When you’re outdoors for hours at a time hiking through the wilderness, you want clothing that won’t slow you down or make you feel uncomfortable. Part of choosing the right gear for your hike includes picking appropriate clothing, and we want to help you choose a suitable hiking shirt for your next excursion.
Spending all day on hiking trails can be exciting but also tiring, and you’ll probably be covered in sweat after a few hours. As the day becomes hotter and your body becomes more tired, you will be glad you chose a shirt that provides some protection against the hot sun and keeps you feeling cool. As you get deeper into the forest, you will need protection against mosquitos and other pests. As your body becomes tired with the exertion, you may feel grateful for a shirt that is lightweight, airy, and breathable.
The outdoor apparel industry has been paying attention to what people are asking for in their hiking clothes, and you can find some very intelligently designed shirts among what’s on offer. The best men’s hiking shirts provide exceptional flexibility and maneuverability, and you can comfortably wear them for hours without feeling like you need a change of clothes.
Top 10 Best Men’s Hiking Shirts
- ExOfficio BugsAway Tarka Long Sleeve
- Columbia Men’s Terminal Deflector Long Sleeve
- Orvis PRO LT Hunting Shirt
- NAVISKIN Outdoor Long Sleeve Shirt
- Willit Men’s Hiking Shirt/Hoodie
- Wrangler ATG Men’s Long Sleeve
- Little Donkey Andy Men’s Stretch Long Sleeve Shirt
- Legendary Whitetails Men’s Buck Camp Flannel Shirt
- Columbia Men’s Bonehead Short Sleeve Shirt
- American Outdoorsman The Blackfoot River Short Sleeve Performance Fishing Shirt
1. ExOfficio BugsAway Tarka Long Sleeve
Price: $
Machine Washable: Yes
Material: Polyester
UPF Rating: 50
Odor Protection: Yes
Pros: Lightweight, Prevents odor, Great protection
Cons: Pricey
This lightweight shirt repels bugs, and the long sleeves keep sun and pests off your arms. Because it’s so light, you can layer it with other clothing, removing layers as necessary. The BugsAway feature keeps fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks at bay using odorless technology that’s still good after repeated cleanings. It is designed to last through about 70 washes.
This machine washable shirt is made from 100% polyester and features odor-resistant Silvadur to keep the shirt from needing to be washed as often or from smelling awful after wearing it for hours. That makes it a good option when you need to pack light and be outdoors for several days at a time. You can keep reusing the same shirt without worrying too much about odors sticking to it.
This is a shirt designed for hiking thanks to the forward rolled shoulders. These provide plenty of comfort as you move, improving flexibility and reducing chafing.
The ExOfficio BugsAway Tarka is great at blocking out UV rays. The fabric is rated UPF 50 and offers great protection. It also features sweat wicking technology to keep you comfortable and dry in high heat conditions.
2. Columbia Men’s Terminal Deflector Long Sleeve
Price: $$
Machine Washable: Yes
Material: Polyester
UPF Rating: 50
Odor Protection: No
Pros: Great at keeping the sun off you, Powerful cooling technology
Cons: No odor protection, Can be a bit pricey
The Terminal Deflector is designed for blocking out UV rays and heat more than anything else. It’s an excellent hiking shirt for hot environments or for hiking trails where there’s not a lot of overhead coverage. It blocks out all kinds of harmful UVA and UVB rays using a tight weave construction. This reduces the risk of sunburns and skin damage through what the manufacturers call as Omni-Shade technology.
Another way the Terminal Deflector keeps you cool is with moisture wicking features. This ensures that your sweat doesn’t stay on your skin very long, and the breathable fabric of the shirt will actually become cooler for you when you start sweating.
It’s also designed to be comfortable no matter how active you are and what you are doing. Columbia created the shirt to provide a full range of uninhibited motion for maximum flexibility and comfort.
3. Orvis PRO LT Hunting Shirt
Price: $$$
Machine Washable: Yes
Material: Nylon/Spandex
UPF Rating: None
Odor Protection: Yes
Pros: Blocks odors, Lots of great features
Cons: One of the priciest options by far
If you are trying to stay cool during a long hike, the Pro LT hunting shirt features fabric that is lightweight, moisture wicking, and fast drying. It’s perfect for hot days when you have to hike for miles at a time. It’s also designed to be incredibly flexible, accommodating a lot of activity thanks to its stretchy fabric, elbow articulation, and other mobility features.
