Moisture wicking or sun blocking clothing?

[maxiesmom]

I'm in the early stages of planning a 4th of July trip. I know it will be hot and humid, and am looking for whatever will help me and my dad and 24 year old nephew stay dry(ish) and cool(ish). There are so many brands of moisture wicking and sun blocking shirts out there. Do they truly help? And if so what brand(s) do you guys recommend? TIA!!!

Oh, and any other tips you may want to fire at me on how to make this trip more comfortable, feel free! I'm already planning on going to the parks early, have already made ADRs so we can go and sit in air conditioned comfort a couple times a day, and taking breaks during the middle of the day. Thanks again!

 

[wilkeliza]

Talk to your dad and nephew about the shirts. I love them (I use underarmor and Uniqluo's) but my fiance absolutely hates the feel of the shirts.

 

[boBQuincy]

Wicking shirts (and other wicking clothing) definitely work in hot weather. A ventilated hat with a wide brim also helps. Thick socks and hiking shoes help to insulate your feet from the hot concrete. Check out a local outdoor store (like REI) for warm weather clothing and tips on staying cool. They laugh when I tell them all this gear is for the most brutal environment imaginable, Walt Disney World in the summer!

 

[PSUGuy]

I'm sure such shirts can be had elsewhere but golf attire from a number of makers feature wicking and I've put them to the test in Myrtle Beach in July, they work. Also in WS at that trading post place, I think that what it's called, there's a light weight cap with a cloth that drapes over the back of the neck, I bought it on our last day there last trip, wish I had it the whole time.

Bill From PA

 

[kj2mom]

You are smart to try to figure out now what you think you might prefer! We were there for 4th of July and it was definitely hot and humid! We don't really like the feel of the moisture wicking material so we just went with your standard t-shirt/shorts/capris for clothing. Other tidbits that we found helpful were Brita water bottles, little battery operated fans (I got keychain ones from Amazon but they do typically sell the large one all around the parks, I just didn't want to carry something that large) and Frosty cooling towels. We brought along a few water flavoring bottles but found the free counter service water tasted just fine (we would get 2 free cups, pour one into a Brita and share the other right then). We froze one Brita so we started the day off with ice cold water and that typically lasted the better part of the morning.

We definitely enjoyed a nice sit down lunch in a cool place to regroup then typically after lunch we had our 3 FP so we just went from ride to ride with little waiting.

 

[tsme]

I vote for moisture wicking. You'll be sweating a tons in July.

 

[hakepb]

More breathable and faster drying makes a big difference! (I think it feels like a 10 degree drop in the heat index) vs a cotton T. (I now refuse to wear cotton t-shirts in the daytime at Disney)
I also stay with lighter colors during the day.

 

[CyndiLooWho]

We do the moisture wicking stuff, which we already have from boy scout trips. Instead of hiking shoes, we all have hiking sandals from Keen. Not the prettiest, but definitely comfy and perfect for those Florida afternoon thunderstorms. Just be sure to put sunscreen on the exposed parts of the feet and reapply. The guys wear their nylon convertible hiking pants, with the pants part off. They big pockets are perfect for storing phones, emergency ponchos, etc, and they dry fast after the rain, as well as being moisture wicking. The guys also all have longer length wicking underwear to keep cool and prevent chafing in the heat.

I have hiking skorts, "active" skorts, and matching wicking tops, and I found some great wicking bras for the last trip, too. Really made a difference for us.

And we all have hats - brimmed ones, not baseball caps - to keep the sun off our faces. Again, the guys all have them for scouts, and I have some really great ones from various outdoor outfitters.

The first trip, we all had tiny misting fans ( http://www.amazon.com/O2-Cool-Carabiner-Water-Misting-Colors/dp/B000JKN4X6 ), but we have not used them the last two June trips.

 

[Eandbmom]

I agree with the wicking shirts! That is what we are planning for our Aug trip.

 

[Serrina89]

Honestly, I would go with moisture wicking clothing. When the environmental temperature is hotter than the body temperature (i.e Florida temperatures), they only non-mechanical (fans, cooling suits, etc) way to reduce heat from the body is through sweating. However, only sweat that is evaporated, reduces heat. The clothing that we wear absorbs excess sweat, but when the clothing becomes saturated, the skin becomes saturated with sweat and we can no longer sweat efficiently. The sweat rolls off the body and no heat is released. For that reason, it is important to wear clothes that not only absorb sweat but dry quickly. They only caveat is the humidity. If 100% humidity is reached then there's no place for the evaporated sweat to evaporate into to.

The "sun blocking shirts" may keep the sun from burning you, but besides deflecting the sun, it does nothing to reduce the heat you've gained from doing work (walking, etc) and (heat you've gained from the surrounding environment.) Hope this helps! Sorry for getting all scientific...Just thought it may be easier to understand if you knew the science behind heat transfers and moisture management.

 

[starjazz]

I prefer cotton shirts. There are actually several experts in this area that agree that cotton is the best for this type of application. Why? Well, when you sweat in a cotton tshirt, the moisture is readily absorbed by the shirt. That shirt then conveys the cooling effect of evaporation to the skin. Also, cotton is far less likely to chafe.

The best gear, in my book and that of many outdoors professionals, is to wear long, baggy, cotton clothing to get the best evaporative cooling and ventilation, plus protection from the sun. (plus, I just think cotton feels a ton better than poly blends.)

