Adding to shirt cuff for hand protection from the sun?

[Rusty Beaver]

Looking to protect my hands from the sun but don’t want to wear gloves. I’ve had this idea to sew some material to the cuff of my long sleeve shirt to cover the backs of my hands… with perhaps a finger loop of elastic to keep it on my hand… if that makes sense.

Has anyone done this? If so, would love to see some pics… or at least hear about your methods and results.

Thanks,

rusty

[Franco Darioli]

You stated no gloves, but have you thought of something like these ?

[William Kerber]

Columbia silver ridge cuffs extended down over the back of your hand some.

[David Thomas]

My most extreme sun exposure was a week of sea kayaking in the Sea of Cortez. I’m mostly Celtic, we were living in Seattle that winter, and then were in the tropical sun all day long with sea water washing off the sunscreen.  A broad-brimmed hat and a long-sleeve shirt (actually, just a old men’s cotton dress shirt) worked fine for everything but the back of my hands.

In China, many woman wear thin, white cotton gloves to avoid tanning their hands.  That’s worked okay for me, but less so in the salt water.

What about an extension, rather like the bill of a baseball cap, that buttons onto the cuff of one’s long-sleeve shirt?  One button(s) is already there on a standard LS shirt.  Just add another button on the inside of the cuff.  Then, when you want the sun protection, button that extension onto the shirt.

The extension could be made to be a little bit stiff – doubled fabric stitched together with multiple seams (like the shirt’s cuff), or with little stiffeners in it, like the collars of men’s dress shirts have, or with some material inside of it like a baseball cap bill has.  Then your hands would be free to grasp a paddle, granola bar or trekking pole.

If you don’t need to grasp anything, get a shirt with French cuffs, but don’t fold the extra back before using cufflinks (although I’d convert it to buttons).  Just leave the extra cuff extended to protect the back of the your hand (and palm) from the sun.

[Jerry Adams]

I make my own shirt with sleeve long enough to cover hand.  Velcro closure for when I want to use hands.

It would be easy to sew some fabric to lengthen sleeve, although it might look weird.

[David Thomas]

“although it might look weird.”

Cause we all worry so much about that.

[Matt Dirksen]

While I know you don’t want to wear gloves, I honestly can’t help it, but I must recommend these from Outdoor Research.

When wearing them, I basically forget they are there. And I’m absolutely certain they have prevented hundreds of blisters by now.  I’ll typically Velcro the wrist strap directly to whatever shirt I’m wearing, in lieu of the glove itself.

And, (Similar to what Franco suggested) OR also offers even more minimal protection (for rock climbing):

https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/en/mens/mens-gloves/splitter-gloves/p/2643610044005?origin=Men’s%20Gloves%20&%20Mittens%20for%20Hiking,%20Climbing,%20Skiing%20|%20Outdoor%20Research

[William Chilton]

If going for gloves, I’ve found that little hole above the velcro over the back of the wrist on the OR Chroma lets you get burned. I prefer the OR Spectrum, and they’ve proved surprisingly durable.

However, the long sleeves and thumb loops on the OR Echo Hoody or L/S Zip Tee (I have the earlier version – I’m assuming it still has them) provide plenty of protection without the need for gloves.

[Window walker]

Joe Valesko of Zpacks mentions a home made shirt with collar and cuffs for sun protection on his “adventures” page.  You can look at pictures with him wearing it, maybe you can get some ideas.

http://www.zpacks.com/adventures.shtml

[Rusty Beaver]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. Some of those gloves and glove-like things don’t look too bad. But, for the sake of saving myself a nickle, I would like to make something. The easiest seems to just add an extension to my sleeves. I’m not worried about it looking “weird”. In fact, I’m proud to have weird looking stuff… especially when it works. ;-)

And Window Walker… that’s exactly where I got the idea. Several yrs ago, I saw a pic of Joe wearing what was obviously a MYOG modified shirt.

[Window walker]

“And Window Walker… that’s exactly where I got the idea. Several yrs ago, I saw a pic of Joe wearing what was obviously a MYOG modified shirt.”

Two thumbs up! I have always wanted the same thing after seeing Joe’s shirt.  I also have read about someone picking up a dress shirt from Goodwill that was a tad over sized and the cuffs were long enough to cover his hands but I am unsure of the compatibility with trekking poles.  Let us know what you come up with!

[Daryl and Daryl]

I cut off the elastic cuffed sleeves from old nylon windbreakers and use them for sun/bug mits.

 

I also sometimes use the larger ones for a bug gaiter if the mosquitioes are thick.  It keeps them from biting my ankles through my thin nylon socks between my pant bottoms and my shoe tops.

Here are some photos of a blue-large and a red-small.

These high-end specialty items are made especially for careful dressers.

 

[Jerry Adams]

I like that the edge is unfinished, raveled

[Daryl and Daryl]

“I like that the edge is unfinished, raveled”

That, of course, costs extra.

[Rusty Beaver]

Wish there was a thumbs up emoji! Thanks, guys!

[d k]

You could try making something like this, or seeing onto your shirt.  I have a set of these and they are great in really hot weather, even cooler than bare hands.

http://www.sunprecautions.com/product/31300

 

[Rusty Beaver]

Those look great, DK! Thanks.

Not wanting to buy something though, I just whipped up some cuff extensions. Didn’t take me long at all and I already had the material.

I have a pair of nylon convertible pants I bought just for backpacking. Having never used the legs though (only used in shorts mode), I decided to use the material from them. So, the green material I used for the cuff extenders match my shorts… in case the fashion police come knock’n on my tent flap.

(pay no attention to my hack sewing job)

[d k]

Looks great!  Did you put a loop on the back side to put your finger through?  Or is it unnecessary?

[Jerry Adams]

I like the “hack sewing job”

And the pen layout marks.

[Rusty Beaver]

DK – Thanks. I did not add loops. Doesn’t seem necessary when the existing cuff button is buttoned… but that is just walking around the house. I’ll give it a real test next week.

Jerry – Thanks, and good eye on the pen marks! They were a mistake. And the thread color… well, I just seem to use what ever is in the machine at the time. Today, it was tan down low and black up top. No pinning or much care of a straight line. Just a gett’er done job. :-)

[Rusty Beaver]

Here’s a junky pic showing how the cuffs cover my hands:

[Author]

Posts