A Cooling Shirt for the Hottest Hunts: Badlands Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie Review

About an hour and a half into my first sit of the season, I was having a staredown with a doe 10 yards away. Other deer were in the area, and I reminded myself to stay still, trust my camouflage, and put out good vibes. Yes, I believe deer detect “vibes.”

After what felt like an eternity, she put her head down and went back to her business. She spent about 40 minutes under my stand, blissfully unaware of my presence. With the ability to shoot three does a day in my home state, I grabbed my bow, but ultimately decided to pass. It was fun just to watch.

In those initial moments when I was fearful of her bolting and taking every deer in the county with her, the camouflage of the Badlands Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie kept me from being detected. Later on in the day, on a much hotter, less action-packed sit, the unique fabric kept me cool and comfortable.

At first, I had my doubts about the hoodie, but after wearing it over the last few months, I find myself reaching for it time and time again.

In short: There are a ton of different early-season base layers out there, all of which claim to keep you cool. I’ve worn plenty of them, and piles of fishing sun hoodies that make the same claim. The Badlands Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie ($99) is the first one that I noticed a significant temperature difference with. When output and sweat go up, this thing cools off. Add in the hood and facemask, and you have a layer that will keep you cool, concealed, and scent-free. But you still have to contend with bugs.

See how the Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie compares to the Best Hunting Base Layers of 2025.

Badlands CoolTouch Fabric

I’m fortunate to be asked to test tons of sun hoodies, whether they’re for fishing or hunting. To be completely honest, though, they’re all pretty much the same thing. There’s a special blend of fabric that’s supposed to cool you down and protect from a certain percentage of UV, blah, blah, blah.

It’s a sun hoodie. Don’t church it up.

That’s the reason for my initial skepticism. I figured the Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie would be a functional, early-season layer that would perform well, but wouldn’t have any discernible differences in a very crowded market. Boy, was I wrong.

The Magic Is in the Lining

Most early-season hoodies rely on the fabric itself to breathe and provide cooling properties. This one is different, because a special lining — called CoolTouch — is applied to the entire interior of the garment. It’s an entirely separate thing from the 92/8 polyester spandex blend that makes up the piece.

The idea behind the lining is to provide a material that reacts with your sweat and utilizes that reaction to lower the temperature of the garment.

But does it actually work? I can unequivocally, undoubtedly report that yes, it does.

I have worn this thing in brutal Tennessee summer heat and humidity. I’m talking the type of heat that sends you scurrying back inside after stepping out on your front porch.

When I was hiking up ridiculously steep, bluff-covered hillsides to set trail cameras, or when I was climbing trees for evening sits in the early season, I would start breaking out in sweat immediately. In very short order, the Badlands Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie started to cool down and provided a cold sensation across my chest, arms, and armpits.

I hate to use a brand’s own words to describe a product, for fear of sounding like a marketing puppet. But the way Badlands describes the sensation can’t be beat. It’s like having a silent air conditioner on your body. I wish I hadn’t read that and had come up with it on my own, because it’s spot on. As far as temperature regulation on hot hunts goes, this thing can’t be beat.

So, It Stinks, Right?

You would think that something that utilizes your sweat to cool you down would get pretty funky. But it doesn’t.

I wore this top for five consecutive days in August on scouting trips, without washing it a single time. It was scorching hot, and I was covering serious ground. I wanted to get it nice and stinky.

It just never did. The top is treated with antimicrobial Silvadur, a patented technology from a third party. Without getting too technical about it, it suffices to say that it works.

Camo Pattern of the Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie

I’m not the type of guy who thinks your camo pattern matters all that much. If you want to dress to impress other hunters, be my guest. I’m more concerned with the technical performance of my clothes than I am with their appearance. And the CoolTouch Hoodie already passed that test.

That being said, initially I thought the Badlands Approach GT was pretty drab and wasn’t doing me any favors. But then, I went into the woods (you know, the place I’m trying to blend in) and quickly fell in love.

While I was hanging from a stand, I put my arm next to the tree I was in. The vertical black patterning in conjunction with the greens, browns, and tans made my arm melt in. It’s no wonder that doe, earlier in the day, didn’t realize I was there.

It was doing a better job of blending in with the timber I hunt in than any of my other pieces. I’ve become a big fan, and trust it to keep me concealed. It’s the real deal.

Facemask and Hoodie

Like most early-season tops, the Badlands Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie has a face mask. Since most, if not all, hot-weather hunters are archers, it’s essential to have something to cover your glowing face when animals get in bow range.

I love the inclusion of the facemask, but the execution could use some work. It’s attached to the chest, which I really don’t like. When it’s down, it sits annoyingly on my neck. And when I unzip the quarter zip, the face mask material is sitting right there, meaning there’s still a layer of fabric. You can’t truly unzip the top. It needs to be attached to the hood, so that it can be fully removed and tucked behind you.

After a few minutes, I do get used to the extra material around my neck, though. The face mask also has the CoolTouch lining, which helps cool my neck. Which is good, because the dang thing is always there.

Interestingly enough, the CoolTouch does not line the hoodie, which helps with concealment. Sure, it would be nice to cool down your head, but the bright white and blue material poking through the hood would make you stick out.

Fit of the Badlands Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie

Compared to other popular brands, the Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie fits on the larger end of the spectrum.

I am 6 feet tall, and currently 194 pounds. Three seemingly long months ago, I was 219 pounds. Even at the higher weight, the Large felt a touch too big. Currently, it feels quite substantial, although it still fits in terms of length. It doesn’t have as athletic a cut as other tops. If you have an athletic build, I recommend sizing down. Just know that going in and order your size accordingly.

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs

I am one of those blessed individuals who seem to attract every biting bug on the planet. Unfortunately, this top doesn’t include any bug shield.

Without that protection, I get eaten alive in the Tennessee woods. Yes, I can solve that problem by packing a Thermacell with me. But the lack of an insect shield is disappointing, especially since most tops designed for early-season hunting wisely add that feature.

Final Thoughts on the Badlands Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie

As you can tell, my thoughts on this hoodie are a bit all over the place, with some pros and some cons. But there are a few other things that, to me, put it in the “buy pile” rather than the “pass pile.”

First and foremost, the price: $99 is more than reasonable when compared to the competition. Some other options are 50% more expensive.

The Badlands warranty also covers the top, and the brand has a well-earned reputation for taking care of its customers. If you are unhappy with it, the brand will refund you or replace the product, whichever you prefer. It’s a pretty risk-free buy.

And, most of the negatives are pretty easy to solve. If you want bug protection, pack a Thermacell. It runs big, so order a size smaller. The only negative you can’t solve is the face mask.

And I really cannot stress enough the effectiveness of the CoolTouch fabric. I have two other early-season tops, both of which solve some of my complaints with the Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie. But when the weather is hot, I leave them at home and put this one on. It flat-out keeps me cooler — no ifs, ands, or buts.