Defense against the desert sun...

Going through Emails this morning and came across "THIS" and thought of you guys in the desert and a discussion I saw once here on how to beat the sun.
Thought it might interest some of you.

A lighter color is better. Also, a perforated side is cooler.
Here's one from Amazon, same price and free shipping if you have prime.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XDY2TY1/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

A lot of flyers at UROC Hellfire 22 Bonneville salt flat warned of sun poisoning. The conditions are far worse than a mild sun burn. SpF 15 sunscreen proved inadequate. Despite being well hydrated without reapplying sunscreen often I became sun poisioned or whatnot. Hurled a bunch of water until I got an IV after a launch. My body began rejecting all water intake. Nearest care clinic was not equipped to handle dehydration and did not have IVs. Prof got me to Salt Lake fast. An IV bag later I was fine. We were out there at Bonneville for a few hours and several days. I was not logically aware of a salt flat environment. Some of us from Tennessee are use to heavy woodlands or grassy farms. You can call me ignorant and no common sense. Sun burns were understood while sun poisoning wasn't. The sun reflects off the salt covered ground and burns underside of legs exposed in shorts. Insurance covered the IV bag. But my roommates were annoyed with how much puke I had. My recommendation is wear the highest proof sunscreen and get friends to reapply it all over your body for places you can't reach in addition to eating right with enough fluids. I visited Death Valley too and the salt at Bonneville just reflects sunlight more.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088P9QMC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Used this last year at Hellfire 22, worked great, the white really helps keep it cool compared to darker colors... drink lots and stay in the shade.

It can strain the eyes to look for a rocket when you don't have sunglasses too on a salt flat the reflections of sunlight are bright at distance. You can find your rocket easier and not strain yourself for many hours if you come prepared.

8thPaladin said:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088P9QMC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Used this last year at Hellfire 22, worked great, the white really helps keep it cool compared to darker colors... drink lots and stay in the shade.

Click to expand...

That's a good color, but a full brim around the hat works better, for me anyway.

Interesting, as a kid having grown up in Phoenix in the 60's-70's, we never worried about that sort of thing. I was even able to walk barefoot through the desert or on the hot asphalt without getting torched. No way in hell could I do that now. It has made me wonder just how many people in these areas actually contract skin cancer as one would think the percentage would be considerably high.

Geese thanks for the ads. I clicked on the link and now I keep seeing ads for Sportsmans Warehouse.

Tilley LTM8. Don't cheap out if you're going to spend four days on range duty. Good boots, good glasses, good hat.

L.L. Bean Moose River Hat by Stetson.

Or a pith helmet

If no one is shooting at you, white is definitely the way to go in the desert.

And a hydration bladder. Pro tip is to get an insulator for the bladder.

grouch said:

Geese thanks for the ads. I clicked on the link and now I keep seeing ads for Sportsmans Warehouse.

Click to expand...

You are welcome.
I use to buy a lot from them.
I get daily emails on specials, even though I am no longer a member.

jlabrasca said:

L.L. Bean Moose River Hat by Stetson.

Or a pith helmet

Click to expand...

My father had a couple of those pith type hats when he walked the streets delivering mail in the 50's.
I often wonder what ever happened to them, they use to hang in his little work space in the basement.
https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/letter-carrier-hat-images2.pdf

Woody's Workshop said:

My father had a couple of those pith type hats when he walked the streets delivering mail in the 50's.
I often wonder what ever happened to them, they use to hang in his little work space in the basement.
https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/letter-carrier-hat-images2.pdf

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I confess, meant it to be funny. From the context of the linked image, I interpreted the one on A.M.O. Smith's head to be a party hat. Thinking about it though, it seems an eminently sensible choice for a desert environment where things might also fall on your head. Plus which, Teddy Roosevelt wore one -- so its both cool, and cool. I am shopping for one now.

I started wearing one of these...it is a shirt with a hood, with an SPF 50 rating. I was wearing all sorts of Foreign Legion style hats, but still wound up getting sunburned on my neck and ears (I wear my hair short).

These seem extreme, but it saves me from having to slather on suntan lotion every hour, which I usually forget to do, and can't really stand, anyway.

https://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/s...-Comfort-Hoody-II_10300536_10208_10000001_-1_

Next stop after this (if this doesn't work out) is wearing some Lawrence of Arabia get-up!

The_Lone_Beagle said:

I started wearing one of these...it is a shirt with a hood, with an SPF 50 rating. I was wearing all sorts of Foreign Legion style hats, but still wound up getting sunburned on my neck and ears (I wear my hair short).

These seem extreme, but it saves me from having to slather on suntan lotion every hour, which I usually forget to do, and can't really stand, anyway.

https://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/s...-Comfort-Hoody-II_10300536_10208_10000001_-1_

Next stop after this (if this doesn't work out) is wearing some Lawrence of Arabia get-up!

Click to expand...

I see now what grouch was saying about ads -- I am on my laptop, on which I have apparently not installed adblocker, and clicking on that link has decorated all sides of my browser with ads for Patagonia products.