We’ve worn a lot of different layers over the years….lots of different brands and fabrics toting ‘quick dry’ and ‘moisture wicking’ features….’bug repellent’ and ‘UPF’…and…and…and….

When it’s hot-these are the shirts we wear…..every….single….time. Patagonia makes a lot of layers we both like. If you read my post on base-layers you know that their Capilene line is the only synthetic I wear.

And Patagonia makes several versions of the Capilene Cool-but the “daily” is our favorite. One thing I like is that it looks and feels like a ‘daily tee’.

I rarely wear t-shirts…..I grew up as a swimmer and then transitioned into a climber-which means my shoulders are broad for the rest of the stature. T-shirts tend to creep into my armpits, irritate my skin and trigger my (likely hereditary) claustrophobia. Again I’ll mention-I sweat a lot. So extra fabric under my arms, tight around my shoulders is just more than I can handle.

But tanks are often not logical in the outdoors. With a pack-or trying to look professional while I Guide, or when the sun is beating down on you all day (on a bike for example) so I like to have a t-shirt that fits. You can tell from the photo above-the sleeves are long enough to keep from creeping, and it’s loose enough to be comfortable but not baggy.

I am 5’3″, 130 lbs and statistically ‘average’ in the chest. I wear a size small. Brandon at 5’10”, 165lbs wears a medium. For both of us-that’s pretty standard for what we wear in the rest of the brand.

I fell in love with this shirt on our bike trip from Duluth to Stillwater. Link to that post here.

Brandon had been wearing them for a few years, often wearing the same single gray t-shirt (that looks the same 5 years later) for everyday of a trip. Eventually he stopped packing other shirts, knowing he’d just repeat the same one. I was skeptical (again…the sweating…) but I found this long sleeve in a great color and brought it along for the bike trip thinking….”if it’s really sunny, sunscreen can only keep up for so long” and I was right. The sun beat down on us in 90+ degrees, and we sweat off our sunscreen easily…and reapplying gets messy when you don’t want your hands to slip all over your bars. Enter the Capilene Cool Daily shirts. I wore it for 2 days in a row!!!!! In oppressive July heat.

Then suddenly-I was sold. I wore it everywhere…..sailing, fishing, climbing, hiking….I got it in the t-shirt and they are my 2 favorite shirts of all time. Even after sweating in it all day, it didn’t smell terrible (it still smelled some-it’s not magic…come on) and was totally dry. Not even crusty with salt-I’ve never seen that. I don’t know why. And they dry SO quick. So if you wanted to wash it and dry it overnight, I would have no doubt it would be ready for you.

They also make it in a hoody, which will likely be my next item. I have a few other sun-hoodies, including one from Patagonia, but the fabric can’t even come close. The standard T-shirt is a great place to start.

Megan (in the teal) is wearing the hoody version-in the best color they’ve ever made…

You can find them stocked at Patagonia and most other outdoor retailers as well. Remember the Capilene Cool Daily is our favorite!

The forecast for next week looks unseasonably warm around here-so it’s only a matter of time before we get to bust ours out of the closet! If you have been looking for the perfect warm weather shirt-go grab yourself one (or two), and thank me later!

Thanks for reading folks-now get out and enjoy some Days Off!

(ps. I plan to release some *bonus* content soon via news letters-subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out!)