Summer walking shirts

Shirts and tees that can’t wait to wick away your sweat.

SUMMER IS HERE at last. By now you’ve shed those fleecey woollens and your waterproof jacket will hopefully remain buried at the bottom of your rucksack. Now’s the time to slip, slop and slap, as the Aussies would say, before heading out and soaking up some summer sunshine. And it’s the slipping on of a shirt that we’re talking about here.

If the British weather has blessed you with a scorcher, it’s essential that you dress for it, especially if you’re walking. You’ll want to don a summer top or base layer (as we outdoorsy geeks call ‘technical’ T-shirts) that feels cool and comfy to wear all day long; a garment which breathes and protects your skin from harmful UV rays. A cotton T-shirt is great if you’re not going anywhere far or fast, but work up a proper sweat, and it will soon get unpleasantly sticky. If you’re heading out into the great outdoors this summer, then you’re better off investing in a versatile technical top that will dry fast and ‘wick’ away hot sweat. We’ve reviewed a variety of summer shirts and base layers, from sporty synthetics to merino tops, plus stylish travel and casual shirts that look as good in the pub as they’ll feel on the fell. Whatever your preference in substance or style, we’ve got the right summer shirt for you.

About our reviews

We’ve chosen ten shirts and base layers which should be widely available on the UK market at the time of going to press. Philip and Hannah tested fifive five each and nearly all come in men’s and women’s styles (indicated by these dots ). We rate each base layer on comfort, performance (wicking/ odour resistance), versatility and value for money. We focus on the pros and cons of each top, but we’ve also chosen our personal favourites and selected the overall best-value shirt.