BobS, that's a reasonable assumption, but an incorrect one. Here in the city, which is my natural environment, it's all air-conditioning, whether in a building or in a car. In the desert, which is not my natural environment, it's not. Not only am I not an outdoor type by nature, I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and moved here late in life. This is all new to me.

Thanks to everyone for the great replies so far. And even a reply that was specific to the shooting sports. The amount of knowledge around here is phenomenal. I've got lots of reading to do.

Underwear? I had no idea underwear came into play.

OK, I understand. I'm an outdoor person and always doing things outside all year long.

Actually silk underwear holds moisture (I've never worn silk underwear but I know they are better for warmer climate). Wear loose boxers to keep your balls cooler.

Also wear longer sleeves on shirts to cover the back of your hands from sun and carry a wool watchcap because it packs small and when the weather drops dramatically it's very efficient in conserving body heat.

Frankie

As others have said, cotton kills in the cold, but it saves in the hot. So wear cotton undies (or no undies, going commando ain't all that bad in the heat), and I like BDU's. Tan will work, I don't like cammo either. Big pockets, tough, not all that expensive. A tan M-65 field jacket, with liner if you want, and a watch cap will help with the cold. During the day a wide brimmed hat, boonie or Tilley, and you are all set...

I refer everyone to the famous photo of american freedom fighter Goyathlay kneeling on one leg, holding a Springfield carbine and wearing cotton.

ExOfficio has a 25% off sale all this month (plus free shipping) on Give-N-Go briefs and boxers. While I realize the idea of spending $18.00 ($13.50 on sale this month) for a pair of underwear is not something that men generally do except for the wife or girlfriend at Christmas, I decided to try a pair of these last year.

Not only are they worth every penny, but I have since bought another dozen pair and actually wear these everyday. Of all the camping/backpacking/survival gear I have ever purchased, I would rate these toward the very top of the list for the best value for the dollar. I have told a few people about these and without exception, those who have tried them end up switching to these exclusively.

As far as shirts go, the ExOfficio Air Strip Lite is a great outdoor shirt. Like their underwear, these shirts aren't cheap ($80-$85 depending upon the size) but be careful if you are buying online, as the three colors I have look absolutely nothing like the color swatches shown on their website.

These shirts are long sleeves with roll-up tabs, a 3-position sun collar, UPF of 30+, loads of venting, and reasonably sized pockets. I generally layer one of these with an Under Armour Heatgear wicking T-shirt in the summer (or a Coldgear Blitz mock turtleneck and North Face Paramount zippered fleece jacket in the winter) topped off with a TNF Anorak waterproof shell.

If you happen to have a Boy Scout outfitter nearby, BSA just recently came out with what they are calling an "activity" shirt that is made by a company called VF Solutions. Except for the lack of the 3-position sun collar, it is virtually identical to the Air Strip Lite, but sells for only $32. There is a small tone-on-tone BSA logo on the chest, but it certainly doesn't look like a uniform shirt, and for $50 less it's hard to beat.

For pants I really like The North Face Paramount convertible pants, as I've never had a pair of hiking pants that fit me nearly as good, although the length of the shorts is probably an inch or two shorter than I'd go with if I were buying dedicated shorts. Then again, if you're zipping off the legs you're probably more interested in cooling off than making a styling statement. TNF offers these in short, regular, and long (30", 32", and 34") inseams so it's pretty easy to find a pair that fits well.

Jim

I disagree with AROTC and I have lived in the desert since 1956. Or more accurately, I partially disagree. Most of the time you can get by OK with cotton since it is usually warm. What surprises many people is that it can be surprisingly cold, as well. Over the years, I have added more and more synthetics to my wardrobe. For really hot conditions, I like Cool-Max or similar garments. They have served me well in temperatures of 100 degrees plus. A lot of items are available in loose fitting styles that are light, tough, and non-military. A wide brimmed hat (with a dark underbrim), sunglasses, and a bandanna can shield you effectively from the sun. Cotton works fine in these applications - no need to waste money on a Tilley hat. Zip off pants work great, although I think they look incredibly dorky when worn as long pants, much better as shorts. Their practicality outweighs the dork factor for me quite often.

