sweat & sunglasses management

[Window walker]

So this summer I have realized I need to refine a couple of things. First, how do others manage there sweat on the trail? I'm talking about the sweat pouring down your face getting into your eyes and getting your sunglasses?I'm thinking a nano pactowel clipped to my sternum strap. I also thought about a headband but figured that maybe too hot and not fit under my hat.

Secondly, sunglasses management. Currently I use one of those keepers that goes around your neck but I always end up getting trail food and or sweat on them and have to wipe them down. A shoulder pouch seems ideal, any thoughts or experience is appreciated. I am looking for a new sunhat as well, maybe my glasses will fit on the brim better then my current boonie hat.

[Steve K]

I usually prefer a visor for sweat to shield my eyes from the sun, but I will often use a Halo headband instead. If you plant it right above your eyebrows you will never have sweat dripping into your eyes and sunglasses. It's also nearly impossible to overload with sweat no matter how humid, or how hard you're working. They're not too expensive either.

[Bob Gross]

If you want to keep it simple, use a simple cotton bandana. Place it over your head so that the front edge stops at your eyebrows. Then put on a baseball cap over that.

The bandana keeps sun off your ears and back of the neck. The front of it absorbs sweat from your hair to your eyebrows. If it gets too wet, then take it off and rotate it by 90 degrees, then put the hat back on.

I use sunglasses with a keeper, but they stay on my face all of the time from sunrise to sunset.

–B.G.–

[Window walker]

Both very good suggestions I will give the bandana a try first.

Bob, when going into the dark canyons I can't see well and take off my sunglasses. Do you have a lightly tinted pair of sunglasses?

[Luke Cobrae]

I use a cotton bandanna and just tie it around a loop in my backpack shoulder strap. That way I can wipe my face, glasses and it doesn't trap heat on my head. Its out of the way, dries fast because its not sitting on anything, but hanging, works like a charm.

Last week in San Gorgonio Wilderness, It was the envy of everyone who was with me… Who would have thought a $.99 bandanna would be such a hit?

[Bob Gross]

"Do you have a lightly tinted pair of sunglasses?"

No. My previous sunglasses were dark. My current ones are medium.

–B.G.–

[Daryl and Daryl]

I'm a very heavy sweater. No static system will handle the flow for long.

So, for gym or trail, I keep a wash rag or hanky (respectively) handy and wipe my entire head every few minutes to keep the sweat out of my eyes.

[Max Dilthey]

I blink a lot.

[D M]

Croakies for my sunglasses and a UV Buff for my head to keep sweat out of my eyes…salt in the eyes smarts! Buffs are so thin they can be worn under a visor, and the visor I use is Headsweats, they are great. Amazon carries all of the above.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Have you no fashion sense?

Kidding aside, I do keep a light pack towel tethered to my shoulder strap, or a bandana in a side pocket. I'm a walking sprinkler! Any good hot weather hat should have an absorbent headband. I don't wear visors, but they should have the same.

As to sunglasses, I have tried pockets and cases on my shoulder strap, but they are mostly in the way. My button down shirts and windshirt have chest pockets. I'm wearing sunglasses about 90% of the time and I just stow them by hanging them by the bow on my sternum strap.

[David Thomas]

I pluck my eyebrows in a reverse-Spock style to direct the rivulets of sweat to the sides of my face.

Seriously, though, on the storage issue – small pockets on your pack straps are VERY convenient for frequently used items – sun screen, compact camera, glasses, etc.

I just goolge-searched for a photo of one and, lo and behold, a BPL link came up:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=48448

Edited to add: as a proof-of-concept, just hang a free sunglasses case on your pack strap (open end up, duh) to see if it works well for you. Consider the placement, if you want a zippered closure, or maybe just a velcro strap across the top opening, and then do a lighter version if you want.

[hwc 1954]

I always wear a light mesh running cap when hiking in the summer. It absorbs sweat like a sponge and gets soaking wet. Can be dunked in a stream. Breaths well. Pretty cool. Keeps sweat from pouring down my face and the sun out of my eyes and rain off my glasses.

I also have a washcloth sized Sea to Summit towel clipped to my shoulder strap. The washcloth size is perfect as a sweat rag.

[Peter Treiber]

I use a visor for sweat absorption, sunglasses/headlamp storage, shade, and hair support!

[Ito Jakuchu]

There is also the sweat gutter.

[Ian]

Visor, Bandanna, and after scratching the lens and otherwise destroying dozens of sunglasses over the years, some cordage to hang them around my neck when not worn.

[Marko Botsaris]

Visor indeed! Do you wear a shirt composed of nothing but the sleeves? Maybe if you guys shaded yer noggins from the sun more you wouldn't be sweating so much! :-)

[Jerry Adams]

brim around sides keeps sun off ears and neck

caps and visors not so good

although you could cut the top off your hat and make a visor like thing with brim all the way around

[Matt Dirksen]

Actually, the best method I have found to manage my sweat, is simply to become dehydrated to the point where I don't create any more sweat. That's called "solving the problem, not the symptom", right?

kidding aside, I have really enjoyed using a "Hides" strap ( http://hides.com/ ). It's a multi-purpose sunglass strap. They work remarkably well, considering they are trying to be more than one thing at a time.

But between a loose fitting Tilley hat and a small packtowel on the shoulder strap, I tend to transfer my sweat rather quickly off my face.

[Ian]

How do you wear a wide brim hat under a hood? I'm ready to buy a Tilley hat but this is the only thing stopping me.

Marko,

A visor is just a UL baseball cap.

[Marko Botsaris]

"How do you wear a wide brim hat under a hood? "

Wear it OVER the hood, or don;t wear it. But you guys from the PNW have weird issues.

FWIW I have equipped my Tilley with some velcro in the back to flip up the back brim if it is hitting may backpack.

[Bob Moulder]

"A visor is just a UL baseball cap."

I must wear a baseball cap because I have a hole in my hair. ;)

I have been using a nylon REI baseball cap which has a polyester sweat band that works amazingly well for me. I don't know if they did something intentional in the design, but the sweat runs down the edge of the brim and drips off. Have done some fairly long trail runs with the dog in very humid conditions and got very little sweat in the eyes or on the glasses.

Definitely one of those YMMV things, however.

Edit for clarity

[Jerry Adams]

If you have a hood, then a cap is fine. Actually, your hood should have a brim on the front. Usually, for a trip, it's either warm/sunny/hat weather or cold/rainy/hood weather. Occasionally I'll just put my hat in my pack if one day it's cold/rainy.

[Dale Wambaugh]

The Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat has a cowl on the back to prevent collisions with your backpack. They are profoundly ugly, but highly functional as well as very effective birth control ;)

[Window walker]

I like where thus thread has gone!

Thanks all for the suggestions. I've been thinking of going the visor route, but I like a brim orcape to cover my neck and ears. I willbe experimenting withthrse suggestions thanks again!

So if I went the shoulder pouch route, any suggestions on the smallest lightest pocket that will attach to a gg pack straps? Everything I've seen would be toobig it seems for just a pair of glasses. I am thinking an all mesh pouch with a simple closure like Velcro or bungee cord.

[Bob Moulder]

I don’t use it for sunglasses, but this shoulder pouch from Zpacks works great for me and it is definitely large enough hold sunglasses and then some, at a weight of 15g.

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