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So this is new for me, I'm usually trying to stay warm.

I'm going to be totally exposed to the sun for a period of 2 days this summer (accept for night time, smartasses!), and I'm looking for something to cover my skin without making me too hot during physical activity (2 days of almsot continuous activity).

What kind of fabric should I look for? Any sun-blocks out there good enough for the job? SPF a million?

wear a hat drink lots of water. I like shorts and a t shirt and coppertone sport 50 spf have fun

I've spent many days in the Sahara. IMO, the best option is light colored, loose fitting, long sleeve cotton shirts and full length cotton cargo pants. I also wear a wide brim hat with a rear drop down sun shield. I use plenty of SPF 50 and always wear sunglasses that fully block UVA and UVB rays.

Get a light-colored hat with a cancer curtain that buttons beneath your chin. If there is no closure of the curtain beneath your chin, the least wind makes the curtain useless, and the hat may blow off. As a compromise, you can attach a a few handkerchiefs under a baseball cap, and sew a button on one the front corner (and a hole on the opposite side), or use snaps.


I've usually managed to get these for 1/2 price on sale. A bigger brim is useful for more sun, but is tough on vision when scrambling.

Echo previous comments. Loose fitting cotton, hat, shades, gloves and lots of sun block. Have as little skin exposed, not only from the sun but also from the pointy plants and things that move.

Will you be staying out (biv/camp) at night? Some deserts cool at night... it can be cool enough for a light sweater. Other places stay warm/hot all night, too. Where will you be?

I should note that I referred to the desert because solar conditions will be similar.

I'll be on open water, on a 2-day long rowing trip. Seated position, constantly moving though in a very small, totally exposed space. I'll be exposed to wind, so too-big of a hat may be problematic.

Yeti wrote:I should note that I referred to the desert because solar conditions will be similar.

I'll be on open water, on a 2-day long rowing trip. Seated position, constantly moving though in a very small, totally exposed space. I'll be exposed to wind, so too-big of a hat may be problematic.

Lakes? Boundary Waters? The insect repellent clothing may be more useful...

There are, of course, special gloves for paddling. I managed to find some cheapo motocross gloves that have a mainly mesh back (with ribs for protection) and tough palms.

Yeti wrote:I should note that I referred to the desert because solar conditions will be similar.

I'll be on open water, on a 2-day long rowing trip. Seated position, constantly moving though in a very small, totally exposed space. I'll be exposed to wind, so too-big of a hat may be problematic.

hot-and-humid requires completely different clothing from hot-and-dry....

as for a hat, get this one:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=IEMFB1PZZNO43LAQBBICCO3MCAEFCIWE?id=0080606956495a&type=product&cmCat=froogle&cm_ven=data_feed&cm_cat=froogle&cm_pla=0240202&cm_ite=0080606956495a&_requestid=87935
it has chin straps to keep the sun skirt from flapping in the wind

[quote="Yeti"]I should note that I referred to the desert because solar conditions will be similar.

I'll be on open water, on a 2-day long rowing trip. Seated position, constantly moving though in a very small, totally exposed space. I'll be exposed to wind, so too-big of a hat may be problematic.[/quote

Ok, now I'm curious. Where will this rowing trip take place?
Btw, plenty of sailers and paddlers face the same problem of sun protection(for the face and head), in windy conditions. Seems you should be able to find some bigger hat that will work.

Hmmm...

My go to uniform for warm/hot and sunny is:

Patagonia Cap 1 longsleeve shirt (white)
TNF Paramount Convertible pants (khaki)
OR Sun Runner Cap (white)

When paddling (a kayak or raft):

The same except switch the Sun Runner for a cotton Teva sombrero I got as swag a few years ago.

OR Sunrunner hat

Cabellas Guidewear shirt (UV protection, mesh ventilation, comfortable)

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... hasJS=true

Simms zip off pants

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... 134904802a

Thanks for all the references! I was thinking about a lightweight white long sleeve shirt, just hadn't settled on a material yet.

Muddeer wrote:

hot-and-humid requires completely different clothing from hot-and-dry....

Thanks for rolling your eyes and trying to correct me, assuming I don't know what I'm talking about.

I said "open water", so this isn't a canoe trip. Lake Huron/August is the location, this is a "proof of theory" kind of row, so see if I can spend 2 days on the water without coming ashore (in prep for a bigger trip later). I'll be departing south of Oscoda and heading north to Sturgeon Point, and back again. 40 miles round trip, I'll be staying 3-5 miles off shore to stay away from the shoals, and away from the wind protection of the land.
Temps can be from 60f to 90f in the middle of the day, depends on weather. Out there, humidity is low, wind is uninterrupted, and there is certainly no shade. I've rowed some day trips out there, just fishing, and it's very much a desert. To stave off heat stroke, I can always jump in. But getting in and out of the boat takes energy, that's only for an emergency... and it doesn't keep my skin from cooking.

For a shirt, I like a lightweight, long sleeve, collared shirt. Wrangler happens to make the best, cheapest, and most available ones I've found. Pick them up in any western clothing store or order online. If you order online, you usually don't get a choice on the color, but if you buy in person, you can pick through them to find the lighter-colored ones. You won't fit in with the REI-wearing crowd, but you will have a functional shirt.

I spend a lot of time on the water and can give you this advice:

Polarized sunglasses to save your eyes, a whole bottle of spf 70 sunscreen, hat with bandanna to cover ears and neck (preferably baseball, pick the team of your choice, just not Red Sox please), and a really baggy long sleeve cotton shirt that is light in color and weight.

I also suggest one of those huge lifeguard style straw hats. They don't stand up to high wind super well, but when I'm wearing that thing I feel like I have a whole awning over me, it almost creates it's own little micro-climate around your head.

Oh, and for sunscreen, i pick the gooiest highest spf i can find. Dump a whole bunch in one hand, smear it onto the other, and cake it onto your skin, rub it in good but you should have enough to where your skin is saturated and won't absorb anymore, leaving a nice white layer all over. I am a professional sunscreen applier and have perfected this technique through years and years of trial and error.