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REI Men's Sahara Long-Sleeve Shirt

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
photo: REI Men's Sahara Long-Sleeve Shirt hiking shirt

Reviewed by
 Shane   TOP 10 REVIEWER +2,035
rated 4.5 of 5 stars August 28, 2025

The REI Sahara button-down long-sleeved sun shirt is an excellent piece of hiking/outdoor gear. It is comfortable to wear, lightweight, and provides protection from the sun.

Pros

  • Comfortable
  • Lightweight
  • Breathable
  • Dries super quick
  • Looks good
  • Packable

Cons

  • Sizes run large
  • Buttoning could be easier

I do quite a bit of backpacking on hot, sunny days. I don't like wearing sunscreen so I typically wear a lightweight sun shirt to protect me from the sun. I've usually worn sun hoodies, but on my recent week-long backpacking trip in the Sierras I decided to try an REI Sahara button down long sleeved shirt. This is meant to be worn as a sun shirt and it does work well for that. 

IMG_3856.jpg
A pic of the shirt in action in the Sierras.
The Sahara shirt really did a great job in the dry heat of the Sierras. I turned the collar up to protect my neck and kept the sleeves long to protect my arms. The shirt does breathe well and I didn't overheat at all. I sometimes unbuttoned one or two of the front buttons for more venting. When it wasn't so hot, I rolled the sleeves up—they stay up by using a button. 
IMG_2047.jpg
The loop for holding sunglasses is very useful. 
There's also a back vent, although that doesn't do much when wearing a backpack. But at breaks when I took my pack off I liked the back vent. I liked and utilized the little loop for my sunglasses on the left chest pocket. I should also note that this shirt dried super quick in the Sierra sun. It is one of the fastest drying hiking shirts I've used! My friends were a bit wet with sweat; I usually was not because this thing dries so quickly.
This shirt is also light and packable. It rolls up to roughly the size of a softball.  (Note: I'm not sure how this shirt will work in humid areas. I suspect it will work just as well, aside from a longer drying time, which is true for all clothes in humid areas!)
IMG_2048.jpg
a view of the front

After three days backpacking, the shirt did start to smell, but it was very minor. I only noticed it once or twice during the day. I rinsed off the shirt on the fourth day and it did fine the rest of the week. And it smells normal after a wash so that's good!  (Note: I did treat this shirt with permetherin, so I had no mosquito issues!)

IMG_2049.jpg
There's a little zipper pocket on the left side. Nice, but you can't access it when you have a pack on.
There are two negatives to the shirt. First, I usually wear a large but had to re-order this one in medium. They do run big.  Second, the button holes are really tight for the buttons. That is, it takes a bit of effort to button the shirt. No big deal, but when tired at the end of a long day it's mildly annoying to have to work at getting buttons out. 
IMG_2050.jpg
Note the back vent panel/flap, it works well when not wearing a pack.

All in all this is a great sun shirt. I think I like it better than hoodies. It also looks nice, so I can wear it around town when I'm not backpacking. In fact, I like it so much I thought about getting two! 

IMG_2051.jpg
The shirt is packable, pen in pic for scale

Background

I used this shirt for a week on a backpacking trip in the Sierras. It got a good workout and passed the test with flying colors.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $60

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Specs

Price Historic Range: $13.83-$69.95
Reviewers Paid: $60.00
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