This is also a very durable shirt. It can handle a lot of the rough stuff and still look great. The contour cuffs have been extended to give you some extra protection from brush and UV rays. This shirt also boasts odor control using patented Polygiene technology. If you need a shirt you can wear for a few days at a time without getting sick of the smell, then this one’s for you. Check the hem for a hidden sunglass cleaner chamois as well.
4. NAVISKIN Outdoor Long Sleeve Shirt
Price: $
Machine Washable: Yes
Material: Nylon
UPF Rating: 50+
Odor Protection: No
Pros: Great at keeping you cool, Excellent UV protection, Great price
Cons: No odor control
When it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get hiking, you may want to give the NAVISKIN Outdoor shirt a try. It’s actually made for you to be able to roll up your sleeves and secure them using tabs placed on the upper arm.
The lightweight fabric used in this NAVISKIN shirt is super comfortable and offers great protection against the sun- it blocks UVB and UVA rays. The relaxed fit ensures you won’t feel like pulling it off after a long day of hiking, and the breathable fabric offers moisture wicking capabilities that keep you feeling cool. One way this shirt keeps the heat away is with its mesh lined vents. These encourage airflow from one side of the shirt to the other, bringing cold air in and allowing trapped heat to flow out. The vents are placed at the center back of the shirt.
We really like this shirt’s storage features. It comes with a tool holder, rod holder loop, utility loop, and two chest pockets. There are tons of places right on this shirt to put all your hiking essentials.
5. Willit Men’s Hiking Shirt/Hoodie
Price: $
Machine Washable: Yes
Material: Polyester
UPF Rating: 50+
Odor Protection: No
Pros: Affordable price, Excellent protection against sunlight, bugs, and brush
Cons: May be a little too thick for strenuous hiking
Even though the fabric is tightly knitted on the Willit men’s shirt and hoodie combo, it’s still breathable and airy. It also actively works to ensure you stay dry, keeping you cool and preventing heat and moisture from getting trapped inside the shirt against your skin.
There are definite advantages to having a hoodie on your hiking shirt. You can use it to keep the sun or rain off of you. It’s also great protection against bugs and provides some shade for your head. This is an excellent option for people with short hair or for those who burn easily. Keeping your head cool has the added benefit of helping to keep your entire body cool and reducing or eliminating heat headaches.
One handy feature of this shirt are the thumbholes. You just slide your hand through these to keep your sleeves in place, and they also provide a little extra protection from bugs and sunlight.
This is a great option for a hiking shirt that’s not very fitted. The loose fit means there is greater airflow and it’s not as likely to stick to your body after long hours of hiking. You might think to look at it that this is the kind of shirt that sticks tight to your body like gym clothes, but that is not the case. It is not as breathable as most of the other options on this list, but it is a bit thicker and heavier, which means it provides greater protection against brush as you walk.
6. Wrangler ATG Men’s Long Sleeve
Price: $
Machine Washable: Yes
Material: 73% Nylon, 27% Polyester
UPF Rating: 30
Odor Protection: No
Pros: Really durable fabric, Secure pocket storage
Cons: Limited shoulder range
We love a hiking shirt with some storage space, and this one has two chest pockets that button down to keep your belongings secure. The shirt itself buttons too, so you can open it up if it feels a little too hot.
That probably won’t be an issue, though, as it’s made from a breathable mixture of materials that is designed to be durable and well suited to any outdoor activity. It also uses moisture wicking to keep your skin dry and comfortable no matter what you’re doing. There is venting on the back for better airflow too, ensuring a cool, comfortable fit.
The manufacturers claim the knit side panels give you some stretch and freedom of movement, but some of the reviewers complained about shoulder flexibility in the shirt. If you have large shoulders or upper arms, you may want to consider a larger size for this shirt than what you typically purchase. You can adjust the length of the sleeves using a convertible sleeve feature that Wrangler has a patent pending on.
What about protection from the harmful rays of the sun? You get a UPF rating of 30 with this shirt that is going to protect you from most UV radiation.
A few features we like about this shirt include its quick drying capabilities, which means you can take it swimming and not be too bothered about wearing it till you dry off, and we also like the glasses cleaner that’s been built into the hem of the shirt.
7. Little Donkey Andy Men’s Stretch Long Sleeve Shirt
Price: $
Machine Washable: Yes
Material: Polyester and Spandex
UPF Rating: 50
Odor Protection: No
Pros: Lots of storage with front and side pockets, Designed to dry very quickly
Cons: Some users complain of poor sizing
The look and storage capacity of this shirt is very similar to that of the Wrangler ATG, and the price is about the same too. At first glance, the two shirts seem to be nearly identical, other than the lack of special stretch patches under the arms on the Little Donkey Andy shirt. Where this one stands out, however, is with its quick drying functionality.
