Recommended Camp Shirts.

To me the difference between camp shirts and hiking shirts is that camp shirts are made to be comfortable when you're being less active. They're great to sit around the campfire in, and practical enough to wear other places.

Loose fit shirts are less performance oriented so they don't wick as well. They have a more laid-back comfortable look as opposed to an athletic look. What it comes down to is what you're looking for in a shirt...

Hiking shirts, covered here, are usually more performance oriented. They're made of materials like polyester to wick moisture, breathe and allow easy movement.

Just be aware that like most other camping gear or hiking equipment, different materials can and do make a big difference in how camp shirts perform, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages...

Cotton feels great against the skin as long as it stays dry. If it gets damp though it can take a long time to dry. Synthetics like polyester usually cost a bit more, but that's something you're likely to forget about quickly if you're active and perspiration becomes an issue. But natural fibers have their positives too...

When you're working around the campfire or the camping stove natural fibers are better than plastic materials because plastics like polyester fleece, can melt. And molten plastic isn't something you want sticking to your skin. Does that mean you shouldn't enjoy the campfire or cook in your fleece or nylon jacket?

Camping shirts offer protection from the sun as well as bugs. Lighter colors reflect sunlight better and help keep you cooler. Light colors also make it easier to spot ticks and such on your clothing hopefully before they have a chance to reach your skin. When buying a camp shirt consider what type of environment you'll be wearing it in...

Will you be roughing it in areas where people rarely tread and the brush and undergrowth are thick? If that's the case, long-sleeved camp shirts are going to help to protect you better from poison ivy, thorns and branches.

As long as you're not too active long sleeve organic cotton camp shirts can be nice, but if you tend to sweat a bit or you're pretty active around the campsite then you may want to look more towards hiking shirts that work to keep you dry. The reason I suggest organic cotton over standard cotton can be found on the hiking clothes page.

To sum it up, consider what activities you'll be performing in your camp shirts, what the temperature and humidity are going to be like, how much sun you'll see and how bad the bugs usually are. Below are some recommendations, the links will take you to either Altrec a great outdoor store, or BackCountry a 3 year Bizrate award winner. Either way you can expect great customer service.

Camp Shirts Recommendations

Patagonia's Men's Polo Shirt is more likely than not the best polo shirt you will ever find bar none. Add to that the fact that's it's made from organic cotton and it's a no-brainer. It does run a bit large though, so keep that in mind.

As is the case with most cotton camp shirts allow some room for shrinkage, especially this shirt because it runs a little small. They also have it with short sleeves.

I hope your next trip is fantastic.