Anyone go without sunscreen?

Shotgun

Shotgun

Joined
Feb 3, 2006
Messages
8,250
I was just wondering if any of you guys have set yourself up clothes-wise as to not need or use sunscreen in the summer. Is there a clothing system that works well for you? What's your system?
 
Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero and sunscreen. I had skin cancer when I was in my 30's, so I'm a little edgy about the sun. I like the Seattle Sombrero because its so lightweight, and the XL is big enough for my enormous head.
 
I wear a Columbia ''up downer'' hat with a long neck cover and bill 3\4 of the time. I also usually wear a long sleeved shirt and sometimes gloves. I also slather some sunscreen on a few spots around my face and ears. I spend too many hours outside not to take sun burn \ skin cancer seriously.
 
It's actually really effing windy here in suisun(means windy vally or something) so when I go out fishing or something I'll just throw on a light hooded sweater and a gilligan hat.
 
Long sleeved shirt (synthetics or my Kuiu merino baselayer), pants (5.11 Taclite Pro), and broad brim hat (Tilley LTM6). The long clothing does double duty nicely for ticks. If it's really sunny out, I'm out on the water, or I know I'll have my hat off much of the time, then I'll put sunscreen on my face and hands (at least spf 30, and something with broadspectrum protection, reapply if it gets sweated or rubbed away).

I generally dislike putting on sunscreen if I'm not going to be playing in the ocean. I hate how it feels once you get good and sweaty. Especially when I won't be coming back home for a shower for a while. I used to be a sunscreen guy but switched over to more protective clothing, and I haven't regretted it. I want to pick up one of those hats with a neck cover one of these days, and having a hat with more mesh in the bowl would be nice too. I wish my Tilley had a little more ventilation when it's really baking outside and my head's sweating.

This is a pretty typical getup:
[video=youtube;NOl738TFLa0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOl738TFLa0[/video]

ETA: one more note, I pretty much use this set-up on all my trips, in any weather. I just add for colder or wetter weather, and swap the Tilley for a wool beanie if it's really cold out.
 
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I like wearing a real loose (almost baggy) button up shirt and some kind of rag on my head, I like to cover it all and keep the bugs off at the same time :)

I agree with hikingmano... Being sweaty and dripping sunscreen sucks
 
Remember that Melanoma is no joke. It is brought on by sunburn often and can spread faster and kill you faster than many other cancers.

It may be a pain in the ass - but I would rather hike longer in my life than die young.

TF
 
jbob24 said:
I agree with hikingmano... Being sweaty and dripping sunscreen sucks
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Yes it does suck but I'm used to it. Some days I don't even shower or put deodorant on because I know that I'll need a second shower when I get home anyway. I even have a pair of dedicated boots used only for romping outdoors, and not to be worn in public because they stink. I amazed that flys don't drop dead when they buzz by.
 
I've worked outdoors most of my llife and never used sunscreen. I don't wear shorts or go shirtless, and always wear a hat. I've never had a skin cancer, but I did have a small non-cancerous spot removed from the top of my ear a few years ago. And I have worn a brimmed hat since during the time of year that the sun is at it's strongest. But I am not fair-skinned either.
 
Talfuchre said:
Remember that Melanoma is no joke. It is brought on by sunburn often and can spread faster and kill you faster than many other cancers.

It may be a pain in the ass - but I would rather hike longer in my life than die young.

TF
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Sunscreen's a pain in the ass, but make no mistake, I wear it if needed. I was born and raised in Hawai'i, so I've been coated in sunscreen for more days in my life than most on here (and probably have the highest risk for melanoma as well, considering cumulative days of intense sunshine..except for the folks in Oz). But ever since realizing/learning that clothing, especially ones with a high UPF (e.g. my Tilley), can provide the same protection, I normally opt for the clothing. But again, if I'm playing in or around water, I usually go with or supplement with sunscreen.
 
I hate the stuff and avoid at all costs.