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I would go for moisture wicking too because honestly you can bring a small sunscreen to re-apply through the day and do the other stuff people have mentioned but feeling all sticky and icky due to the humidity and the feel of plastered-wet clothing (if going on water rides) will be dramatically reduced if wearing the moisture wicking. I'm glad you brought this up because I was considering getting something like moisture wicking for our next trip

 

[bbjunkie]

I personally hate the feeling of moisture wicking fabric so I don't wear it; I would be miserable all of the time. We were there in June, and found cotton to be fine. We were rope-droppers, afternoon-at-the-pool-break-takers, and evenings-in-the-park tourers. It worked great for us.

I also HIGHLY recommend chafing gel or cream. Monostat makes it, and when you put it on it has a very light, powdery feeling....not hot and sticky like lotion. Put it everywhere you think you *might* chafe. Feet and heels, under arms, etc. It works miracles in the heat and humidity and a little goes a long way.

 

[LuvOrlando]

To each their own but Florida humidity makes my normal love of cotton a miserable source of chafing & discomfort. I do wicking everything including undies, got my husband some microfiber Calvin Klein briefs he loves.

For sunblock look for a laundry additive on Amazon, Ithink its called RIT Sunguard. I know someone who had skin cancer who uses it

Also pick up some Body Glide from a sports store, it's great for any clothing crease spots including feet

 

[pangyal]

Cotton accelerates bacterial growth...not the best for hot, sticky situations.

I live in my Lululemon workout clothing at WDW. I just pack those, and then I have stuff both to work out in and wear during the day, so it makes things super easy!

 

[LadyLion4life]

We're officially going in mid July for a wedding and plan on park days including one US/IOA day. We were there in late August back in 2003 and the weather was rough but I was so much younger, lol. We were last there in January 2007 and the weather was perfect for me. Thanks for this thread. I'm looking for any way to stay cool.

 

[gap2368]

for the hot weather do some show country bears micky philhermagic coster ink caught floor hall of presidents are some at the MK

yes some might have a longer line then others but if you get it at the right time you can almost walk on and they are nice and cool,

as fair as clothing goes I like omni freeze ( and omni freeze 0) gains with a spritzer O2cool cloths drink a lot of water and then some more water and have a power aid ever now and then take things slow

 

[Jing]

I love moisture wicking skorts and polos/tanks in high heat and humidity. I get most of them at Dicks in the golf section when they have sales. They are easy to hand wash in the sink and dry overnight if you don't want to do a load of laundry.

Cotton shirts soaking in sweat are heavy and uncomfortable.....though I like to do custom shirts, and cotton is the only way to go.

 

[TI double-GUH ER]

I did some golf skorts and polos this time too. I was SO happy! I felt much cooler, and this is in August, when the temp is hot and the humidity high. I have some "moisture wicking" stuff from Target too - seemed to work just as well. I recommend trying them out ahead of time if you get a chance, just to see if you like the feel of them.

 

[akadada]

Moisture management clothing for sure. And yes they work. I lump it all into the category of technical wear. It's all I wear all of the time now, warm or cold. I'm a techwear junky

Here are some thoughts:

Wool or synthetic-wool mix is hard to beat: great both as a layer in cold and wick management when hot . . plus it won't smell. Problem: expensive.

Polyester, and/or synthetic blends are a good second place. Much less expensive. The only problem is over time they can start to stink up a bit if you wear them too much.

Depending on your budget, here are recommended brands:

Icebreaker or smartwool for t-shirts and longsleeves men and women. Patagonia has a new marino wool polo and t-shirt. I haven't bought them yet, but on my wish list. Patagonia makes a capalene synthetic as well. It's very nice, but over time it will smell. One third the price of wool though.

Icebreaker, Patagonia, and ExOfficio make awesome technical wear polo shirts as well.

They all make awesome underwear for hot weather too which I highly recommend.

Point6, icebreaker, and wigwam make the best polyester/wool mix socks. Avoid Smartwool. At first they're awesome, but because they're all wool they wear apart rapidly with sometimes less than a month or two lifespan. Synthetic or synthetic wool is much better.

For dressier shirts...Love Patagonia puckerware for button up, polyester mix. Patagonia makes awesome dresses as well for hot weather (according to my wife). You can buy online or if you a Title Nine, they stock Patagonia and a number of other great technical wear brands. Patagonia makes some great longsleeve button ups that are excellent in the summer. I wear them in 90 temps SW Florida in May and June.

Otherwise Mountain Hardware is great too. Ex-officio similar to Patagonia, not as cool looking, but less expensive for sun and wick management button up shirts polyester style. Good fishing shirts as well.

all of the above are favorite brands for various reasons.

I would go with wool if you can handle the price because you can usually rewear it without washing and it's easy to wash in the sink while traveling and it will last longer. I think even though it's sometimes more expensive it comes back to you in terms of longevity and use.

NikWax detergent is your brand for keeping the clothing going for a long time. It's easy to travel with as well.

Finally, If you need or want to watch the dollar don't care about last-year's models, etc, then go to Sierratradingpost.com, sign up for e-letters, and you'll get bombarded with coupons to buy brands like icebreaker, smartwool, mountain hardware, ex-officio and some other great brands. Savings is usually 40% - 75% off new retail. I buy most of my synthetics and wools through Sierra other than Patagonia.

I hope that helps. Happy to answer more specifics both hot and cold weather wear.