Summertime in California demands sun protection.   Whether is be the sun on the coast, or the brutal high altitude rays in the Sierras,  one must protect themselves from turning crispy red while on the trail.  Sunscreen is always an essential component whenever I am outside.  (My doctor just the other day called me a “mole factory” as he was checking them out to conform that none of them had mutated into a cancerous form.) But I am increasingly turning towards other forms of sun protection, such as UV protective clothing.  The advantage being you always have a consistent level of protection throughout the day, and there is no glopping on sunscreen multiple times  on exposed skin.  Not all clothing is equal when it comes to UV protection.   A white cotton t-shirt is generally rated at UPF 7 (not so hot) while there are  expanding lines of clothing that is designed with sun protection in mind.  Some of the best has been coming from ExOfficio, a company that has been making high quality hiking and travel apparel for years.  I have had the opportunity fo the last several months to use their new Vent’r pants, and Exhale long sleeved button down shirt. These articles of clothing feature sun protection in the 30+ UPF range.

Both the Vent’r Pants and the Exhale shirt address the issue of keeping cool in warm climates.  Both these articles of clothing feature large panels of mesh that help keep one cool.  While this is not a new concept,  most clothing with ventilation hide the mesh under panels of solid cloth, significantly hampering it cooling potential.  The Vent’r Pants and the Exhale shirt have laser cut mesh that is welded into the inner leg of the pants, and the sides of the shirt,  where they are effective, but out of the way.

The pants are made of very lightweight material,  and feature a zippered cargo pocket and one zippered rear pocket.  The material is treated with “Repeloff” to resist stains, wrinkles, and water. The waistband is lined with a soft tricot material which make the pants are really comfortable.  They have a nice loose cut that help enhance the cooling components of the pants.  I was hesitant about the inner leg mesh lining, and how badly it would expose my pasty white thighs.  This proved to be irrelevant, as it takes some looking to even know that there is a different material on the inner thigh.  It is kind of like my cool little dirty secret.

The shirt is stylish enough to wear everyday, and very well designed and constructed.   The mesh panels let in a good amount of air, that can be supplemented by unzipping the two deep, mesh lined chest pockets.  The shirt uses snaps instead of buttons on the shirt front, and the tabs to hold up the sleeves.  The shirt fits nicely, and has a comfortable stand up collar to further block the sun.

I have washed both the pants and shirt numerous times, and they come out of the wash looking fresh and wrinkle free.  I often stuff them into duffel bags and packs, and they unfurl with a minimum of permanent wrinkles.  all the hardware is functioning just as it did on day 1,  and I have yet to blow a seem on any of the Exofficio garments I own.   I you are looking for cool, lightweight, well made sun protection,  give the Exofficio Vent’r Pants, and Exhale shirt some consideration.  I was very satisfied,  and think you will be as well.