Anyone go without sunscreen?

Around 20 yrs ago I started figuring out long sleeves and a bucket hat are needed if your in a boat all day or hiking alpine

Go to a thrift store and pick up a few outdated silk dress shirts for next to nothing. Or depending on your age raid your dad/grandpa's closet, maybe even YOUR closet!!

So light and breathable with no weight, I think silk has most of the wicking and drying properties of good synthetics. They also make a good mid layer between t-shirt and sweater.

As a sidenote my late Grandma Gerwing used to cut up old silk clothing for handerchiefs or "silkies" as us kids knew them by in the kitchen drawer.

If you or your kids have a bad running cold that kleenex is rubbing your nose raw try them. There is not a kleenex in the world that compares. your nose will thank you.
 
I'm a little older than most of you at 64, and after 3 basal cell, and one squamous cell carcinomas surgically removed, (and a whole lot of pre cancerous spots frozen off) would urge you to do everything you can to protect yourself from the Sun... grew up in Florida playing sports with just a ball cap, and my first showed up at about 40years old on my exposed upper ear.... now wear long sleeved nylon caped back flats type fishing shirts, vented full brimmed hat, and Bullfrog sun block for 3 gun matches... those of you that do not have a significant other to check for suspicious spots... schedule a trip to the dermatologist
 
At 46 had a cancerous spot removed from my nose, now carry a small scar there that I would prefer not to have. Wear your sunblock in your younger years. Farming, mowing and motorcycle riding with no sunscreen took its toll. Like others I go with a good sunscreen, boonie hat and loose shirt now. If out for extended hours Ill drape a shemagh or bandana over my head and put my boonie over that, covers my ears and neck well. Like Les said, check suspicious spots.
 
Shotgun said:
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?
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Rarely need sunscreen in the summer while hiking here, because of the foliage. On the water, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses. Doesn't take long to get fried out on the water, even when it doesn't seem that sunny.
 
Ain't no way I'd risk not having it.

I'm a pasty, fair skinned, bloodnut. I can burn in about ten minutes if I'm not careful!

Once, as a kid, splashing around at the seaside, despite wearing sunblock, my ears and lips got so sun burned they looked like crispy bacon. It was horrible.

I have to use that titanium oxide/physical barrier type as the chemical barrier stuff gives me an horrendous rash.

I do wear I wide brimmed hat and long sleeved shirts. However I will always daub my face, ears neck and chest (sometimes hands) with sun factor 50! End up prancing around the woods looking like Casper, but it beats the alternative.

The most annoying thing is having to scrub down come evening so your skin can breath a little.
 
Ive alway hated sunscreen, the smell, the greasyness:barf:. I tend to not burn easy and if I am truly concerned about it I just were longsleeves/pant and hat. I always were sunglasses outside:cool:.
I have always doubted the effectiveness of sunscreen and it seems that I have been validated recently.
http://www.aolnews.com/2010/05/24/study-many-sunscreens-may-be-accelerating-cancer/
http://www.naturalnews.com/021927.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/..._n_590516.html#s93626&title=Increased_Risk_Of
 
I never go without sunscreen.
Any time of the year, any activity, sunscreen is always used.
The sun gets pretty aggressive in the Alps, especially when you start gaining a bit altitude.
/ Karl
 
I remeber going canoeing some years back where everyone made fun of me for wearing a cowboy hat and long sleeves and pants. Sure, it was a little uncomfortable when everything got wet, but I chose light materials that dried well (cotton should be avoided if quick-drying is a must). No one was laughing at me when I was the only one that wasn't badly sunburned by the end of the weekend (they opted for sunscreen). Okay, so they were still making fun of me, but at least half of my body wasn't in pain from bad burns.

Generally in the summer, I don't worry about sun protection if I am in and out of the sun (a little sun is a good thing, right?). However, as others do, I also choose to protect my skin with clothing - long sleeves and a straw hat. Also, I do like my Mexican friends do when the sun is scorching out...I get out of the sun!
 
Golanv said:
I remeber going canoeing some years back where everyone made fun of me for wearing a cowboy hat and long sleeves and pants.
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They always do. 4 hours later when their thighs, calves, feet, shoulders, back, arms, and face are a lovely tomato red(but they wore sunscreen right) they tend to not make fun so much.
 
the one time I screwed myself really bad was getting into a bright red Piranha H2 kayak, and thought that my legs were safe in swim trunks. I didn't sleep for two nights, rolling around in agony on sandy beaches.
 
