It's gets pretty hot and humid here in IL. in the summer. I've worn regular cotton T-shirts for years and I've always been hot and sweated plenty. Well in preparation for a rafting trip I went to Bass Pro Shops. I bought some of these new fangled tee shirts, long and short sleeve, with the fabric that breathes really well, wicks away moisture and has UV protection. I like the Columbia brand ones best. Although I was there in person, I think this one is one of the ones I bought:
http://www.basspro.com/Columbia-Skiff-Guide-III-TShirts-for-Men-Long-Sleeve/product/11083105011623/225249
When I first felt the fabric, it catches a little on my dry fingertips. I didn't think they'd be comfortable, but I bought a couple anyway. The shortsleeve one was on sale for $20. Well let me tell you I love them! They keep you way cooler than a regular old cotton Tee. In fact, now I think that Cotton Tee's trap heat. I wore the longsleeve one mowing on my tractor and was very comfortable. It kept me cool and I was hardly sweating in almost 90 degree heat. So I went back to Bass Pro shops and loaded up with a lot more of these shirts, some for working outside or in the shop and others to keep cleaner. I like longsleeve to keep the sun off me when I'm mowing. If you've never tired this modern fabric, try it!
OK you have had them for four days now . How do they hold up to ripping from getting snaged on thorns ,nails or ends of angle iron? Do they burn through from weld splatter or torchsparks? For days is about the limit for me to have a good shirt last , before modification starts.
I want to follow this as well. Keep us posted. I LOVE long sleeves "Mella-no-mo", and I gotta have at least severa lwide brimmed straw hat from TSC, or Agway.
Ironwood
My dad taught school and farmed. He took his old "work shirts" from school (actually dress shirts) and wore those all summer. All his shirts from school were a light color like light blue or white and all were long sleeved.
I do the same now only I go to GoodWill and get mine. I put on faded jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a wide brimmed hat and I'm still going long after everyone else has wilted.
The tight weave fabric holds up amazingly well, while the light weight lets plenty of air move through. I also like the collar on the shirt to reduce the amount of my neck exposed to the sun compared to a T-shirt.
Brad,
I have switched to these shirts, too. In addition to wicking away the moisture, they dry rapidly. I have been using them in the workshop and they have been proving to be just as tough as the regular cotton tee. I just spent the last week hiking and rockhounding and they still are holding up.
Cotton takes a long time to dry out. I have switched to light weight wool socks when working outdoors with my boots. Cotton socks get wet from sweat and collapse in thickness then start rubbing causing blisters. The wool stays fluffy and breathes even after getting soaked.
Ok, I've been wearing them for a handful of days now. I purchased two different weave types when I bought these shirts. One of the weave types does seem to catch on things every now and then and run a thread. I'd still use it though. The other type is a smoother/finer weave and didn't have any snag with that type yet. I'll see if I can get a good close up pic. I would not wear either one welding. They are polyester and would melt from a hot weld BB.
I'm now even more convinced that these are the right choice for summer- cooler, dry fast/wick away moisture - very comfortable and it's been over 90F for a couple days.
I bought 2 of these shirts at Tractor Supply - $12.99 each. So far I can't see why I would ever want to go back to wearing cotton t-shirts.
bill m,what are these shirts at TS called. Kinda pricey,money is tight, but I like to be cool too if they work like you guys are saying. Do you wear them cutting wood bill? Just want to know if they will hold up to the abuse.
$12.99 is pricey? You can't hardly buy a quality cotton tee for that. You may pay $8 for an elcheap at Target or Walmart, but I wouldn't call those heavy or quality cotton.
There is a trade off. I think cotton would take more abuse as far as abrasion. But for the 3.5 months of the year when it's hot, the lightweight, cooling and drying effects are worth it in my opinon. And I'll pay more for quality. It makes a difference in your day.
Here is the more loose knit shirts. You can see a couple snags on the blue one from one day. There's actually a thread in the back that caugh and pulled bigger. Still good shirts, perfect for mowing, but probably not best around the mill, as it can catch on wood or any sharp thing.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/16191/Shirt1.jpg)
This tighter weave seems to be less prone to snag and great for staying cool, wicking away moisture, and sun protection.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/16191/Shirt2.jpg)
The shirts I bought at TS are Walls work wear high visibility orange. It has been in the upper 80s this week and I have been wearing them in the woods while chopping. They seem like they are going to hold up very well.
I wore white long sleeve dress shirts from Good Well [$1.00] with no t-shirt, over all the yrs i found to be the best.
brad,maybe you have money,I don't.I don't even have a job. The way my clothes are in my house,I wear them until they start to look kinda old than they become work clothes. I not in the habit of buying work clothes.