1) Kakadu Stockman hat.
2) Eddie Bauer Bush Shirt-the softest, lightest, most breathable linen... very durable, perfectly designed for bushcraft, inexpensive and looks great. I've got 3 of em, 2 in white and one in light blue. Best piece of kit for staying cool in the summer.
3)Cheap Rothco lightweight cotton shemagh
4)My hair-keeps the sun off my ears, the sides of my face and my neck.
5) Pair of Smith aviators :cool:
As far as whitewater goes, a cheap rash guard or a wool baselayer goes a long way, and usually my face is shadowed by a protec helmet.
 
The sun is hot here
And it is easy to burn
Hovers around 30 most of the summer

I worked years in construction and was outside a great deal of the time so I got a lot of sun

It is not either wear long clothing or use sunscreen: it is both.
Sunscreen goes with long sleeves, long trousers and a wide brimmed hat
 
Sunscreen everyday. SPF 30 daily. SPF 55 when I'm purposely in the sun. Melanoma is no joke. Looking like a piece of burnt leather wrinkled and shriveled also is a bad thing.
 
never used it, never had a burn, not to toot my own horn, but i tan fantastically. :D

my parents used it on me when I was young, but I started wearing hats, long sleeve shirts and pants, no issues with it so far.

But if your like this guys, its not going to matter... cant fix stupid, amirite? :D
Can%27t+Fix+Stupid.bmp
 
We try and fix stupid on this forum Fonly. :D
I keep protected from the sun at all times since I am vain and prefer to keep my skin looking nice. That said, A like some sun exposure now and again when the sun isn't to high. It's a love and hate relationship with the sun. The tilley mentioned is alright. It's currently my favorite sun hate, but it could be improved with more ventilation on top. It doesn't have a neck cover, but I find it doesn't need one. It will protect your face and neck most of the day except perhaps in the first and last hour or hours of the day when the suns rays are at there weakest. That and my hair covers my neck. The Tilley winter hat totally sucks. I currently don't have a winter hat that can shield the sun and stay on my head. The Bear Grylls shirts are surprisingly good and affordable. The pants totally suck. I can't recommend a good pair. REI clothes are way to expensive now for what they are. Though I currently wear REI pants as my choice, I won't recommend them here. There is a passionate thread on wool clothing here. I like wool, and a thin wool shirt will breathe and shield you from the sun. But for weight and pack ability, the synthetic shirt/pants/gloves/neck gaiter work well. Yes gloves and neck gaiter. I wear those in the sun as well. I wear sunblock as well and I really don't mind it. Though with my clothes, it's only the face I need to apply too.
 
I am a recent convert to sunscreen type clothing after becoming uncomfortable smearing chemicals on my skin for the past 30 yrs. Columbia has some very nice and comfortable shirts and pants in 40 and 50 SPF. Nice and light and cool. They wick well when damp. A good head cover is still necessary. I'm still wearing my old issue boonie. More of a rag than a hat after 40+ years but it still does the job. I still sunblock the top of my hands when paddling or fishing though. --KV
 
REI's site has a good primer on UPF clothing by the way, a good launching point for personal investigation:

http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/sun+protection.html

They go into things like UPF ratings, skin types (I'm pretty sure I'm a IV or V...with the native hawaiian, puerto rican, and filipino parts of my background I tend to tan easily and don't burn unless completely unprotected... I used to be one brown youngun), and specific features of clothing that affect UPF rating (examples: how tight is the weave, how much dye, fabric type - e.g. polyester offers better protection than cotton due to benzene groups in structure).

ETA: Neeman is right, if you want the best protection, the answer really is both.
 
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Fonly said:
never used it, never had a burn, not to toot my own horn, but i tan fantastically. :D
QUOTE]

A touch of French or MIC MAC back in the ancestral gene pool ? I should be so lucky, Scottish, 100 watt bulb burns me. :(
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Whenever I am out on the water for long afternoons in the canoe or on crosscountry skis I use sunblock 30 or better on my face, neck and exposed limbs. I have quite a bit of sun damaged skin on my face from long days on the waterways over the decades, some of that came from skimping on the sun protection the rest is just age and exposure to the elements.
 
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