As a Texican I was raised I the hot hot sun. My skin gets dark, no one in my family has ever had skin cancer. I do make my kids put on sunscreen because their momma is a wwhiitee girl. I do if I'm gonna be exposed for long periods, like on the water or on the tractor wear a straw hat and a SPF rated shirt. Usually not long sleeve, I have a farmer tan to maintain.
 
I have never been a fan of sunscreen. I know that a lot of the hype around sunscreen is fear based, the whole sun gives you cancer thing. Its more like worry and stress give you cancer. A tan is the bodies own sun-block and we need the glorious uv rays on our flesh, it is good for you. But just like everything good it needs to be regulated. I am not a fan of smearing chemicals on my body cuz from what I hear its like the largest organ of the body. Same goes for antiperspirant deodorant but that is another topic. The best defense is to wear proper clothing for long hikes, backpacking and other extended time outdoor activities. I am an avid trail runner and only wear a shirt on runs over an hour or as temperature demands. I say man up take off you shirt and give thanks to the goodness of the sun. And after all is it the sun or the sunscreen that causes the cancer. :thumbup:
 
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I used to only occasionally wear it, but a couple years ago, I went on a rafting trip with my friends. Forgot to put on sunscreen while I was on the river, and I was burned to a crisp before I knew it. My shoulders are still covered in scars... it was an awful burn.

Now I don't risk it.
 
I used to brainlessly do the George Hamilton tan, but after a bit of skin cancer on the back of a shoulder, and a short course of chemo, I wised up.

I won't do the sun screen thing, I too hate the greasy feeling. But I take the advice of a couple of former co-workers that were from tropical places. I go to the Salvation army store and buy used over size (XXL) cotton shirts with long sleeves, and I always where a cotton khaki bucket hat. My co-worker from The Ivory Coast, on the west coast of the African continent, said back in his country, people always wore loose baggy, very light cotton garments. Same for my friend Tam, who's from Vietnam.

I find that when I'm covered in loose baggy cotton, I actually feel cooler than in shorts and T shirt. I spend long hours out in my canoe, I love being on the water, and if I dip a bandana in the river or lake, and dribble it over the cotton shirt, it's like air conditioning when a breeze blows through the clothes. Very cooling.

I choose to just cover up instead of a greasy chemical on my skin.

Carl.
 
Living in Arizona I'm very familiar with this. I cover up completely..... long sleeve cotton shirt, possibly under-armour underneath, pants, gloves hat and 5.11 balaclava (warm weather) w/sunglasses. Pretty much look like the invisible man but I pass people on trails wearing muscle shirts/shorts burning up and bright red.

I find the cotton does cool you down some by retaining moisture....have synthetics and they're great too..... the high-heat part of the year is my favorite for getting out cause there's less people out. Not good for taking the kids out though.

edit to add: I too hate sunscreen and won't put it on.
 
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found an old shot from a trip two Septembers ago along the Middle Fork of the Payette. Temps were mid 80's if memory serves me, and actually a touch humid. EB Bush Shirt, Kakadu Stockman, TNF straight leg khakis, all light colors for reflecting light, all light breathable fabrics, and all of em reasonably priced. I think I didn't pay more than 20 for the shirt, the hat and the pants individually, and it's all still going a year and a half later. Made camp late after a day of hiking up the river and doing some major bushwacking in hunt of hot springs, I think dinner got scoffed at about midnight.
 
Walmarts sell cotton shirts for $10 and ripstop cotton pants for $15
They have lasted for years.......
And cover me from the sun
 
I dont realy burn easy and when i were younger i didnt care about the sun much. After seeing some people get cancer i started to wear long pants and shirts. Which worked perfect for me for years. Well about 2 years ago i started kayaking out in the ocean and fishing. The first thing i found out was that i would get sun burned anyway. a few times i spend more then 8 hours on the water. Now i make sure i wear thicker cloths and found that blue is better. I spend some time to check out which is the best sun block lotion. Now i use neutrogina sunscreen. One thing i noticed most kayakers wear is a Buff to cover the face. Now that i use it with good sunglasses and a hat with neck protection i dont burn any more.
http://www.buffusa.com/buffusa/wear/how_to_wear_a_buff_video

Now a buff is part of my hiking in the sun gear. Thats on top of always having and extra large bandana as well. As i tell everyone think ahead into the future.. Cancer is not fun and if you have it then its too late..
 
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