BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi! I'm leaving soon on a year long trip through Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe. I'm trying to pack light, but I'm having a tough time choosing between all these shirts. I can't just bring any old shirts I already have at home because I'm very sensitive to the sun, so I'm looking for UPF shirts. Also, I don't know how many shirts (SS and LS) is a good amount to bring. If you could offer any input, I'd greatly appreciate it!

1) http://www.rei.com/product/762123?cm_sp=prod*desc_rel_item*element
2) http://www.rei.com/product/762356
3) http://www.exofficio.com/product_details.aspx?item_cd=2...86-a93c-d1a4ec37b6d3
4) http://www.exofficio.com/product_details.aspx?item_cd=2...af-b519-d3cd28c31053
5) http://www.exofficio.com/product_details.aspx?item_cd=2...03-8f46-9f0c45cf783e
6) http://www.royalrobbins.com/product_details.aspx?ItemCode=62937
7) http://www.royalrobbins.com/product_details.aspx?ItemCode=62938

UPF-rated shirts are a scam. Really. Any cloth has some UPF rating. I get all that stuff at 1/2 price and still won't buy them. Totally bogus and not a good value.

Furthermore, if you want to be truly miserable, wear some expensive, immediately-stinky, "wicking", nylon/polyester shirts in the tropics and see how much you like them. You won't.

Just bring along some cheap, cotton shirts and toss them when they get too tattered.

signed,

former Consumer Relations dude for one of those companies that make that shit.

I have a few SPF shirts that I like...some seem better than others. Maybe Static is right, and they aren't always worth it, but they pack well and are really easy to clean. In dry sunny weather they are great, less so if its really hot and humid. If they are lightweight, you should be relatively comfortable.

Ex Officio shirts tend to be very loose fitting (i.e., for people with very big torsos). Royal Robbins has a more normal fit. Patagonia just launched (at least for men) a new Sun Tech shirt that fits great and doesn't make you look like you are on a safari. For some brands, such as Mountain Hardware, every shirt seems to be sized differently.

I've read that cotton starts out ~SPF 5 (which is why you always get burned through T-shirts), but the SPF will increase over time as shrinkage brings the fibers closer together, and if you wash with certain detergents that contain color brightening compounds (absorb UV and make more light reflect from the fibers). After 10 - 15 washings cotton is supposed to have an SPF of ~15.

You can also buy concentrated versions of that stuff. RIT Sunguard increases the SPF of cotton to 30 from 5.
http://www.sunguardsunprotection.com/

In any case, it is pretty well documented that cotton generally has a low SPF and other fabrics particularly polyester have a higher SPF. Of course, this has probably been over-hyped and over marketed.

www.uspharmacist.com
International Journal of Dermatology

My dermatologist recommended I buy some UPF clothing, especially because I'm on a medication that decreases my skin's resistance to the sun (and I'm already sensitive to it). I've had several displastic (cancerous characteristics) moles removed, and I have a higher risk than the average person for developing skin cancer. I'd definitely take the advice of a trained doctor and be willing to pay a little extra for the protection and peace of mind.

Dave- thanks for the details on the different brands. And that detergent sounds interesting- I'm going to look into it.

You might also want to check out this:

http://www.solumbra.com/home.asp

They specialize in sun protective clothing...wide range of things.

If you want Sun protection then I would not recommend any T-shirts or short sleves with 30 SPF. Like this one http://www.exofficio.com/product_details.aspx?item_cd=2...86-a93c-d1a4ec37b6d3

Its beats the point..your arms will be exposed...you would want to cover them up.

Go for lighter colors as dark colors absorb light..white and pale colors will be better. Also the color don't fade..browns,. olives etc loose that shine.

I would buy a long sleeves shirt..the one from Solumbra. Can be used as shirt alone or wear with tank top underneath.

Also a hat..wide brim or a small umbrella would also help if you want to keep the sun away.

quote:

Go for lighter colors as dark colors absorb light..white and pale colors will be better. Also the color don't fade..browns,. olives etc loose that shine.

Darker colors may fade, but dark colors do absorb more light and give a higher SPF rating. If blocking sunlight is the goal, very light colors are probably not best.

Also, I've heard that white upf clothing eventually fades to grey. And dark clothing offers better protection than light clothing

I always thought that light colors reflected heat and dark absorbed. I guess the whole SPF thing is different. In hot and humid countries in Asia you do want to reflect that heat away...that was my reasoning for whites.


