Written by & Photos By: David Wilson & Chris Kimmel (Alpine Edge Photography)
The NRS long sleeve Guide shirt checks all the box’s:
Sun protection (UPF 50)
- Being out in the sun all day can take its toll. The NRS long sleeve Guide shirt provides excellent protection from UV rays on those long days on the water when shade isn't so easily found.
- If the full sleeves are feeling like too much, NRS has put buttons and straps on the arms of the sleeves so that they can easily be rolled up, and kept in place out of the way.
Climate Control
- Cooling
- The light weight material ensures you don't get too hot as the nylon/poly blend breaths easily. This nylon/polyester blend has some excellent amphibious qualities. It is not too baggy that it feels like a drag to swim in, it dries quickly, and as it dries it helps keep you cooler longer.
- Warmth
- I know this one seems contradictory but the long sleeve Guide shirt can check both the cooling and warming boxes. On a recent seven day river trip it was the shirt I wore most days, and on the days I wore it, I wore it all day!
- The long sleeves kept the bugs off and the slight morning chill away.
- When it warmed up enough, I would roll up the sleeves and occasionally open up the snaps!
- When it got hot I would roll down the sleeves and could pop the collar if I needed the extra protection from the sun.
- When it got even hotter, (which it definitely did on our last river trip) I would go for a cool down plunge and enjoy the lasting convective cooling the shirt provided as the moisture evaporated away!
- Then as the evening cooled and the shirt was dry again the long sleeves and collar took just enough of the chill away to keep me from changing into something else, helping this shirt appear in almost every photo from the trip!
Function
- This shirt doesn't only look great and feel great it also performs great!
- Thoughtful design like the use of low profile snaps opposed to buttons allow for a comfortable fit under a PFD.
- Additionally the recycled silk weight panels under the arms allow for increased ventilation and additional stretch for un-restricted mobility while paddling or other activities.
- The snapped chest pockets aren't just for looks, they are great functional pockets for whatever small things you may want to stash away!
- The snaps down the front also allow for more dramatic rescues on the river!
- Ripping open the snaps to let loose the shirt, as you fly through the air from the safety of the beach into the water to save that precious beach football that just about went down river from camp never looked so good!
Style
- This shirt adds a little bit of class wherever you are. It has the function of a technical piece of clothing but the style of a casual piece that makes it stand out as it keeps you looking good whether you're on the water, at camp, or in the pub.
The NRS long sleeve Guide shirt has quickly become one of my favorite shirts both on and off the water. Its function, versatility, and looks are hard to beat.