Capilene ® Cool Sun “Our goal was to
In the fall of 2023, a request came across Material Operations Developer Mackenzie Warner’s desk: find a fabric that’s breathable and has UPF. The only prob- lem was that the words breathable and UPF generally contradict each other. “It’s not hard to make UPF fabric: just take a super- dense knit and it will block the sun,” says Warner. “But it’s hard to make a UPF fabric that’s comfortable. The more open the fabric is, the more air can come through … which also means more UV light can come through.” Warner set out to find a unicorn. Her list of param- eters was daunting. The fabric had to hit 40+ UPF sun protection. It had to do so without using topical UPF treatments, which tend to wash out over time. In other words, the UPF protection had to come from the way the fabric itself was constructed. And lastly, it had to be really breathable and hit a minimum air- permeability rating of 180 cubic feet per minute. (For reference, 200 cubic feet per minute is the highest rating for fabrics.) Warner sourced between 40 and 50 fabrics that met her first two criteria and ran air-perm tests on all of them. Only two passed. From there, it was on to field-testing for comfort and abrasion-resistance. The best material would have to feel breathable enough for anglers, climbers and endurance athletes to want to wear it all day—and would have to prove its dura- bility against backpack hip belts, wader straps and bushwhacking. It wasn’t long before the field-testing feedback showed a clear winner. Warner remembers her own personal aha moment, while climbing at the Buttermilks in Bishop, California. The Buttermilks are famous for massive blocks of sharp granite across a wide-open plateau, fully exposed to the piercing alpine sun—and the perfect place to test sun hoodies. “I kept falling off this one move and slamming my elbow into the rock,” says Warner. At one point, she looked down, certain the fabric had just torn. It was bloody, but whole. “My skin ripped … but the shirt didn’t.” After a full day of hard climbing in the sun and lugging heavy crash pads through the maze of rock, she knew they’d found the unicorn.
make the most breathable sun- protection fabric possible.”
—Mackenzie Warner, Material Operations Developer
Details
UPF by Construction Fabric’s single-knit construction generates a sun-protective effect that won’t wash out over time, and its innovative yarn blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Quick Dry & Moisture Wicking Lightweight fabric provides quick- drying moisture control and has a wicking finish and a textured back to lift the fabric off the skin for better airflow. All-Day Comfort All Capilene® Cool Sun styles have minimal stitching and seams for enhanced comfort and reduced chafing during all-day wear. Head & Hands Coverage Hood has a button closure at the front and fits over a ball cap; thumb holes keep coverage on the backs of your hands. Made in a Fair Trade Certified™ factory.
(right) High exposure on the traverse between Hurd Peak and Trapezoid Peak. Sierra Nevada, California. Dan Patitucci
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