most comfortable and seemingly the most durable.

geek

ex-officio, TNF and Columbia also produce these shirts. I have all three and like them all but the Columbia is the most comfortable and seemingly the most durable.

geek

I believe these are refered to by many as "fishing" shirts, so called because they are designed to protect from the sun's rays and vent well. Many come with an SPF rating. Some are cotton poplin, others are a blend, still others are a light supplex nylon.

Get this (http://www.rei.com/REI-Outlet/product/750226) from REI for $22 and change. I have 3 of them and they lightweight, hydrophobic and are awesome!!!Nice! But the only one available in anything other than X-Large or bigger is the glow-in-the-dark "Pumpkin." :eek:

Get this (http://www.rei.com/REI-Outlet/product/750226) from REI for $22 and change. I have 3 of them and they lightweight, hydrophobic and are awesome!!!

Any idea how long the sleeves are in XL?

I wore patagonia silk wgt on Pct too. Spendy but awesome. i love the t shirts...

the patagonia silk wgt is awesome. wore on pct and loved it. i have several t shirts too.. they are great. it was my hands that took a beating on the colorado trial this year. Use the sun screen....

it was my hands that took a beating on the colorado trial this year.

hey yappy!
:-? try walking on yer "feet" next time. :bse

lol.. back to the insurance cubicle for you !!!

Patagonia silkweight long sleeve white and LOOSE fitting. 38 bucks but I wore it everyday. I never understood wearing the nylon long sleeve shirts. Microclimating? There are virtually no bugs in the desert so why take a bug shirt? Sungloves might save you from sun poisioning on your hands. If you use poles your hands will be oriented towards the sun ALL day. If you are on a budget grab a worn out/thin cotton/poly or poly shirt from the thrift store, It would be nice to have it unbuttoned when the afternoon breezed kick in. the collar would come in handy too. Why doesnt' patagonia make a button up silkweight capilene?

When Pat and I hiked the desert section of the PCT in 03 we wore loose, light weight, long sleeve, synthetic shirts with a high UV rating. We wore light weight, big full brim hats also.
As we huddled under a tree for shade, we were taking a noon siesta, as a local hiker stopped to chat. He was dressed in long flowing light weight material like veils over hi entire body. Even his face was covered. He seemed to be unaware of the heat that was kicking our butts. I hate when someone is that happy when I'm that miserable.:)

How about hiking at night while in the desert?

I wore a railriders shirt this year. I prefer the more expensive shirts to the thrift store men's shirts because you get more and bigger pockets than a men's dress shirt.

Mosquitoes can bite through these desert shirts. At least the insane, frenzied ones they have in Oregon in July. If you thru-hike you might not be there in July. If you are, you'll want a shirt under your shirt.

The Sunday Afternoon hat is great for the desert. And ExOfficio makes a nice hat with "curtains" that repels mosquitoes and sun. It really does repel mosquitoes.

To stay comfortable in the desert it really works to cover up. If you are really hot you can dunk your shirt in a creek.

Bear Greylls however you spell it has a very very nice shirt if you dont mind spending the $$$$$. I has a LIFETIME warranty. I saw one today on a friend on a dah hike very impressive constrcution ie no string in the buttons held on by webbing etc.
BEAS

It's all about marketing, and separating you from your money. Mags has the best idea. It's a shirt, not the space shuttle.

Campmor has some nylon shirts that I use for hiking. Cool enough in warm weather with the sleeves rolled up, covers you up when exposed (above tree line), offers some skin protection when bushwhacking, and they don't stink like polyester.

I am finding Merino wool to be great, keeps me cool, dries FAST, does not stink after days of soaking sweat, Icebreaker - just got some from Backpacking light. Leaving in 8 days for AT with two of these.

I wore a golite silkweight long sleeve white on the pct this year. loved it. ultra breathable, comfy, little pricey, but totally worth it. Lasted 90days before it wore out.

http://www.prolitegear.com/golite_drimove_silk_ls.html (http://www.prolitegear.com/golite_drimove_silk_ls.html)

Hey Vaporjourney,
thanks agin for the WFilter,those shirts are fishing shirts, you can get them @GANDER MOUNTAIN/ ACADEMY SPORTS$14.00-$20.00 house brand, my fav is the Guide Series,vents on arms and back @goodwill $3.96 NWT

its telling me that oode shirts are no longer avaiable just tried to order one