With it being a very hot and dry Summer in Ontario, I've been waiting to run until the evenings, or setting out earlier in the morning to beat the heat. Technical shirts have been more advanced by shedding weight, but for that special weapon against the heat, Columbia has been working away in their labs.

Columbia's Solar Polar Short Sleeve Crew​ has three special Columbia technologies to help you stay cool on the trails. Right off the bat, Omni-Shade keeps the harmful UV from your skin by providing UPF-50 protection. Omni-Wick is the secondary benefit, which not only help wick that clammy-feeling inducing sweat (and in turn prevents chafing), but disperse it evenly on the shirt so that it evaporates quicker. Alone, Omni-Wick is pretty effective, but it is combined with a new special technology called Omni-Freeze Ice which provides a cooling sensation when it interacts with perspiration.

When did it shine? We tested it throughout the Summer, and the best part for me was after the run. When removing my hydration pack and having a breeze flow by, the cooling sensation was immediately noticeable and quite the post-run reward.

I'm always a sucker for the little details in gear, and I love the laser-cut Columbia logo vent on the upper back of the shirt. This particular colour scheme is "Compass-Blue", but it also comes in Black and Cool Grey. and I wore it with pride. 

Kudos to Columbia for coming up with a great trail shirt that is also antimicrobial so that it doesn't waft that synthetic smell after numerous washes.​ Even while wearing it hiking all day, it didn't give off a pungent odour. The flat stitching is also pretty easy on your skin and won't rub you the wrong way (even when wearing a hydration pack). It is very form fitting, leaving no cloth flapping in the wind. The Columbia label on the back of the neck is printed right on the fabric, so there is no scratchy tag to fiddle with.

The shirt itself is light as a feather and even when it is wet, it dries very quickly.​ The under-arm area is coloured in darker blue, so if you are heavily perspiring it isn't immediately visible to your trail-running passersby.