Columbia Men's PFG Bahama II Long Sleeve Breathable Fishing Shirt

COMPARED TO BONEHEAD SHIRT (I purchased and wear both)> The Bonehead Shirt from the same manufacture is VERY similar, almost identical except for the fabric. Columbia Men's Bonehead Long Sleeve Shirt.SIMILARITIES> The dense weave of both are very good at blocking the UV rays, but the Bahama II is better.> The ventilation flap in back of both helps to keep you cool in the sun.> Both have 4 major placket pockets, albeit in a slightly different arrangement. Both arrangements have shortcomings.>> The deep closable placket pockets are very handy.>> The smaller pockets (in front of the big pockets) of both are very handy for cell phones, MP3 players, or small radios. For example Kaito KA200 Pocket AM/FM Radio, Black. Especially around water, you want your wallet and electronics to be as high as possible---not in vulnerable pants pockets.> Both have skinny "button down" collars, except that the Bonehead uses velcro patches rather than buttons.> Both have special straps to hold the sleeves rolled up, when desired.> Both have other loops from which you can hang things (e.g., using small carabineers), which are very handy for many purposes.DIFFERENCESThe Bahama II is all nylon; the Bonehead is all cotton, as a result:> The Bonehead wicks moisture well; the Bahama II, not so much. So:> The Bonehead is more comfortable in hot humid conditions; the silky Bahama II is more comfortable in moderate dry conditons> The Bahama II dries quicker> The Bahama II offers the maximum UV protectionMY RECOMMENDATION> For all day, every day, in full bright sunlight, particularly in the tropics or high altitude, or for individuals who are unusually sensitive to UV, I'd recommend the Bahama II.> For up to 6 hours or so once or twice a week in full bright sunlight, or longer in weaker or broken sunlight, I prefer the Bonehead.USES> Both are designed as fishing shirts, and are no doubt "fashionable" and functional for the purpose.> Popular with the "boating class"---I saw many on Barbados, St. Kitts, and at the exclusive Friday Harbor resort on San Juan Island in Washington State this summer (and no, I'm not "boating class"---those were business trips).> I use the shirts for doing yardwork and outdoor photography (for both purposes the multiple big pockets and loops to hang stuff from come in handy)> I would never wear one to a party because the intended fit is unflattering, and the shirts wrinkle easily. But I've seen them at some fashionable parties where they are apparently worn to make a "class" statement.> The Bahama II might get uncomfortable for activities such as hiking, yardwork, or playing tennis, in which case the Bonehead is recommended.> The Bahama II is more comfortable for "sitting around" in the sun, such as fishing, lounging around the pool, watching a kid's baseball game, etc., especially in low humidity.TAYLORINGThe shirts are tailored for men with relatively broad shoulders. Since they are meant to be worn outside pants, they are looser in the chest and waist than corresponding dress shirts.SIZE> I normally wear a men's medium (a little snug) to men's large (a little loose). The "men's large" fits me exactly like the model in the photos. The chest and waist are loose, which is good for a casual shirt which is not meant to be tucked into pants. The sleeves are a little long (by dress shirt standards), but again, that is good for a casual shirt. The shoulders are several inches too wide (as in the photos), but the shirt is apparently designed to fit this way.> CONCLUSION: Order according to your customary size (not the size chart, which is very misleading), with the caveat that the shirts are intended to fit very loosely. If if you can't decide which size to order, err on the small side. Amazon accepts returns, and you don't have to pay for return postage.PRICECheck out the prices of different colors. On Amazon, some colors are half-the-price of other colors. Get two shirts for the price of one (if you aren't too picky about the colors). Since the fit is an issue for many purchasers, Amazon gets a lot of returns---which are bargains as "Amazon Warehouse Deals" (I got one for $14)---the links are variously listed on the page as "new and used" or "other options" etc. if any are available.PROTECTION AGAINST SCRATCHES AND SCRAPES> On one hand, the thin fabric (especially of the Bahama II) is easily pierced by small needle-like thorns (e.g., many cactus thorns), and provides little cushioning against scrapes. On the other hand, the dense weave prevents penetration by blunt objects, such as broken ends of branches, and branches slide off the "slick" fabric of the Bahama II rather than jab or scrape. So, the shirt is pretty good for light yard work. With a heavy long-sleeve tee-shirt (or sweatshirt) underneath, you have excellent protection from all kinds of scrapes and scratches. The shirts probably resist deep penetration by fish hooks.> The smooth almost-slippery fabric of the Bahama II does not readily hold dry particulate "dirt", such as soil or leaf fragments often encountered in gardening.> The Bonehead has characteristics of an ordinary cotton shirt, but tougher.SUGGESTIONIf the temperature is moderate, a light cotton tee-shirt can improve comfort, and (with a tee-shirt) you can wear the shirt like a jacket, unbuttoned.> Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.