I like the idea of the long sleeve "dress" shirts from Goodwill. I love getting a dark tan in the summer, especially after all the years of being lilly white from office time. But I can certainly see the bad effects of the sun on my skin. I try to remember to wear sun blocker, spf 50 or above and can really tell the difference when I do. By not burning, I have the ability to stay out for longer periods of time, but I know the era of dark tans will be over for me soon, and I will have to find an alternative. Goodwill is one of my favorite stores to shop, I may have to give the long sleeve cotton shirt a try. I remember my grampa always wore a long sleeve white shirt, and a pith helmet to keep the sun off.
Good report on the new tee's. I may try one or two out myself soon, as the S. Louisiana heat is turning up at a fast pace... :(
When I was breaking out in the construction world as an Ironworker, The older hands were wearing long sleeve denim and khaki shirts during the summer months as well as winter.I thought they were nuts during the suffocating Louisiana summer heat until I tried it as well.Once wet with sweat, they acted as coolers when moisture was evaporating and were not as bad as I thought.
These days I try and tend to not get as hot and sweaty,, but somehow that ain't working out as great as planned.
I'm on my way to TS now. Hope they have them.
I remember that when it got hot, my Granddad used to go to short sleeved long johns. He used to wear a long sleeved dress shirt all the time. He was a carpenter and cabinet maker.
I seen the old Finn's out in the hot hay field, they wore one piece wool long under ware, under a plaid shirt with bibs. they swore by it.
They had them. They only had the high visibility,what I would call lime green,no orange there. probably will get an orange one for the hunting season. My wife thinks I will get shot working in the woods. That green sure does show up good.The front will tone down when I start digging rocks.Was a cool day here so did not have a day to really try it out. The shirt does feel good.I just wonder how long it will last me.
I just bought 2 more today- 1 green and 1 orange.
Was an odd days for temps. I was kinda looking for a sweat shirt before heading down into the woods. I thought I'll be warm enough cutting. I think the temp went up 20 degrees in 20 minutes. When I came up to the house for lunch I put The Shirt on. Made a difference that was sure. A regular t shirts sticks to me after a while,this one did not a bit. Looks like I will be asking for some early birthday presents. I had to buy a medium to fit me, my t shirts are all X large. Made a believer out of me.
Those types of shirts are about the only kind I buy for good or work. They do an excellent job of keeping me dry and cool. Ive always seemed to have an over active sweat glands or something and these really seem to help. I typically buy under armor, addidas, and Nike brand ones. They are actaully not to expensive if you get them when on sale or last years items.
I'm not a big shopper person. But I will be on the look out now. My last big buy was heavy socks ,2 pair for a dollar. Bought all they had,6-7 packages.
I have a cousin in the T-shirt/garment business. He sells wholesale to those that print them etc. Saw him at the family picnic yesterday and I asked him if these new polyester type shirts are becoming more popular and he said definitely. He said they are great for keeping you cool and wicking away moisture. Cotton used to be touted as the best about 10 years ago(remember the commercial campaign?), but in truth, cotton sucks compaired to the wicking and cooling properties of these newer type of polyester shirts. There's one down side, he told me, the wicking property will eventually go away after a certain number of washings. Apparently the polyester is treated somehow to have the wicking property. Once it goes away, then you have a polyester shirt that will hold moisture like cotton. Found that interesting. So wash them per the directions and don't use softener.
I also asked what the wholesale cost was compared to cotton and he said it just under twice as much, which is why cotton is still by far most used for printed T's. It's when a company buys them for employees etc that they may spend the extra money.
I got three Walls shirts from here, LINK (http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/3-walls-hi-vis-t-shirts-bright-yellow.aspx?a=969663). They are Hi-Vis, but I have no idea whether they will wick away sweat, because I have not worn one while sawing yet.
They kinda look like mine. I hope you got a medium. You look about my size. Mine are keeping me dry in the 85-90° temps we have been having.Cheaper too.
Nothing will keep you dry this week down here except for an air conditioner.
WDH, I know you understand what I meant to say. Just dryer than a regular cotton t shirt that I use to wear. I still wear my old t shirts until a little bit before late morning. Than I change into the expensive shirt than. :D
Ray,
It has been awful here the last few days. Saturday and Sunday were both 108 with high humidity. I go through several shirts a day, for sure. I also wear the polyester shirts, and they do help. I would not wish this heat on anyone.
I feel for all of you guys there. I've been watching it on the news. All I can say is pack up your wallet and come up to Maine to The C Farm and spend some money.We have signs on Route 17 to guide you in. :D Let me know how many Whoppie pies you want.
That would be a nice change for sure. I always marvel at how much nicer the air is at the Pig Roast. After a great time in Northern Michigan, I then return to the sauna :).
I found a couple of these types of shirts at wally world yesterday and gave it a try this morning while watering the garden. Much nicer to wear than cotton and much cooler too. They had them on sale for $8 and change.
The Wallys that I go to have something kinda like them but not really the same light feel. I brought one and returned it. I did not like it as well.
I wondered if they were the same ones Ray. Who makes the ones you like?
