Kryptek Sonora Hooded Shirt – Gear Review

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- For some reason, the Kryptek Sonora Hooded Shirt caught my eye and I thought I ought to test them out. I grabbed the Transitional and the Altitude color patterns. Both patterns are great but I think for most of my hunting I’m going to favor the Transitional pattern.

Kryptek Sonora Hooded Shirt

A couple of days after receiving them, a buddy asked me if I wanted to go varmint hunting. I had a lot of articles to get submitted but told him I could break free on Tuesday. It was going to be a little cool but not terrible and only a few scattered patches of snow. I thought this would be the perfect chance to wear my new Kryptek Sonora Hooded Shirt and test it out.

Even though I think it was really designed to wear in mild to hot weather, perfect for September archery elk hunts here in Idaho, by chance I thought I’d wear it as a base layer on this varmint hunt. Wow, am I glad that I did. I love this shirt and Here’s why.

If you’ve ever hunted in the mountains then you know that when you’re hiking up a mountain in the dark that it is cool. And shortly after the time the sun peeks over the ridge, it starts warming up. Usually, as your outer layer, you have your camo. If it gets really warm and you take off your outer layers you are now hunting in your base layer, which is usually a solid color like brown or black so you’re no longer camouflaged.

That’s why I fell in love with the Kryptek Sonora Hooded Shirt. It works great as a base layer but when it gets warm and you take off the outer layers you’re still camouflaged. But let me back up and expand on the base layer attributes. If you’re wearing it as a base layer and the temp drops, pull on the hood. The shirt has four buttons at the chest/throat so it is snug around your neck and head. Then if you have a hood on your jacket it acts almost like you have on a balaclava. It greatly aids in warming you up.

I also think I’ll use it backpacking this summer. To save on weight I always take a lightweight sleeping bag and wear a lightweight set of base layers to make up for the lightweight sleeping bag. Even in the summer, it gets cool about 4:00 a.m. So with the Kryptek Sonora Hooded Shirt, I can pull the hood over my head since it gets cool sticking out of the bag and it will keep my head warm.

I see a lot of applications for the Kryptek Sonora Hooded Shirt. One more would be fishing. If a storm blows in and it starts raining, the temp drops. If all you have over your head is a GORE-TEX thin raincoat you’re going to get cool. Just pull the hood up on the Sonora, throw the hood of the GORE-TEX over it and you’re good to go.

The MSRP on the Kryptek Sonora Hooded Shirt is $89.99. I think this is going to be a popular shirt for outdoorsmen. And as is usual, we will close with the company specs.

The Sonora Hooded Shirt is perfect for mild to hot weather conditions, designed to keep you out of the sun. Kryptek Cool Touch technology offers enhanced perspiration evaporation to wick moisture and keep the skin cool while you work. The Sonora’s exceptional breathability and UPF 50 make this shirt a great addition for any hot weather, high-performance collection.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Lightweight
• Moisture-wicking material
• Kryptek Cooling technology
• UPF 50 rating
• Antimicrobial fabric

FEATURES

• Attached hood with button adjustment
• 3 button closure
• Zippered chest pocket

About Tom Claycomb

Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoor writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening #ad for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”