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10-K
06-23-2015, 11:13
3 topics, all sort of related.


1. After years of sun loving, no sunscreen fun I've found myself getting carved on (Moh's procedure) and various pre-cancer spots frozen in on my body.

Which leads me to #2

2. Sunscreen would likely have prevented this but when you're young...you're invincible.


3. While I was at the dermatologist's yesterday I bought a Tilley hat for my CDT hike. If you've never seen a Tilley hat I really suggest finding one and trying it out. Probably not for everyone but I believe it's probably the most well-made hat I've ever tried on. Wide brimmed, plenty of sun protection, etc.

Slo-go'en
06-23-2015, 12:25
Yep, you really want a wide brimmed hat out there. That was one mistake I made in Glacier, I only had a baseball cap and that was not enough.

burger
06-23-2015, 12:31
A wide-brimmed hat is overrated for sun protection. In open country, much of your UV exposure comes from ambient light or light reflected off the ground (this is why you can get a sunburn on a cloudy day or standing under a tree on a sunny day). You will want lots and lots of sunscreen on top of your hat. Plus think about an OR sunrunner or something with a cape that goes across your ears/neck.

Also, wear a long-sleeved shirt with good UV protection, and think about a sun umbrella. There is very little shade on the CDT. Even the forested areas are mostly open.

Coffee
06-23-2015, 12:50
I used a OR sunrunner on the Colorado Trail last year and on my PCT section through mile 857 this year and it did the job in terms of keeping my neck and side of my face from burning. I only applied sunscreen to the front of my face and nose. Even then I was pretty red from sun exposure most of the time and I have relatively dark skin.

Vegan Packer
06-23-2015, 13:38
This is what I wear. Skin cancer is no joke. My father died from skin cancer. I get checked at least yearly.

After years of being a beach lifeguard and then a scuba instructor, I've upped my game.

31083

Venchka
06-23-2015, 13:47
3 topics, all sort of related.


1. After years of sun loving, no sunscreen fun I've found myself getting carved on (Moh's procedure) and various pre-cancer spots frozen in on my body.

Which leads me to #2

2. Sunscreen would likely have prevented this but when you're young...you're invincible.


3. While I was at the dermatologist's yesterday I bought a Tilley hat for my CDT hike. If you've never seen a Tilley hat I really suggest finding one and trying it out. Probably not for everyone but I believe it's probably the most well-made hat I've ever tried on. Wide brimmed, plenty of sun protection, etc.

Amen, Brother! I looked for a long time before I found a Tilley hat at the Mast Store in Boone in my size and a style that I really like. It goes everywhere with me now.

...

Wayne

Pie Guy
06-23-2015, 13:50
I have a Tilley hat that has venting on the sides. I can't wear a baseball hat, makes me sweat too much.
The tilley hat solves that. I keep a $20.00 bill in a small zip lock bag in the secret department on the inside top of the hat. The drawstrings when adjusted hold the hat on even in a brisk wind.

10-K
06-23-2015, 16:49
I wore a sunrunner on the PCT. It did the job but I don't like anything in my peripheral vision so it gave me the same problem a rain jacket with a hood does. I could alway see the flaps out of the corner of my eyes.

hobby
06-23-2015, 17:07
Lost my Tilley in GSMNP last year...just replaced it Use it for just about everything outdoors

10-K
06-23-2015, 17:23
Lost my Tilley in GSMNP last year...just replaced it Use it for just about everything outdoors

I mailed off my warranty card today. Supposedly they'll sell you a new one if you lose yours within 2 years of purchase. I'm guessing the thing will get lost a long time before it wears out.

