Make & Model - Mountain Khakis Men's Trail Creek Short Sleeve Shirt
UPF Rating - 40+
Materials - 2.9-ounce polyester
Colors - Blue ridge, cornflower plaid (shown), firma, freestone plaid
MSRP - $65
URL - http://www.mountainkhakis.com
This generously cut, lightweight polyester shirt looks plain vanilla on the surface, but has some hidden features, increasing its capabilities when it already has the second strongest UPF rating in this buyer's guide.
First, the zippered oversized pocket on the left chest is big enough to easily accommodate a map or important documents. Second, a sunglass pocket is a feature we never knew we needed. Third, we liked the thoughtfulness of a snap-down collar and the incorporation of a small chamois lens cleaning cloth into the inside of the shirt. We can finally stop asking the wife for the hoarded napkins from her purse when we need to clean our sunglasses. Last, the oversized, yet hidden, mesh panel on the back helped us stay cool while maintaining the simple clean looks of the garment.
Overall this shirt offers good performance and strong sun protection, in addition to several subtle but smart design features. However, while it's fine for dry climates, in high humidity conditions it's not the first shirt we'd grab.
Pros:
– Offers the second highest UPF rating in this test group
– No-iron fabric looks awesome straight out of the dryer.
– Several subtle features, including multiple pockets and an integrated lens cleaning cloth
Cons:
– While fine for dry climates, its wicking performance in high humidity is lacking.
– Whether by design or miscalculation, the button holes are painfully small. Each button takes a solid 10 seconds to squeeze through the hole.