My husband wears only these shirts in the summer. They are roomy, airy, and come in great colors. They wash well, and keep their color. He loves that there are pockets for things like cell phone, glasses, pen, whatever. We couldn't be happier with a shirt, which is why I bought him 10 of them when I last ordered. My husband has a broad chest/back and he has lots of freedom of arm movement in this shirt.My husband is a farmer and now owns 10 of these shirts in both the short and long sleeve version. He won't wear another shirt when he is working because 1. The pockets have Velcro closure and that keeps his phone from falling out. 2. The breath ability of this shirt keeps him cool in the summer months. In the winter he puts a thermal t shirt under the long sleeve shirt and is very comfortable. An all around good shirt. The only thing I am not satisfied with is the condition it comes out of the dryer, needing ironing.

I bought three and am happy with the color selection. I am a landscape gardener in Missouri, so I am bit concerned how this shirt will fair in this summers humidity. I like the pockets and the button flaps on the sleeves. I took the advise and ordered a size down, the large fits nicely for a guy that usually wears an XL. I do think the price range should be mid thirties not over forty.May 7th, 2014Well, it got into the low nineties yesterday while at work and the mesh across my upper back began to irritate my skin. I don't know if it was because I was sweating and it was chaffing or a heat rash. Regardless, this has never happened in that area of my body, so it has to be the shirt. I did wear a cotton button up shirt to work today and didn't have the same issue. This concerns me....

I have several of these shirts and I wanted this color for a spring break trip to Florida. I spend a lot of time out in the sun and this was airy, roomy and, best of all, kept the burning rays off my skin. When it cooled a bit at night, I rolled the sleeves down and was quite comfortable. Great shirt for either the beach or the casual restaurants.

I bought this shirt for working in the hot and sunny summer months. I usually get XL shirts, but the L fit me well, although the sleeves are a little long. Very lightweight, vented and comfortable. Keeps the sun off your body well, helping you stay a little cooler in these hot and sunny 100+ degree days. The shirt also drys quickly since it is so light. Much better than a cotton long-sleeve shirt.The only downside of this shirt is that it doesn't stay tucked in well, the shirt is split up higher at the hip than most other button down shirts of this style.

This shirt is almost exactly what you would come to expect from Columbia, especially their PFG line. This is a very lightweight and cool breathable shirt that is great for being outdoors in any time of the year. It protects you from the sun during summer and keeps itself ventilated, but on cooler days you can roll down the sleeves and still enjoy this shirt. It repels water unless it is completely submerged in it, and has lots of features and pockets to hold anything you want to keep dry.

Comfortable beyond description. The convertible sleeves are awesome -- the retaining buttons do the trick perfectly. I wear it with a Nike DriFit short sleeve tee, and in the most brutal heat I just unbutton the front and stay pretty comfortable.As many reviewers have said, it fits large. I'm XL and with the sleeves down have just a little extra overhang. Nothing that I can't live with, although if you want to look like the models on Amazon rather than Omar the tent maker, you may want to go down one size. Other than that, this shirt is all "pros" and no "cons".