Sun Protection, what is your solution?

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

@ianb

indeed, no sunscreen offers 100% protection and therefore it’s also prohibited now in the EU to sell sunscreen with a number higher than 50.

Then, I’m confused by the way SPF is explained as it doesn’t block UV-rays permanently, but you need to find out your skintype or how quick you burn and multiply then that number with the spf (well, that’s how it is explained overhere). E.g. I have skintype 1 and burn without sunprotection when exposed to the sun in 5 minutes. So multiply 5 with the spf, say 50, and you get 250 minutes of protection, after which you need to reapply the sunscreen. An spf of 30 would give me only 150 minutes and an spf of 10 only 50 minutes.

[d k]

So you use the buff on your neck/lower face for sun, not on your head?  I agree it is a good multi purpose item, and in combination with a brimmed hat that way could add a lot of protection.

[Jonathon Self]

So you use the buff on your neck/lower face for sun, not on your head?  I agree it is a good multi purpose item, and in combination with a brimmed hat that way could add a lot of protection.

I do exactly this.

My hat definitely protects my ears and face, but sometimes I doubt its ability to completely shade my neck. I might be paranoid, but I’d rather not use sun screen if I can avoid it. It’s just so expensive.

[BlackHatGuy]

I burn easily and sweat profusely. And I don’t like sunscreen, so I generally don’t use it while hiking.

I use an Ex Officio Bugs Away Adventure Hat (like this one), Railriders Bone Flats shirt and pants and OR sunrunner fingerless gloves. I also carry a bandana, and like to soak it in water and then drape it over my head (under my hat) and down my neck to help stay cool. Worked quite well this past weekend.

[William Chilton]

“I’ve considered forgoing a wind shirt and using one of these. The echo fabric’s weave is tight enough that it blocks more wind than I would have guessed.”

I would say the opposite. I find that the OR Echo lets the slightest breeze through, which is why I love it for hot weather.

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

For me, it’s not that like sunscreen, it’s that the consequences can be much worse. :)

[Jonathon Self]

I would say the opposite. I find that the OR Echo lets the slightest breeze through, which is why I love it for hot weather.

Oh, definitely! But have you ever tried wearing it on a cooler day? It’s definitely warmer than a lot of my woven, button-up shirts.

Such a wonderful line of clothing.

[Paul Magnanti]

Hate to wear sunscreen for reasons others stated.  So I sport a  wide brimmed hat, long sleeve polycotton button down for its wonderful breathability vs “real” hiking shirts I find.  For the legs? shorts or long pants depending if I am on trail/tundra or more off-trail bushwhacking and/or scrambling.  The hat has a cotton bandanna underneath. Sweat evaporates and forms a bit of a cooling micro-climate under the hat.

I tend to tan very well (thank you/curse you people who invaded where my ancestors are from) and naturally have a little bit of pigmentation in my skin tone. However I was laissez faire in the past with sun protection in my pre-backpacking past and merely wore a ball cap if that. So, I have light sunspots on my cheek bones. I  now put a dab or two of sunscreen on the cheekbones and the tip of my nose.

For eye protection, my Nemesis safety glasses with their excellent UVA and UVB protection besides being durable, light, flexible and inexpensive.

Works for me.

[Anonymous]

I look stereotypical Scottish (reddish facial hair, light gray-blue eyes, freckles and all) and with that, burn rather easily and don’t tan too much.  I also tend to the cheap/inexpensive and/or do it myself.

I make my own sunscreen, with micronized zinc oxide powder mixed in a slightly melted combo of mostly virgin coconut oil with some shea butter.  The zinc oxide particles are small enough to rub in clear, but not nano sized, and in any case, from what i’ve read–nano zinc oxide isn’t much a worry because it’s spherical structure inhibits absorption into the skin.

Saves me a little money, and i know exactly what’s in there.

Yes, also ls shirts etc.  There’s plenty out there that work well. Anything breatahble enough, thin enough, wicking, and lower odor.

I’ve decided that my main shirt for the CT trip i’m doing soon, will be Toad & Co, ls 51% nylon and 49% tencel blend.  Just tightly woven enough to protect against bugs, but more breathable than most other all or mostly all nylon shirts, very low odor, cooling, wicking, tough, and light.