It’s made from breathable, lightweight material- namely, spandex and polyester. That allows it to dry very fast, so if you’re taking a dip in the creek on your hike or getting rained on, you won’t necessarily have to change right out of this shirt. Once the sun comes out a little bit, your shirt should be dry in no time.
This long sleeve shirt features roll up sleeves with a button and pull loop to help it turn into a short sleeve shirt quickly and easily. You won’t have to worry about the sleeves sliding back down out of place once you roll them up if you use the available features to secure them properly.
With this men’s shirt, you can benefit from moisture wicking to keep you cool and dry in hot temperatures. It also has air venting in the back that keeps cool air moving in and hot air flowing out.
You also get great UV protection up to 50 UPF with this shirt, which is a little better than the Wrangler ATG. It’s worth comparing the two shirts to one another since they are so similar, but they also feature some slightly different functionality and benefits from one another.
8. Legendary Whitetails Men’s Buck Camp Flannel Shirt
Price: $
Machine Washable: No
Material: Cotton
UPF Rating: None
Odor Protection: No
Pros: Comfortable fit, Durable design
Cons: Shrinks in washing machine
If you’re looking for something a little thicker and warmer than some of the options we’ve shown you so far, try this Legendary Whitetails shirt for cold weather hiking. Instead of bundling up under multiple thin layers, you can wear this comfortable brushed cotton shirt. It weighs just over 5 ounces, so it’s not overly bulky and should not weigh you down much.
This flannel shirt has its cuffs and collar lined with corduroy, so they won’t need to be ironed. It’s also a very durable shirt that can handle heavy use and protect you from brush, bugs, and harmful UV rays. There’s no UPF rating listed for this shirt, but cotton fibers do a pretty good job of keeping UV radiation off your skin even without specific UV protection.
The designers had your comfort in mind when planning out this shirt, as the back is double pleated to keep it from tugging, and there’s some extra space designed throughout the shirt so that it can be worn comfortably tucked in or untucked. You also get a little storage with the front shirt pocket that includes a pencil slot.
9. Columbia Men’s Bonehead Short Sleeve Shirt
Price: $
Machine Washable: Yes
Material: Cotton/Polyester blend
UPF Rating: 30
Odor Protection: No
Pros: Multipurpose design, Great airflow
Cons: Sizing issues, according to some reviewers
The Bonehead is a great everyday shirt, thanks to its traditional look, relaxed fit, and durability. It has been designed with a lightweight mix of cotton and polyester that feels really soft and provides a lot of breathability.
The button up design makes it a good dress shirt, while the relaxed, comfortable fit makes it perfect for everyday use. As far as being a great hiking shirt, Columbia’s Bonehead Men’s shirt has chest pockets and a rod holder loop for storage. It’s a great multipurpose shirt that is designed for fishing, but the lightweight, durable fabric makes it a good choice for hiking too.
We like how this shirt is so breathable, thanks in part to the mesh-lined vent on the back of the shirt. The short sleeves mean it won’t provide as much sun and bug protection as some of the other shirts on this list, but that also makes it a lighter weight shirt and provides better airflow then some of the other options.
One thing to keep in mind about the shirt is that some of the customers who reviewed it said it wasn’t the size they thought it would be. There appears to be a discrepancy sometimes between the advertised size and the actual size of this shirt compared to other shirts in the same size range.
10. American Outdoorsman The Blackfoot River Short Sleeve Performance Fishing Shirt
Price: $
Machine Washable: Yes
Material: 96% Nylon, 4% Spandex
UPF Rating: 30
Odor Protection: No
Pros: Great flexibility, Ample storage
Cons: Waterproof pocket may stick to you when you sweat
American Outdoorsman makes a fine quality hiking/fishing shirt, and this Blackfoot River option is designed to block out some of the sun’s harmful rays. The fabric has a 30 UFP rating to filter out both UVA and UVB rays.
One of the best features of this men’s shirt is how dry it stays. It has moisture wicking thanks to its nylon construction, and it is water resistant. The material dries very quickly, so it’s excellent for hot, humid conditions or rainy weather. As a shirt designed primarily for fishing, this one is going to be great at repelling water and keeping you dry as much as possible.
It’s also a really comfortable shirt, with a relaxed fit, flexible, lightweight fabric, and lots of maneuverability. You also get some pocket storage with velcro and zipper pockets.
Best Hiking Shirts Buyers Guide
What’s the best material for hiking shirts?
A lot of hiking shirts are made from polyester, which is a synthetic fabric that’s naturally stretchy and moisture wicking. It’s great for drying out fast and keeping sweat away from your body, but it’s not so good at odor prevention.
