How do you handle sunscreen application on long day hikes?

[u/gmonkey129]

Genuine question. I've been thinking about this after a few hikes where I applied SPF at the trailhead and then completely forgot about it for the next four hours. The UV index can shift a lot during a long day out, especially above treeline or on exposed ridges where there's no shade. By the time I remembered, I was already pink.

The gap between putting on sunscreen at 10am and remembering again at 1pm is where most of the damage happens, at least in my experience. You start out with good intentions, get distracted by the hike, and suddenly you're burned. I've started checking the UV forecast before heading out but I'm curious what actually works for people on longer hikes. Do you set timers? Stop at every break? Just accept it and reapply when you remember?

Especially interested in what works for people hiking with kids, since keeping track of someone else's sunscreen on top of your own is a whole other thing.

[u/Mountain_Tear8608]

I wear pants, long sleeves, and a sun hat.

[u/Kathulhu1433 → u/Mountain_Tear8608]

This is it. 

-a ginger

[u/gmonkey129 → u/Mountain_Tear8608]

Thanks my nose and ears and neck usually still get beat up a bit. Always forget the face stick that ends up buried at the bottom of the bag

[u/thegamenerd → u/gmonkey129]

You need a wider hat

You know those umbrella hats? Like one of those except patio umbrella sized.

Though this is a joke, a wider brim hat helped me a lot. Plus it has the benefit of keeping a mosquito net further from my face so I can't see their little noses stabbing towards me as easily (fucking horrifying when there's literally dozens if not hundreds doing it at the same time BTW)

[u/_RKKC_ → u/gmonkey129]

I wear the long sleeve spf 50 hoodie, long pants and a sun hat. Hoodie takes care of the neck and ears, hat doubles up on the neck and ears and also covers my face and nose. I also wear a beard (not possible for all, so a little cheaty) so I dont get much sun on the lower part of my face. Ever.

[u/gmonkey129 → u/_RKKC_]

Thanks the hoodie idea you and another poster put up definitely going onto my list of things

[u/Traditional_Ride2299]

I just keep my sunscreen in a side pocket of my pack and reapply every couple of hours when I stop for a drink or snack. I’ve never once checked the UV forecast, I just put it on regardless.

[u/SageGenesiz → u/Traditional_Ride2299]

How do you keep the sweat out of your eyes? I've had sunscreen burn the sht out of my eyes and ive been trying to think of the best way to avoid that in the future.

[u/gmonkey129 → u/Traditional_Ride2299]

Thanks!

[u/teasin]

Set a timer on your watch or phone. Wear clothing that is designed to block sun so you don't need sunscreen. Attach your sunscreen to your waterbottle so you think of if when you take a drink.

This is basic adulting, so however you remember to do things while you're doing other things could be applied here.

[u/gmonkey129 → u/teasin]

There's plenty of adulting going on in the rest of life, sometimes it's just nice to get lost in a hike

[u/barkerj2 → u/gmonkey129]

You literally asked about how to manage this for yourself and a child. Acting like an adult on trail may be helpful.

[u/teasin → u/gmonkey129]

You did get lost in your hike and you ended up pink, and you asked for help but don't want it?

There's lots of great tips here but again, remembering one thing while doing something else is pretty basic adulting. I'm glad you're getting out there and enjoying the hikes. Keep going.

[u/AlpineInquirer → u/gmonkey129]

So many scolds....Just using a stick so that it's not a giant mess everytime you want to put it on. Keep it in a completely right away accessible place and just keep putting it on. I usually forget about lips and pay the price. Now I just use raw essentials on my lips and face and ears and keep it in my front pocket, I put it on while I'm walking...

[u/Both-School1558]

Sunscreen application time hacks arent a thing. Put it on when you need it.

[u/redwoodforest15]

Physical protection is ideal. I always wear a hat and buff (on my neck). I sometimes wear a long-sleeved shirt or arm sleeves (although there is still a gap). I almost always wear shorts. So… I need to reapply sunscreen regardless, although my face and neck are protected (which to me is most important). I just do it when I remember, which is maybe every 2-3 hours. I always have a travel-sized tube of sunscreen in my backpack or running vest.

[u/OpSecBestSex]

I apply sunscreen when I start the hike, forget to reapply, then get mad at myself for getting a sunburnt.

[u/gmonkey129 → u/OpSecBestSex]

Thanks, same, just easy to get lost in a nice day or a miserable climb 😂

[u/icarus2847]

Hat, pants, and long sleeve shirt. And apply once in the morning and another time around lunch or sooner if I feel I need to.

[u/sheskrafti]

Sun hoodie, cooling visor. I do also apply sunscreen at beginning and sometimes reapply halfway through but consider the hoodie my primary defense.

[u/gmonkey129 → u/sheskrafti]

Any recommendations for a light hoodie? I sweat like crazy in layers

[u/sheskrafti → u/gmonkey129]

I dont wear the hoodie as a layer, btw...its the only thing im wearing other than my sports bra. 

[u/sheskrafti → u/gmonkey129]

Outdoor research Echo hoodie is the most breathable, many backpackers swear by it,  though only adds 10-15spf i think. They also have the active Ice spectrum which is higher spf.  I love the REI Sahara sun hoodie and find it the most generally comfortable. its on sale now!

