Columbia “Omni-Freeze Zero” Hot

I am one of those who hates sunscreen, but I am smart enough to know to protect my skin. I have many different types of sun protectant shirts, and pants for that matter. They all keep me comfortable in the south GA heat. This one seems to be a bit better than the others.

Columbia is a great company with awesome gear. If you are looking for a great summer time shirt, check out the Columbia line before you make a choice.

I received one of the Columbia “Omni-Freeze Zero” shirts shortly after ICAST 2012 in Orlando, and my first impression was kind of strange. The shirt has a very different feel to it; it's very “stretchy” - almost like rubber. It's kind of hard to explain, but once you start fishing in it, you will almost immediately start to feel the cooling sensation that won this shirt “Best in Show – Apparel”.

From the Columbia website:
“Omni-Freeze ZERO sweat-activated cooling launches in spring 2013. Its little blue rings concentrate a cooling agent close to your skin and capitalize on your sweat to lower the overall temperature of the fabric, accelerate the wicking process, and provide an instant and prolonged cooling.”

The shirt I received was an Extra-Large and I found the fit, as with all Columbia shirts, to be excellent. The length of the sleeves was right, as well as the waist line and overall length of the shirt. Even after a couple of cycles through my washer, it hasn’t shrunk or lost its shape in any way. I didn’t like the low collar; I prefer a shirt with more of a collar to protect the back of my neck from the sun. I also found this shirt to be a bit hot at first, as it really needs a breeze to activate the “cooling cells”. Once out on the water though, it was quite comfortable. I found it to be quick drying, which is a plus especially if you wade fish a lot like I do. I hate to reach for camera and have a wet sleeve dripping on it.

Another thing I noted about this shirt, it’s much thinner than the other Omni Freeze shirts I have. Those shirts seem to have two layers of material. At first glance you would think they would be very hot, but that’s not the case. They make a collared version of this shirt, as well (pictured above). Other Columbia shirts in this style (like the “Airgill Chill Zero” and “Terminal Zero”) retail from $100 to $130, so I believe this shirt will fall into that price range. The shirt that I received will retail for around $75. These shirts are due to be released in the spring of 2013.