What is the best outdoors shirt for summertime RV camping?
The best I have found is the Columbia PFG (“Performance Fishing Gear”) line of shirts. They are an ideal blend of style and function, and help keep you cool on hot days.
I bought one of these shirts (in the Tamiami II style), and liked it so much I bought a couple more. I wear these “fishing” shirts even though I’m not much of a fisherman. They are amazingly comfortable, and they look nice too. Mine are short sleeve, but Columbia makes long sleeve and a few different styles.
Sporting a Columbia PFG shirt (in the Tamiami II style) at the Yukon’s awesome Kluane Lake. Never let grizzly bears see you sweat!
What makes these shirts so great? They contain Columbia’s “Omni-Dry” moisture wicking technology. The material draws moisture away from your body where it evaporates into the air. I’m sure there’s a little bit of marketing razzle dazzle here, but this stuff really does work. The material has “quick dry” properties for both water and perspiration.
This is the lightest weight fishing shirt that Columbia makes, and the material is state of the art. Columbia simply calls the material polyester, which doesn’t sound exciting – but it is strikingly lightweight, soft and stretchy. Build quality is top notch, with robust threading, stitching, and buttons.
The shirts are airy and well ventilated. The idea is that they spacious and stretchy, and thus suitable for casting a fishing line – but really they are fine for all sorts of outdoor activities.
The backs of the shirts contain vents that allow air to flow through. This really helps prevent the shirt from becoming wet and sticky in hot weather.
The shirts have several handy pockets (including pockets on top of pockets!) and even a rod holder for those who fish. They are large and breezy.
Here in the Deep South, summer temperatures are hot enough to fry turkeys on the sidewalk. If you must be outside in the heat, it’s important to be dressed appropriately. I’m usually wearing a Columbia PFG shirt.
