Royal Robbins Hemp Shirts

Comfortable, casual, perfect for climbing or other outdoor adventures - that's Royal Robbins clothing in a nutshell.

A supporter of various environmental causes, Royal Robbins has recently developed a line of eco-friendly Flynn shirts for men that combines hemp (55%) and organic cotton (45%) into a light but sturdy knit shirt.

The shirts are available in four styles:
- Short-sleeve Crew (we'd call it a t-shirt) for $26
- Short-sleeve Polo on sale for $23.40
- Long-sleeve Crew for $32 and
- Long-sleeve Turtleneck on sale for $24.50

Hemp and organic cotton both have their eco-benefits. Hemp is strong - three times stronger than cotton, according to Eartheasy.com. Organic cotton is soft. Both are grown without the use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides.

Some people think hemp on its own feels too rough on the skin, but mix it with organic cotton and you get a lightweight shirt that still provides a nice level of base warmth and feels pleasantly textured but not irritating in the least.

The long-sleeve crew shirt we tested came with such a rich orange-red color that we were a bit afraid the shirt had been overdyed and might bleed colors into the rest of our wash. Enjoying life on the ragged edge of disaster, we nonetheless washed the Royal Robbins crew with the rest of our laundry.

Sacre bleu! The shirt came through with flying (and unbled) colors. In other words, the color didn't fade or bleed at all. In fact, the shirt continues to look good after multiple washings in our apartment building's industrial-strength, clothes-mangling washers and dryers.

According to Royal Robbins (and Eartheasy.com), hemp is naturally anti-microbial and resistant to UV damage, which makes the Flynn shirts great for outdoor, sweaty activities like biking, hiking or pogo-stick riding. To each his or her own.

A Royal Robbins representative (say that three times fast) also says that hemp fibers are naturally long, which makes it easy to spin hemp into clothing with only a minimal amount of processing required.

Where to buy:

Purchase any of the Flynn shirts online through the Royal Robbins website or use the Dealer Locator to find a retailer near you.

You may also be able to find the shirts for sale on other websites like REI.com.