Vent yoke
Also called back vent, cape vent
A mesh panel across the upper back, usually hidden under a flap, that lets hot air escape at the top of a shirt.
Hot air rises inside a shirt and collects between the shoulder blades. A vent yoke puts a mesh window there and covers it with a fabric cape, so air moves out while the mesh stays shaded and rain runs off the flap.
It is standard on woven fishing button-ups and turns up on some knits. Some designs add side vents under the arms as well.
The catch is that a vent is a hole, and a hole is a gap in UPF coverage. Better shirts back the vent with a fine mesh that still carries a rating.
It only works when air can move. A vent yoke under a backpack or a life jacket is doing nothing at all, which is worth remembering if you fish from a kayak in a PFD all day.
Check that the vent mesh itself is rated, not just the shell. An unrated mesh panel across your shoulders is where you will burn.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use vent yoke and show it on real gear.
Vent yoke is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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