If humidity was high, i would suggest OR Echo ls or new Pat. Cap. 1.  But when humidity is more moderate, plenty of stuff works fine.  If it’s low, i like some absorbent fiber in the shirt, like linen or hemp, tencel, cotton, rayon.  If it’s very low, like desert like, then my favorite so far are those common button up, collared shirts made with the blend of 55% linen and 45% cotton–i usually get them at thrift stores.

[John S.]

SLIP, SLAP, SLOP

Slip on a shirt, slap on a hat and slop on the sunscreen!

[Mark]

I live in Greece which has a pretty warm climate, tend to do more trail running than hiking these days, my experiences apply well to hiking as well though.

Found that although the OR Sun Runner offers good sun protection the choice of material and DWR is a terrible flaw.

I can dunk the cap in water and it’ll be dry to the touch in under 10 mins while wearing it, might sound good for it’s wicking performance but for keeping you cool it’s the opposite of what you want.

I’ve tried buffs but just can’t get a consistent neck, ear position that protects them.

Found if i wear the buff under the cap my head feels like a boil-in-the-bag chicken for 10 mins but it’s then cooler than just wearing the cap alone.

Not as cool as wearing nothing, but it’s the best compromise i’ve found yet between cooling and protection.

For my upper torso i tend to wear a very thin long sleeved dri-fit top, like the OR cap it wicks too well really, so i’ll slip on a light coloured cotton tee-shirt over it, the baggier the better.

For the legs i wear shorts and slap on loads of sun block.

For sun block i’ve found kids sun block works best, it tends to apply thick, cover well, offers good protection and stays put.

I’ll put it on my face, neck, ears and legs and i’ll apply enough to do a good casper impression.

Don’t really care if it takes a good bath to remove it, i’d sooner go to bed with some left on than have it come off and leave me burnt.

Couple more findings that aren’t exactly what the op asked, but hopefully some might find useful.

1/ Get out as early as you can, if you can start just before sun rise you’ve usually got 3 or 4 hours of clear trails and even in the peak summer months it’s a bit fresher in the mornings.

2/ Find some shade for the mid day, or slow your pace down dramatically if that’s not possible.

3/ Don’t pass a decent water source without soaking your clothes, be careful with headgear though as if the water is contaminated it is possible to get ill, i look at and any soaked headgear water source as if i was going to drink it.

4/ Make your sweat work for you, you really want to hold onto every drop for as long as you can, this usually involves more than one layer, sounds pretty much the opposite of what you’d want to do and you do boil for a while till the sweat builds up, BUT once you have that moisture evaporating through the layers it does eventually feel cooler.

Not as cool as no layers, but as i said above it’s a decent compromise and i find it cooler than wearing just a single layer.

Other than that, i tend to stick a couple of water bottles in the freezer the night before, i’ll use that water to sip (i tend to get stomach cramps if i drink too much cold water) and douse my head from time to time.

I find the running type collapsible water bottles good for head dousing, as i can squeeze the bottle to get the pressure i want and pinch the drink nipple to get a nice stream of cool refreshing water on my noggin.

For the longer runs (over 3 hours) i’ll also make up a drink to replace the salts, usually use around 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, i’ll then i’ll squeeze whatever fruit we have in the house, or use fruit juice to give a little taste.

It’s basic but i do find it helps me, both during the run and recovery, should note that i don’t just drink this mix, i’ll usually take a sip from the mega-mix bottle then sip straight water for a few times, can’t say as i measure it, but lets say 1 x mega-mix sip for every 4 water sips.

If i feel i’m dehydrated when i return home i drink a big glass of milk, again i’ve found milk seems to hit the spot better than water alone when it comes to rehydrating.

As you can probably see that’s a fair few water bottles, i find i usually drink around 1 litre an hour when running in 30c plus heat.

[Anonymous]

Mark, have you tried linen or linen-synthetic blends at all?  When we were traveling in Greece and Turkey, i wore mostly linen and found it about as comfortable as anything could get.

When we stayed in Istanbul (mid or late July) with a couch surfer, he lived up on a higher floor, with no AC and no fan, in a small studio type apartment.

We roasted. After a couple of days/nights and having a hard time sleeping in that humid, hot heat, i bought a small fan, and i would soak my linen shirt in water, wring it out and wear it with the fan blowing on us. It helped me to sleep and surprisingly, the linen didn’t ever build up any odor, nor did the wet fabric irritate my skin.