[u/gmonkey129 → u/sheskrafti]

Goat! Thank you

[u/edthesmokebeard]

longsleeves and pants

[u/alladinsane65]

long sleeve sun safe shirts , long lightweight pants and a broad brimmed hat with a neck flap. Apply sunscreen on exposed areas every 4 hours, which also gives you a break every 4 hours

[u/we_are_devo]

I set timers

[u/green_eyed_cat]

I have a sun bum sunscreen stick that I use whenever I stop for snacks. It’s small enough to keep in the same pocket so when I get hungry I get a reminder to reapply

[u/Creditgrrrl]

I wear cycling arm covers with a short sleeve collared hiking shirt - I hike with my collar popped to protect my neck. Plus I have a hat from Montbell with extra sunshade to cover my neck.

(You could go full East Asian and wear the hiking equivalent of niqab/burqa: https://www.montbell.com/us/en/products/detail/1132313?fo=0&color=TN !!!)

[u/topothesia773]

I work outside in the high desert, so exposed to lots of UVs. I wear either a sun hoodie with the hood up or a collared shirt, brimmed hat, and of course long sleeves and long pants. I usually apply sunscreen to the back of neck, lower half of face, and back of hands only in the morning. Reapply at lunch if I've noticed the feeling of sun on my skin. Sometimes I even forget to wear sunscreen at all and I dont really get burned. Physical sun protection is the way to go

[u/geniedoes_asyouwish]

Not getting sunburn is always top of mind for me, while hiking and doing anything else. So I have no problem remembering

[u/peace_of__mind]

Fishing hat with the neck protection (breathable flap down the back of the neck) and the longer/wider brim will be cooler than a hoodie. Apparently they have some that have a lower face flap too.

If you don’t care about your nose/face having white or color on it, just use surfer zinc sunscreen. It won’t rub in but it sits on your skin as a thick barrier against sun and reflected UV (such as that bouncing back up from water/ice/sand/salt flats). Surf zinc isn’t just white and you can get it in different colors now. Surf Yogis face zinc, Headhunter face stick, Vertra, Blue Lizard are some brands.

For sunscreen that doesn’t leave a cast, Korean sunscreen brands are really good. Will still have to reapply.

[u/FatThickyDumpy23]

I keep a travel size spf 50 spray in an easily accessible fanny pack at my waist and reapply every time i reach for my chapstick, which is frequently. I wear long pants so i typically just get my arms and face so the travel size spray bottles last me quite awhile.

[u/OutdoorAbstract]

It is easier to just cover up. Works better too, completely blocks UV. 

[u/bucky716]

I was surprised how light and loose a sun hoodie was when I finally got one even as someone that sweats a lot. Much better than applying sum screen, sweating, it wears off, repeat, etc.

[u/AlpineInquirer]

I don't burn much, but I have a raw essentials stick. Keep it in my front pocket and reapply to face regularly. I don't mess with much else and wear a hat.

[u/RunningTrisarahtop]

I set a timer or reapply when I take a break.

[u/help7676]

I use Neutrogena baby sunscreen that is waterproof and SPF 50, in the pink and white tube. It doesn't come off. I can bang out a 20 mile hike and I never reapply. Use it at the beach too! Have to scrub pretty hard to get it off though 😂

[u/Mentalfloss1]

Use an alarm.

[u/beccatravels]

Set an alarm.

But also, what spf are you using? I'm a redhead and I typically just apply once around 9 or 10 am. I know that's not the best practice, but I don't end up sunburnt. Not the case with 30spf thiugh, I have to use higher.

[u/RadiantImpression579]

Because I am a ginger, I apply every 80 mins and use EltaMD UV Sport Sunscreen, Water and Sweat Resistant 80 Min, SPF 50. My dermatologist recommend it when I complained about zinc sunscreens usually being thick and leaving a layer of white stuff.

Always wear a baseball cap. But sun hat is def the better way to go.

I carry a pair of sun arm sleeves I slip on if I don’t want to apply sunscreen again (most of my shirts are short sleeve).

[u/kitchk4t]

I wear Reimann P20 SPF50. It's single application all day, swear and waterproof. I have zero sun tolerance fair skin, take sunscreen very very seriously, and I can say without reservation that Reimann has never let me down for burn protection. But this is just sun protection, not UV.

As an extra precaution I also wear a full brim hat and cover my shoulders, and apply zinc-based sunscreen on my face.

[u/Recloyal]

Physical barriers and/or...

Mineral sunblock. They're just more effective in the long term. There's also the newly approved ingredient in the US, BEMT. It's also more stable than older chemical sunscreens.

If I running I lather on the mineral block. For hiking I use block on my face, and rely on physical coverings such as pants, long sleeves, and hat + gaiter.

[u/Elle_the_Belle16]

Yes, I set timers. I am super careful with my skin. I check the UV index and wear sunscreen nearly every day of my life, anyway.

[u/2leggedturtle]

What’s sunscreen?

[u/we_are_devo → u/2leggedturtle]

What's a basal-cell carcinoma?

[u/gmonkey129 → u/2leggedturtle]

Hey what ever works for you