BLOG #20 SUN PROTECTION

                                                                                                           SUN PROTECTION
In general, people do not like sun tan lotion.
It’s gooey, messy, and inconvenient at best, and it should be reapplied regularly. 
But like smoking, each tug or day in the sun, has the potential of slowly killing you.
I hate to say it, but the sun is our lives, but it can kill us.
In order not to reprint the article on sun tan lotion, log onto to your favorite websites, and read a medical paper on why, what sun tan lotion is, what the SPF scale means and relates to its use, and more. Search sun tan lotion.
A few years ago, I scraped my shin while scrambling a slope.
Months later, I learned that I had squamous cell carcinoma.
But I didn’t get it that day. It has been in my skin since I was a kid, when I  spent most my days in or near the lake I grew up on.  
I had the cancer cut out, but was told I am not out of danger.
Now I must protect myself head to toe from the sun.
That protection starts with proper applications of sun tan lotion.
Do keep in mind, you can still get a sun burn on a cloudy day.
The UV rays penetrate the clouds and can burn you.
Construction workers, road pavers, and those who are in the sun unprotected, are susceptible to skin cancers.
Proper use of lotions can protect you.


SUN HATS


Sun hats are an essential part of sun protection.
They come in all sizes and shapes, and should shade your head, neck, ears, face, and part of your chest.
When you get a descent sun hat, waterproof it with Durable Water Repellent. This spray has no PAFS OR PFOS forever chemicals.
They can be hand washed with a small squirt of Dawn in luke warm water. Rinse them twice, taking care not to crease the hat’s bill. Hang to dry. Then waterproof it. Some water proof sprays require heat to set.
put them in your dryer for however long the manufacture indicates.

Another advantage of these oversized hats is one of my favorite features. 
Because it is so large, when you have to hike thru the brush, also known as "chicwackin', you simply put your head down, and power thru it. No snags, no brush tangling in your hair, and no scratches or wounds to the head.
Just protect yourself from the harsh rays of the sun.

TECHNICAL PANTS & SHIRTS

Now don’t get me wrong. I love my Columbia, The North Face, and Ex-Official pants and shirts, but they are not what I want to hike in.
I prefer thin, quick drying, articulated cut hiking pants and shirts.
The name brands are cool for around town, and light duty hiking, but in the mountains I want thin, light pants and shirts that don’t restrict my movement.
I found a pair of convertible pants at Big 5 that had all the bells and whistles, that fit my requirements.
They were inexpensive and have held up to rigorous scrambling.
So the take away is, buy the named brand clothes for social hikes and around town.
But look for light weight, pants and shirts that allow you to move freely.
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InlandNWRoutes.com
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Chic Burge       David Crafton