So i guess the choice it narrowed down now...darker colors, full to 3/4 sleeves and maybe one short sleeves for evenings.

I hear the SPF coating reduces with washes...so that might be important as well in your options.

If you are that sensitive then maybe you should focus on wearing long sleeve shirts combined with sun hat.

Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

this is a great thread... I've been looking up things for my summer in the Middle East (I'm fair skinned and burn very easily), while remaining modest and cool at the same time. Thanks for the suggestions!

If you are going swimming or doing watersports (rafting, surfing, etc.), the best thing to do is to get a good rashguard. They tend to be SPF 50+. Great thing about them is you can wear them all day at the beach if you like...they will keep you cool as long as they are a bit wet. I had a black Quicksilver that must have been SPF 100 or more. I never had to worry about burning - even after spending days at the beach. It unfortunately was stolen along with a whole suitcase of my stuff. I replaced it with a white Ripcurl - unfortunately it didn't live up top its rating - that's why I generally steer clear of very light colors when looking for sun protective clothing.

For the shirts, try to try them on in a store before buying. Some are seemingly featherweight, and some are really only suited for cool dry weather. My favorites are wispyweight nylon shirts in medium colors. They can be effective sun protectants, and I generally find that they are breathable . I had such a good experience with them that I bought a few. One of the great side benefits is that they are really easy to clean, don't wrinkle and tend to pack well. They may be expensive, but no more so than other mid-priced branded apparel. The polyester shirts generally seem tougher, but are often heavier weight and seem to be hotter and less breathable in hot weather. Both are available with vents (those with lots of vents may look too technical).

There are also SPF mesh cloth shirts. They look really nice new, but they don't wear very well. The mesh cloth tends to pull easy (even if you are careful). After a few wearings they may look somewhat ratty.

Thank you for all your replies Travelin Dave! They have been very useful.

Your welcome; happy to help. I burn easily too, so I spent a lot of time looking into this.

BTW, both Royal Robbins and Ex Officio have outlet stores on their own websites. Sometimes they have really good prices on last seasons gear. Places like Sierra Trading Post, Backcountry.com Outlet, Rei outlet, etc. also often have extensive listings of this stuff.

Give Targets C9 brand of wicking shirts a try. The price is right!

Generally I live in white cotton undershirts three seasons out of the year. Light weight and breathable... cheap so when they get torn and tattered, ends up the same price as a box of rags. Down side of thin cotton? Still get sunburned through it on your shoulders.

Plenty of SPF to end up with a farmers tan. (Then again I spend enough time running tractors that mines exactly that... ha.)

One of the keys to keeping cool, is a big wide brimmed hat. White or light colored on top with lots of vents. Black or dark colored on the underside to keep light from reflecting back to you. Spend enough hours outside and you'll still get a sunburn on your nose with a hat that has a light color. Tilley gets my vote... their strap design stays put, and they hold their shape, float. (Two thumbs up.)

AnnaM, for excellent sunblock clothes, check out TravelSmith's. In addition to shits and jackets with a UPF-40 rating, they have sunblock tees, pants, shorts, and gorgeous hats. The shirts come in great colors, too -- coral, cornflower blue, plus the usual white and khaki. They also carry UPF-40 rated clothing for men and ExOfficio stuff with a UPF-30 rating. Have an awesome trip!

quote:

Furthermore, if you want to be truly miserable, wear some expensive, immediately-stinky, "wicking", nylon/polyester shirts in the tropics and see how much you like them. You won't.

Man, I couldn't agree with you more. I left home with nothing but (so-called) travel clothing and ended up quickly ditching most of it in favor of lightweight cotton shirts and pants. So much more comfortable (and inconspicuous).

When you're shopping at REI, it's easy to imagine yourself strolling through downtown Bangkok wearing convertible cargo pants, high-tech wicking shirts (complete with zippered vents and 8 different pockets), and leather hiking shoes. Once you get there though, you'll just be hot and sweaty and feel ridiculous...

most regular cotton shirts will provide adequate UV protection. Really, UV sun rays will not penetrate most fabrics.

Now if you have a special condition, then maybe you need something more robust, but for a regular traveler, I would say that special SPF shirts are a scam.

Well I just have normall cotton shirt for travel, and that's just ok for me.