My good freind owns and operates a silkscreening/embroidery company. A few years back he gave me a few dozen micro-fiber polyester shirts made in Korea. I wear these all the time and the cooling effect is fantastic.
The label is WICKid. The website listed on the label is www.wickidgear.com It helps if you read Korean.
I think you can still get these at Target.
norm,bill m told me what they was in reply #9.
I have worn my "Walls" shirts a couple of times. It was 98° so I do not know if "cooler" would be the proper way to describe them. They are "different" for sure. I have not sawed while wearing one yet, so time will tell.
Yes, I had to get a medium. The large swallowed me.
I felt cooler,but it was only 90 out too. They don't seem to stick to me and I can take it off without having a tug of war with my back. Should of tired an X large like I did. :o
Norm I tried a link,but I forgot that TS website should be updated. ::) They still have the C. E. Schmidt shirts. Whatever those are. I found them in no time on a site that Jeff does not like. Same price too.
I showed the green one to my step son. He was not really impressed,than I brought out the orange one. He wants one so when he gutting a moose out he will still be legal. Looks like a birthday present for him.
Thanks Ray, we don't have TSC any more but a store called Theisens is similar, I'll try there. :)
Looks like a birthday present for you too!!!!!
The only reason these shirts feel cooler is that they wick away the moisture to the outter surface of the shirt.
I brought an orange one for the step son. He really liked it,even wore it to work one day.Now the grandson wants one too. i should of known.
I am quite impressed the way the shirts held up to what I do around here. No holes in them yet or any worn places. A couple snags in a few places. I have 3 of them. I really like them and will buy more when theses wear out. I was picking in the garden in a light rain. The shirts seemed to stay dry. A big difference for sure.
I've bought a few moisture wicking t-shirts from wal-mart just to try them out. They do work well, my main problem is I can't find them in tall sizes. I'm 6'6" and 265lbs so I need to have a 2xlt, otherwise I have what I refer to as B.C. action, otherwise known as plumbers crack :)
Step son is very happy with the shirt. He was hunting out back and came in for lunch. It was kinda cool but warm too. Not really cold enough for a sweat shirt but needed one anyways. He came in and his sweat shirt for wet from sweat,but the shirt and him was dry. He was very happy with the shirt. He is REAL fussy with what he wears too. Looks like another one or two will be in his Christmas stocking. Maybe one for his wife too. She hunts too.
Brad,I got out the shirt yesterday. I really like them. I got 2 for Christmas. The only thing don't like about them is they stain and right out of the washing machine it looks like I have not changed my shirt for 2 days. ::) We do have a small veggie business and deal with the public. Looks like I've been working hard at 8 in the morning. :D They are holding up much better than I thought they would. My second year with them.
Our Wally World is now carrying them.
Just make sure they are the same. In a past thread I brought one from walmart.Walmart feels more like t shirt material.I returned it. I forgot to mention,seem like $3-4 cheaper too.
I was not in the market for any more and did not check the brand.
Old thread but just an update.
Walmart has some sort of polyester shirt. Make sure it is 100% polyester. I buy at least a 2X now, yes they hang on me, but they are loose on me and the air moves around them better. I also cut the sleeves off too. Kinda have too since they come down to my elbows, being so big. That would give me a farmer's tan. ;D
Really like the shirts. But they sure do stain easy. But no more shirt sticking to me. I have some smaller sizes that I wear to work. I wear them under a cotton t shirt there. I am kinda required to wear a company shirt there. The cooler shirt under the cotton shirt does not work the way it should, but keeps the company shirt from sticking to me.
I have bought some of these shirts for $3 during this time of year. I think regular price is $7-8.
Quote from: MHineman on May 28, 2012, 11:23:41 PM
My dad taught school and farmed. He took his old "work shirts" from school (actually dress shirts) and wore those all summer. All his shirts from school were a light color like light blue or white and all were long sleeved.
I do the same now only I go to GoodWill and get mine. I put on faded jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a wide brimmed hat and I'm still going long after everyone else has wilted.
The tight weave fabric holds up amazingly well, while the light weight lets plenty of air move through. I also like the collar on the shirt to reduce the amount of my neck exposed to the sun compared to a T-shirt.
I agree with this, keeping the sun off your skin is important. I usually have a few old shirts I put on my head and under a hat, let hang down my back, covers neck from sun, and deer flies won't get you on the neck either. Works good as a sweat rag too cause I constantly have salty sweat going into my eyes
I started out with Columbia PFG long-sleeved shirts many years ago but they were $50 each and it just killed me to tear one or get paint on it. I now wear Real Legends long sleeve shirts and love them. They dry in minutes, look good after a long day of sweating, and are very reasonable. My wife has made me get rid of 25 old ones in the past few months but I probably still have 30 in the closet. Long sleeve shirts are much cooler than short ones.
For better quality I go here to get Big Bills, made in Canada and USA.
gostwear.com
Lots of options on there. ;D