M's Sopris Sun Hoodie

Super comfortable and stretchy.

Go to sun hoodie

While I wasn't sold initially (I didn't love the material feel, high poly blend), this has become my favorite sun hoodie to wear while out in the mountains and on the river. The wicking and cooling tech in the fabric works really well. I think the hood is sized nicely, it fits under my climbing helmet but it's also comfortable to wear with just a hat. This cut, like most Strafe stuff, seems to run big for me. I'm 5,9 145 lbs and the medium works best, but is on the bigger side. Ski touring or fishing, I wear this one before anything else.

Functional Style

This hoodie is super comfortable, i really enjoy wearing it. The loose fit of the body and sleeves is really nice for regulating body temps on hot days and I find I can be quite active in it and not over heat, unlike some other sun shirts I have used in the past. I do find the hood to be a bit to loose and that on windy days the hood falls off easily. It does provide great coverage and shelter from the sun.

Stayed protected

Recently was on a trail run on a clear 70 degree hot alpine sunny day and forgot sunscreen. Put on the Sopris Hoodie and stayed protected over the next two hours with no burns to show. The sleeves do fit a bit longer than other sun hoodies I own but not noticeable enough to cause concern.

probably my go to sun hoodie

After my less than enthusiastic opinion of Strafe Outerwear's Skyline Cooling Tee, I had lower expectations for the Sopris Sun Hoodie. I did want to give the Sopris Sun Hoodie a good try, though, despite my experience with the Skyline Tee. Even though the Skyline Tee and Sopris Sun Hoodie are both cut Active fit, the Sopris Sun Hoodie fits looser, drapes well, and doesn't have the high in the arm pit restrictive cut that was annoying on the Skyline Tee. I normally wear Large tops and purchased a Large Sopris Sun Hoodie. I'm still not sold on the cooling mineral fabric (e.g. brrr Triple chill Effect fabric), as I haven't found it nor similar cooling mineral fabrics to live up to the cooling claims. I think I feel the cooling sensation with the Sopris Sun Hoodie, but it doesn't last very long; moreover, if other products are any example, the feature tends to or at least seems to wear off after a few washings. I wore the Sopris Sun Hoodie every day during a recent week-long backpacking/camping trip in the Gobi Desert. The temperatures weren't excrutiating, only getting up into the mid-80's F/30s C. I was very happy with its overall performance in terms of wicking, drying, air flow, and UPF protection during high output backpacking. It even stood up well and protected against the sand blasting I received from heavy winds most of the week. I didn't find the Sopris to cling against my body, but I wore it in a very arid environment not a humid one. Because it was so arid, I don't think the shirt had much time to stay wet enough to cling as it may in a humid environment. The shirt lacks thumb loops, but I don't find thumb loops to be useful so a lack of them is a positive to me. Even though I feel this is one of the best sun hoodies I've worn (at least in an arid desert), it isn't perfect. It feels and is on the heavier end of sun hoodies. I imagine it will feel and be heavier wearing in a less arid environment where the hoodie won't dry out as quickly. Even so, I think it proved useful against the wind driven sand. The biggest negative, as borne out of the pummeling sand blasting wind, is the hood. The hood is large and accommodates a helmet, but there is no way to cinch things closed or tight. Because of this, the hood basically becomes a huge sail in the wind, annoyingly flopping around like a flag in the wind, and most importantly blows off your head defeating the purpose of a hood. I had to bind the base of the hood at the neck together so the hood would be useful and stay on my head. I hope Strafe Outerwear will integrate some sort of paracord/bungee drawstring or something to keep the hood on your head. Until then, I'm just going to void any warranty and sew a drawstring into the hood myself.