I keep waiting, in vain apparently, for any kind of linen-microfiber nylon blend to be made and sold, as i think it would be the near ultimate for hotter and more humid weather, but so far (been looking for years) oxi.

[Mark]

Hi Justin,

Nope, not tried linen.

Not sure it’d be a good solution for a next to the skin layer for running at least, as from what i remember of linen it’s a bit abrasive (runners nipple springs to mind :o ) worth looking into for a outer layer though.

What’s the outcome likely to be if it picks a fight with a bush or thorns, is it tougher these days than what i remember?

[Mike W]

I’m one of the unlucky ones that has had melanoma carved off of my forearm (caught early… so far, still good…). I’ll pass on a few things I’ve learned that really surprised me after talking with the melanoma specialist (I now have to see him every six months for a body scan and self exams every month).

Biggest surprise for me was that there is no scientific evidence that sunscreens prevent melanoma. In fact there is evidence that the use of sunscreen may be the reason that melanoma is on the rise. Seen as a magic bullet that prevents sun burn, we are spending longer time in the sun (we have an invisible force field that protects us, right… maybe not).

The doctor said they stop short of telling people not to wear sunscreen, as they keep hoping for evidence that it will help prevent melanoma but the only real protection is clothing.

Unfortunately for me I’ve spent a lifetime in the outdoors and my fly-fishing (and hiking) puts me in the sun for more than 60 days a year (long days fishing – avg 6-12 hours). So I’ve done a lot of experimenting with clothing to help me cover up on trail and on the water (on water is the same issue as on snow… you get it from all directions and reflected sunlight can have higher UV than direct sunlight.

I wear a wide brimmed hat most of the time but the wide brim is impractical when windy, so I also carry the OR Sunrunner Cap for windy days on the water. The OR Sunrunner is hotter to wear than the big brimmed hat and doesn’t actually shade me as well. It’s very much like wearing a hoody, so when it’s hot and still, it’s just too hot, so I prefer the big wide brim.

My favorite shirt is the Patagonia SOL Patrol II shirt. Very cool and comfortable.
http://www.patagonia.com/ca/product/mens-long-sleeved-sol-patrol-ii-shirt?p=54259-1

A really nice, versatile piece of gear is the Outdoor Research Sun Sleeves. These are really light (about an ounce), and can turn your favorite T-shirt into a long sleeve sun shirt. They can be comfortably rolled down around your wrists when not needed and easily pulled up when you are in the sun (in the forest, they come down, back in the sun, they get pulled up. Nice venting too because the T-shirt can still breathe at your arm pits, unlike a long sleeve shirt. I really like the thumb holes as they provide hand protection as well.
http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/catalog/product/view/id/48179/s/activeice-sun-sleeve/category/2206/

For on the water (or on snow) the Simm’s Sungaiter is great (just don’t be shy about how you look, it’s better than being disfigured or dead!), I’ve found that much of the time I just pull it over my head and wear it as a neck buff. It covers the area around the neck that a wide brimmed hat often misses. Like the sun sleeves, leave it down until you think you need it (when you are on that snow field and you know you are getting fried, you just pull it up over your face). Fogs your sunglasses a bit if pulled up over your nose but not too bad.
https://www.simmsfishing.com/sungaiter-2.html

One last comment… somebody mentioned they like a thin cotton shirt. The UPF rating on a thin cotton shirts is around 7. Spandex gets the highest UPF rating, polyester is next and nylon close behind.

[Justin Baker]

For a hat I use a snapback trucker style hat and bandana. I tie two ends of the bandana together in a small knot, slide the knot over my forehead, and put the hat on top. It’s similar to the OR sun runner hat, but the bandana is multi-use.

I have also worn a buff with a ball cap and that works ok too, but warmer than other options.

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

Biggest surprise for me was that there is no scientific evidence that sunscreens prevent melanoma. In fact there is evidence that the use of sunscreen may be the reason that melanoma is on the rise. Seen as a magic bullet that prevents sun burn, we are spending longer time in the sun (we have an invisible force field that protects us, right… maybe not).

Exactly, because people forget there is the need to re-apply.

[Stuart .]

Why is it that Sun Precautions catalogue reminds me of a time best forgotten? Shudder…

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

Justin,

have you looked at Tencel ? It claims to be as cool as linen and as strong as polyester.

Also, the upcoming Polartec Delta might be a possibility.

