Best material for Arizona heat trekking?

[matthew12188]

I love the breathable material the Kuiu Gila has. I was looking at some of the badlands LS and pants as well. Anyone prefer badlands when it comes to hot weather? Or another brand? Thanks in advance.

 

[taskswap]

Probably an unpopular opinion but in hot weather for my sun hoodies, I like the Tropic Comfort II (no longer made) by Patagonia, Hang Ten's options, and Baleaf. The KUIU Gila is right on that list and I own one.... But IMO the $80 is overpriced considering if I had my eyes closed, I couldn't tell the difference between it and my $20 Baleaf once I have it on.

I suspect they're all made in the same factory by the same people from the same raw cloth. As far as I know the Gila isn't a made-in-America thing so that's not a consideration, and since in that season I'm probably hunting muzzleloader not archery, I'm less worried about camo patterns (I'm wearing orange, so a solid brown color is fine. The elk don't care - if I'm stupid enough to let them see me, they'll have smelled me by then so I've already f-ed up.)

Most of these are available in hoodies but I personally hate those so I just wear the shirt styles. For sun protection I'll deal with that via my head covering or a cooling towel worn on my neck.

 

[matthew12188]

I'll look into those other options for sure. Sounds like Baleaf is a solid option. As you mentioned, I'm not super concerned about camo patterns.

 

[ForlohFamily]

FORLOH, SolAir Collection:

https://forloh.com/collections/warm-weather-collection

 

[willfrye027]

How hot are we talking?

Tiburon pants with the vents open are my choice if off trail..shorts and thin gaiters if not busting brush.

On the top I’ll try to get away with poly T shirt and sunscreen if able. Otherwise the thinnest long sleeve possible.

If it’s dangerously hot I bring a cotton long sleeve shirt that is soaked in water. Rides in a ziplock bag in my pack and when you’re over heating, it’s instant cool. That assumes you have plenty of water/water sources. Cotton is preferable because it dries slower and you stay cool longer (for this purpose). It’s been a life saver on 100 degree packouts a few times.

 

[matthew12188]

@willfrye027 Thanks for the advice. We're talking between 90-105 degrees. I'll give the cotton shirt soaked in water a try.

 

[fngTony]

I’ll second the Kuiu Tiburon pants. Baleaf sun hoodie is really good, draw backs are the hood will blow off with a gust and a quarter zip would be nice.

 

[yfarm]

https://www.hanes.com/hanes-mens-long-sleeve-t-shirt-24270.html
$13 long sleeve cool dri. Discovered when looking at a name brand fishing shirt that left the hanes label on after applying their graphics.
Simms made a sun hood that is loose fitting and will go over a cap, between the cap,glasses and hood completely covered. Much cooler than wearing a tight fitting buff type gaiter and their fabric is like silk.

 

[willfrye027]

@willfrye027 Thanks for the advice. We're talking between 90-105 degrees. I'll give the cotton shirt soaked in water a try.

Those kind of temps are my bread and butter for deer season around here. The cotton T shirt is a life saver and those Tiburon pants are my go to.

 

[V2Pnutrition]

Maybe I had a bad/old one, but my Baleaf hoody breathed about as good as a garbage bag on an Alaska Death Hike. I’ve since switched the Sitka Core LW hoody and an OR Echo hoody and not looked back. I especially love the Sitka for the giant front zip to dump heat.

 

[taskswap]

It might not have been a bad one - this stuff is subjective. I might just not have noticed it as much. I have three Baleafs and wear them all the time, but my values may be different from yours. I'm really hard on my gear and I'm notorious for things like tearing my shirts trying to work my way through dense gambel oak or whatever. My shirts usually don't last more than 2 years or so, so for me the $20 option makes a lot of sense, and it's "comfortable enough." YMMV, as always.

 

[P Carter]

Maybe I had a bad/old one, but my Baleaf hoody breathed about as good as a garbage bag on an Alaska Death Hike. I’ve since switched the Sitka Core LW hoody and an OR Echo hoody and not looked back. I especially love the Sitka for the giant front zip to dump heat.

Agree. I got a baleaf one for my kids and myself. It was really heavy, didn't breathe well. I use it for my kids as a cold-weather layer. Returned mine and got a Kettle Mtn Nofry. I'm addicted to sun hoodies - i have (and use) the Sitka LW, Kettle Mtn Nofry, Rab's new one (Force?), Patagonia Capilene, and Columbia fishing one. IMO, the Nofry and Rab are best for running in full sun..they're super light but have a loose enough fit to keep the sun-heat off you. I use the Sitka LW for hunting/hiking where there will be some shade, or as a baselayer in all temps. I found that the tight fit will heat up in true open sun.

I don't love the Patagonia Capilene - donated it as it wasn't breathable enough but also didn't provide full coverage. I use the columbia one (white) for fishing in the full sun because it provides the most coverage, butit's too heavy for active use.

Funny side effect - in the summertime I don't have a traditional farmer's tan at the short sleeve - I have a farmer's tan at the wrist!

Edit: I don't have the Rab Force; it's the Rab sonic. Oddly, the Rab Force is designated the "sun hoody" but it has a fabric weight of 105 gsm. The sonic has a fabric weight of 75 gsm but seems designated as cool-weather baselayer. Either way, I have the Rab sonic and it's great.

 

[bojangles808]

https://www.hanes.com/hanes-mens-long-sleeve-t-shirt-24270.html
$13 long sleeve cool dri. Discovered when looking at a name brand fishing shirt that left the hanes label on after applying their graphics.
Simms made a sun hood that is loose fitting and will go over a cap, between the cap,glasses and hood completely covered. Much cooler than wearing a tight fitting buff type gaiter and their fabric is like silk.

i surf in these, they block the sun well but I like a hood for hunting. Kuiu Tiburon / gila hoody or sitka lw hoody are my go tos. REI has a Sahara hoody that can be found pretty cheap too.