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6 Montbell Pieces for Sun Protection | Covering Neck, Arms and Legs on the Trail, Honestly Reviewed

2026.03.27

Sun protection is the thing that quietly gets left until last on a spring or summer hike. UV intensity rises with altitude, and once you're out of the trees on a ridge, or on a slope with snow still on it, you burn fast. What makes it awkward is that heat and burning don't line up. UV is there on cloudy days, and on a ridge the wind keeps you cool, so the sensation of burning never registers. By the time you notice, it's done — that's how sunburn works in the mountains.

Sunscreen matters, of course, but it needs reapplying once you sweat, and stopping to reapply repeatedly while walking isn't realistic. So I switched approach: rather than covering up because I might burn, I assume I'll burn and reduce exposed skin in advance. Here are six pieces of Montbell UV gear that pair well with sunscreen, with prices. It's arranged in two stages — three starters (¥10,010 total) and three additions (¥8,800 total) — so it's clear what to buy first.

The six pieces come in two stages. First, three starters covering head, neck and legs; then three additions covering arms, hands and the throat with more versatility. Let's take them in order.

1. Breeze Dot Crushable Hat: a sun hat you can pack

What it is: crush it and it fits in your pack

As the name says, this is a hat you can scrunch up and throw into a pack. The brim is substantial enough to keep direct sun off your face properly, and the material breathes well, so it doesn't get sweaty on your head. The design is plain enough to go with anything.

Using it: keep it packed until you're on the ridge

I'd often found a hat slightly in the way while walking through trees, and packing solved that. Folded away in the pack until I'm out on the ridge, then out and on when the sun gets strong — being able to work that way is what I like about it. Foldable and genuinely effective for ¥4,700 makes sense once you factor in the practicalities of the mountains.

Price: ¥4,700 (at time of filming, tax included)

2. WIC. UV Tect Neck Gaiter: UPF50+ coverage in one piece

What it is: UPF50+ and fast drying

This is neck coverage. As the name indicates it's rated UPF50+, and it's made in Montbell's quick-drying WIC. (Wickron) fabric, so it dries fast when you sweat in it. A burnt neck on a bright day is the kind of thing that nags at you the following day. Covering that with one piece for ¥1,900 strikes me as very good value.

Using it: this is where to start if you're trying one thing

Let me quickly explain UPF. It indicates how well a garment blocks UV, and the higher the number the better. UPF50+ is at the top end. When clothing blocks UV physically, you reapply sunscreen far less — and reapplying repeatedly on a ridge is difficult in practice. Shifting your thinking to "the neck and arms are handled by clothing" makes life considerably easier. If you're only going to try one thing, this neck gaiter is the easiest way in.

Price: ¥1,900 (at time of filming, tax included)

3. Trail Leg Cover Light: for the burn you don't notice

What it is: thin, light and quick to put on

These go on the exposed part of your legs below shorts or a dress, to reduce what's uncovered. They're thin and light so they don't get sweaty, and they come off easily — leave them off in the trees, put them on when you're out on the ridge. That flexibility is useful.

Using it: legs burn more than you think

Legs are one of the slowest places to notice you've burnt, and by the time you do, you usually have. Keeping a pair in the pack, on the just-in-case principle, is reassuring. Having them widens what you can do about sun exposure quite a lot.

Price: ¥3,410 (at time of filming, tax included)

The three starters — hat, neck, legs — come to ¥10,010. If you just want to begin somewhere, that's a complete start on its own. What follows are three additions for further reassurance.

4. Trail Multi Tube Gaiter: one piece, several jobs

What it is: neck, face, cap or headband

You might think, "I already bought a neck gaiter as a starter — why another one?" This isn't really about reinforcing the neck; it's about adding ways to use one piece. Neck cover, face cover, cap, headband. It has enough stretch to hold whichever shape you put it in, which makes it easy to use.

Using it: neck, face, head

Around the neck, pulled up over the mouth, or over the head — you adapt to whatever the sun is doing that day. Even owning both this and the starter neck gaiter comes to ¥3,900. This much versatility for ¥2,000 is very usable. My suggestion would be: neck gaiter first, then add the tube gaiter when you find you also want your face and head covered.

Price: ¥2,000 (at time of filming, tax included)

5. Zeo-Line Cool Mesh Arm Fit Shirt: covering arms without overheating

What it is: base-layer fabric built for airflow

Zeo-Line is Montbell's base-layer range, and Cool Mesh is the version within it that prioritises breathability. Worn as a base layer, it cuts the exposure around your arms.

Using it: no bunching under an outer layer

It fits the arms closely, so it doesn't bunch up under another layer. The mesh construction means heat doesn't build up even worn underneath, and it dries fast enough that sweating in it isn't unpleasant. Reducing arm exposure for ¥4,500 is an unglamorous but genuinely welcome thing.

Price: ¥4,500 (at time of filming, tax included)

6. L.W. Inner Gloves: the backs of your hands, which everyone forgets

What it is: thin enough not to get in the way

This is the piece for your hands. They're very thin, which suits covering the backs of the hands quickly, and they don't stop you handling a phone or a snack.

Using it: comfortable enough to leave on

There's so little friction in wearing them while walking that they're the item out of the six I use most. Burnt hands are the kind of thing you regret afterwards, so it's worth getting ahead of it. At ¥2,300 they're easy to reach for, too.

Price: ¥2,300 (at time of filming, tax included)

Where to start

You don't need all of it at once. To begin, the three starters (¥10,010 total) covering head, neck and legs are enough. Then add either the arms (Arm Fit Shirt) or the throat (Multi Tube Gaiter), and finally the inner gloves for the backs of the hands. That order builds up without strain. All six comes to ¥18,810, and gets you to a state where very little is exposed from head to foot.

Sunburn in the mountains is usually too far along by the time you decide to do something about it. Simply shifting to "assume I'll burn, and reduce exposure in advance" makes it much harder to get wrong. Add a little clothing to your sunscreen, and spring and summer on the trail get a great deal more comfortable.

Prices are as of when the video went out, tax included. Outlet items in particular change in price and availability, so check the official site for current information.

🛒 See the gear from the video as a list → Montbell staples: light and dependable

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This post contains affiliate links. Prices and specifications are as of the video's publication date. Most items are sold in Japan.

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