[Ian]

Why is it that Sun Precautions catalogue reminds me of a time best forgotten? Shudder…

Whaaaa?  Pshaw!

I’ve found my new clubbing outfit.

 

[jscott]

For those who like a cotton bandana because it’s multi-use: again, as was stated, cotton has an spf of about 7. Which is close to useless.

I stopped caring about looking hip in the woods once I had a melanoma sliced out of my face.

By the way, I was told that my dangerous little cancer spot had it’s beginnings about 25 years earlier. It’s the accumulation of sun exposure over years that causes those age spots and worse. Of course, we all know that sun exposure is highly intensified at altitude, right? And again, that you don’t have to burn to be subject to possible adverse effects of long term sun exposure?

and that cotton is practically worthless for sun protection? Because no matter how often all of  this is stated people don’t believe it.  You’re just kidding yourself wearing a bandana tucked under a ball cap.

Yeah the Sun Precautions catalogue is silly, but you don’t have to wear the whole outfit. The fabric-solumbra-is what makes their hats and shade caps so effective–their shirts too for that matter but it’s easier to get a good looking spf shirt and pants than effective face protection.

 

[Justin Baker]

A upf 7 shirt is going to block about 86% of UV light, I would hardly call that useless.

[Paul Magnanti]

and that cotton is practically worthless for sun protection?

Hmm, like most blanket statements (made of cotton, fleece or otherwise), that needs to be explained a bit more.

From Skincancer.org

“Finally, consider the fabric’s weight and density — light, sheer silk gauze will provide far less UV protection than heavy cotton denim.^1,2,3″

A thicker shirt or fabric will provide more protection regardless of the material.

From the same website:

Finally, Berbers and Bedouins would disagree as well…

 

 

[Mike W]

That’s why I said “thin” cotton.  Wet fabrics or knit fabrics can be even worse.  Not all cotton is bad though, blue jeans have a UPF rating of 1700.    So the cowboys have it right with their denim shirts and pants and big Stetsons.  Too bad they are horrible to wear when hiking.   It’s a real crap-shoot with fabrics, since you can’t tell how much UV passes through the fabric and any fabric can/may be treated with chemicals to provide sun protection.  I prefer to buy clothing that has a UPF label but it doesn’t mean it’s better than an unlabelled Costco shirt that sells for a quarter of the price.  This article was interesting and expands on the info Paul provided above.

http://www.skincancer.org/publications/the-melanoma-letter/summer-2012-vol-30-no-2/clothing

 

[jscott]

I believe I mentioned a bandana. Berbers aren’t wearing bandanas. Hold a bandana up to the sun. It’s not heavy density.

anyway the picture of the Berbers makes my point. They’re wearing beaucoup layers. I doubt that most ul hikers want to wear that much cotton when another fabric will do the trick in one thin layer.

 

but whatever. I’m just telling you what the guy who sliced the cancer out of my face said. So dismiss it if you must. (dramatic language used for effect–I’m not disfigured.)

[David Thomas]

While I now live at a genetically-apprpriate latitude for a Celt, I grew up in a Mediterranean climate.  And have now had 8 basal-cells carved off me.  I’ve gotten a second-degree sunburn (plasma oozing through the skin) from a day on Whitney hiking over sun (sunscreen didn’t stay on long in the 1970s)

Since you expect to be hot and in the sun, how about going into desert mode?  An old cotton dress shirt gives you coverage to your wrists and part way up your neck.  I know it isn’t as generally-purpose as a synthetic top and I’ll caution that you want to take it off in the late afternoon while it still has time to dry out that day, but I find them to highly effective at preventing sunburn and comfortable to wear.

I haven’t used it on high-alttitude snow, but I’ve really liked my Chrome Dome at 8,000-10,000 in the Sierra because I’m cooler underneath, plus the sun protection.

We’ve had good luck with Banana Boat brand (we’re often taking Celtic kids, very pale from an Alaskan Winter to the tropics in early Spring).

I also don’t have nearly the issues on my legs than on my face (sunburn nor any skin cancers).  If I haven’t been out a lot that year, I’ll apply sunscreen to the back of my knees which do seem to be a potential problem spot, but I’d cover up more on my head / neck / arms / trunk and get more cooling by leaving my legs more exposed.  Maybe this is a chance to try a kilt?

[Author]

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