One thing about Arizona - the terrain is such that you can be on the desert in one location and ten miles away you will encounter much colder and higher conditions. This is especially true of the more interesting portions of Arizona, which is anyplace more than fifty miles from Phoenix. If you are moving around at all, you need clothing which can work effectively in layering combinations, and synthetics really shine here. Cotton is becoming obsolete, IMHO.

Nor is cotton environmentally benign. Patagonia studied the environmental effects of cotton versus synthetics some years ago, and concluded that the effects were about the same. The problem with cotton is the large quantities of pesticides needed to grow the product. This is why their products are now organic cotton. Of course, it is just as expensive as the synthetics and I doubt that their organic cotton garments last as long as synthetics.

Just to add to the list of companies you might wish to shop, check out Duluth Trading Company. They have some items which will work very well in hot climates.

I don't have desert experiance but I do go out on boats in the blazing sun and hike in the hot sun. I like a loose fitting long sleeved cotton or cotton/poly blend shirt. I have also worn loose drawstring hosptial scrubs. These keep both the sun and bugs off of me.

I didn't have to worry about it getting cold at night though. If you are hiking you should be able to carry other things in it for night or when the temps go down. I don't know how this would work, maybe someone else could chime in but a marmot driclime windshirt is very light and comfortable to sleep in when it's cold. I have worn one at night to extend the temp range of my sleeping bag.

Damp cotton would be cold and uncomfy to sleep in but isn't it very dry in the desert? When my husband was in the marine corp he loved going to yuma, he said you could run and you didn't really feel hot and didn't sweat. Well you did but it dried real quick.

I got a couple of those nylon fishing shirts thinking that all the vents would be cool and it would be even better than my cotton shirt. I am so glad I brought something else to wear because when the sun beat down on that nylon it was hot and stifling. I put my cotton shirt on and all was well. The nylon ones are also cold when it's cold. My fishing friends seem to like them though. They are just dressy shirts for me now.

I have some duofold tshirts of various styles and they are ok. They are polyester. Polyester is funny stuff, it takes on differant properties depending on the knit. It seems to take on a stench pretty quick though. I think they are making odor resistant ones now, maybe I should look into that.





Funny thing about the nylon. The shirts are not comfortable but my nylon shorts are just fine. At least the brands that I have. I don't have an explanation for that phenomana except that perhaps chafing. Cotton shorts chaff if you are walking in them when sweaty.

The hospital scrubs are best in some situations. You have to get the cheap thin ones though, at least that's what I prefer. The drawstring is comfortable under a pack belt and like I said, keeps the sun and bugs off.

Don't forget the sunscreen, and drink lots of liquids.

Sue

Okay, here's why I recommend light synthetics over cotton:

In Baghdad wearing 40 lbs of black body armor over my clothes, cotton didn't keep me anywhere near as comfortable as the synthetic materials. The majority of the expats I worked with there switched to synthetic clothing for much the same reason.

Cotton is hydrophillic, meaning it has an affinity for or attraction to water, meaning it gets wet and stays wet. If it is 90 degrees out and you are standing in a good breeze, cotton will help keep you cooler. If it is 120 degrees and you are sitting in a bunker without air conditioning or a breeze, the cotton will eventually feel like wet sandpaper against your skin. If you can't freely move around to distribute the moisture or get enough surface exposure to promote suitable evaporation, the wet cotton will act as an irritant, and you will get a rash.

Synthetics are hydrophobic, meaning the fabric does not like to be wet. When it does get wet, it tends to hold the moisture at the surface of the fibers, rather than draw it in like a sponge. In clothing, this effect is known better as wicking. Synthetics tend to wick moisture away from the body. It will help keep you cooler on a hot day in a breeze, and it will help keep your skin drier when you are stuck in less than ideal evaporative conditions by drawing moisture away from the surface of your skin more. The difference is that one person wearing synthetic clothing will appear under extreme conditions to have sprung a leak as the excess perspiration sloughs off his clothing and falls to the ground, while the guy next to him wearing cotton will look like he's just come out of a sauna and his clothes are soaked from top to bottom.

One big drawback to synthetics is their vulnerability to ignition sources. One little stray spark will make a hole in your synthetic shirt, where it may not even leave a mark on a cotton one.

I used to think cotton was the best hot weather clothing till I went to Baghdad. Now I seldom wear cotton in hot weather, and when I do, I often regret it. Even silk would be more preferable.