In fact, polyester stores in the odors, though some hiking shirt manufacturers will treat the polyester to make it odor resistant. Polyester can even retain body odor after washing, so keep that in mind when choosing your hiking shirt.
Polyester is the best hiking shirt material, but you may want cotton or a cotton blend depending on the weather conditions and where you will be hiking. Cotton provides warmth and odor prevention. Cotton can be very comfortable initially, but it’s also a heavier fabric that tends to retain water.
It starts out heavy and can get heavier as you hike, if the shirt gets wet or sweaty. It’s also not very breathable compared to some synthetic fabrics. Cotton does a great job of keeping you warm in colder weather, so if you’re hiking in the winter, you may want to consider a cotton shirt. For warm weather hiking, however, cotton’s probably not the best choice.
Is UV protection in your hiking shirt necessary?
Some fabrics provide better UV protection than others. Tight fitting fabrics actually allow more UV rays through, whereas a looser fit will usually block some of that harmful radiation. Still, none of this is as powerful protection as actual sunblock or clothing that is specifically designed to provide UV protection.
Wearing clothing for your hike that offers a level of protection against ultraviolet rays can save you from needing to put on sunblock or can add to the protection sunblock already gives you.
What kind of hiking shirt is best for hot weather?
Synthetic fabrics like nylon and polyester are great for keeping you cool when walking in hot weather. They do tend to absorb sweat, though, and it may be tough to get the body odor out of them.
Sometimes, what’s more important than the fabric your shirt is made up of is the color. Lighter fabrics absorb less heat, reflecting light and heat to keep you cool.
Darker fabrics absorb heat, which is ideal for nighttime walking and keeping you warm in colder weather. Consider the color of the shirt you’re choosing and the kind of temperature, sunlight exposure, and other heat and light factors you will be dealing with.
What to Look for in a Hiking Shirt?
Features
What’s important to you in a hiking shirt? The answer to this question will vary from one person to another. Some people prefer to carry a backpack when they hike, while others want to be able to store everything they need in their pockets.
If you’re in the latter category, you’ll probably want a shirt with a little pocket storage. You may also want to look for a shirt that provides wicking to keep sweat off of you, particularly if you sweat heavily.
Your build may determine the kind of shirt you need as well. Someone with large shoulders, long arms, or a large torso may want a fabric with extra stretching or a little additional room in certain areas. Check the reviews for any shirt you’re looking to buy to see if it provides the kind of comfort and additional space you need for mobility and a relaxed fit.
Price
If you’re shopping on a budget, you want to pay attention to the price. Often, you can get a better deal on a similar shirt if you shop around.
The name brand shirts can be more expensive than similar shirts that offer the same features just because they carry a name brand. Consider how well reviewed a shirt is and what features it offers if you’re looking to find the best deal and the best value for your money. There is a good chance that the cheaper shirts will be of lower quality because they may be made of poor quality materials or may have low quality stitching.
Quality
With that in mind, you definitely want to consider the quality of the shirt. The workmanship and the materials used will help determine how durable the shirt is. If it’s not made to stand up to a lot of punishment, the shirt could deteriorate in the washing machine or might not last if you’re hiking through heavy brush.
Hiking can be really rough on a shirt, and you want something that’s durable and that you’ll get more than a few wears out of before it’s no longer useful for hiking.
Warranty
It’s worth considering the customer satisfaction or warranty for your hiking shirt, especially if it’s a higher priced shirt. If you’re paying more than $50 for men’s hiking apparel, you should definitely consider the warranty on that clothing item.
If there’s no warranty information available or the manufacturer does not guarantee the quality of their product, that shows they don’t have much confidence in what they have created, and neither should you.
Multifunctionality
If you’re going to pay good money for a hiking shirt, it ought to be useful for more than just hiking. Some of the shirts we’ve listed here are designed for hunting or fishing and offer features that accommodate these activities.
Think about other ways you may want to use the shirt and if it’s suitable for everyday wear as well.
Closing Thoughts
A well-made hiking shirt that has the kind of features you need and can be like a good friend. It can keep you safe, prove reliable under rough conditions, and should feel like something you’d want to keep close to you for long hours away from civilization.
Hopefully, this guide helps you to make a smart buying decision on your next hiking shirt. It’s better to take the time to carefully sort through your options and choose the right kind of shirt than to regret your shirt choices when you are out on the hike.
When the bugs are biting, the sun is beating down, and your shirt still isn’t dry, you might have wished you bought a better hiking shirt.