I too like the string setup that keeps it from blowing off - better than the cord that wraps around your chin.

hobby
06-23-2015, 17:54
had the other one for years! I think the warranty now is 50%off if you loose it--but not sure Registered it anyway

10-K
06-23-2015, 18:25
had the other one for years! I think the warranty now is 50%off if you loose it--but not sure Registered it anyway

Yeah, I forgot the 50% off part... The way my post reads is funny... of course they'll sell you a new one. :)

Harrison Bergeron
06-23-2015, 19:37
Great hats, except for the huge brim which just gets in the way. No hat is going to shade the lower part of your face. But a bucket hat does almost as good a job of covering your forehead, ears, and neck with a lot less hassle, and you can just stuff it in your pocket so you don't look like an old man when someone takes your picture. I use the sea-to-summit version, but I think Tilly makes one that's probably a lot nicer but doesn't fit in your pocket as well. You need sunscreen, regardless.

hobby
06-23-2015, 20:01
nope, can't put a Tilley in your pocket. If I could, I would not have lost mine! I strapped it on the pack, but wasn't there at the end of the day. Didn't strap it on very good apparently. Yes--sunscreen should always be used.

hobby
06-23-2015, 20:05
Yeah, I forgot the 50% off part... The way my post reads is funny... of course they'll sell you a new one. :)

I read your post as 'send' you a new one. I'm sure they will SELL you a new one also! funny

Feral Bill
06-23-2015, 20:20
One more Tilley fan here. Other hats would work, too, I suppose. I always grease up for sun activities, too. There is a lot to be said for an old cotton dress shirt in hot weather as well.

imscotty
06-23-2015, 22:59
Is there a particular model of Tilley hat you guys prefer? I need a summer hat for the JMT. Sounds like my baseball cap is not going to cut it.

Scott

Wise Old Owl
06-23-2015, 23:33
3 topics, all sort of related.


1. After years of sun loving, no sunscreen fun I've found myself getting carved on (Moh's procedure) and various pre-cancer spots frozen in on my body.

Which leads me to #2

2. Sunscreen would likely have prevented this but when you're young...you're invincible

3. While I was at the dermatologist's yesterday I bought a Tilley hat for my CDT hike. If you've never seen a Tilley hat I really suggest finding one and trying it out. Probably not for everyone but I believe it's probably the most well-made hat I've ever tried on. Wide brimmed, plenty of sun protection, etc.

Sorry to hear this 10-K hope u have a good dermitologist and get better.

Feral Bill
06-24-2015, 01:02
Is there a particular model of Tilley hat you guys prefer? I need a summer hat for the JMT. Sounds like my baseball cap is not going to cut it.

Scott Airflo ..................

moytoy
06-24-2015, 05:46
I don't always wear a hat but when I do it's a Tilly style with the cordage for blow off protection. It does get heavy in the rain though.

pauly_j
06-24-2015, 05:56
Other makes are available!

The Tilley seems to have blown up recently in Britain as well. I have a similar hat made by Dorfman Pacific. It's the 'big brim booney hat'. Really like it, super light, 100% nylon, cord to tighten around the head and around the chin also.

Singto
06-24-2015, 06:02
A wide-brimmed hat is overrated for sun protection. In open country, much of your UV exposure comes from ambient light or light reflected off the ground (this is why you can get a sunburn on a cloudy day or standing under a tree on a sunny day). You will want lots and lots of sunscreen on top of your hat. Plus think about an OR sunrunner or something with a cape that goes across your ears/neck.

Also, wear a long-sleeved shirt with good UV protection, and think about a sun umbrella. There is very little shade on the CDT. Even the forested areas are mostly open.

Bingo! Last year at a youth camp I was life guarding them on a beach. I stood under a tree just off the beach thinking how prudent I was being and was sunburned the worst I have ever been in the last 20 years. The UV was reflecting off the water right onto me. The next camp at the same location a few weeks later, I wore sun blocked everywhere...no problem.

10-K
06-24-2015, 07:26
Just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting that a Tilley hat was a sunscreen replacement! It's more like a well made head umbrella. :)

Since I've been spending so much time at the dermatologist lately I've taken to slathering 30 SPF all over my head and hands *and* wearing my Tilley hat. I'm also wearing long sleeved shirts.

Offshore
06-24-2015, 07:29
Don't conflate keeping the sun out of your eyes with UV protection.

Lyle
06-24-2015, 08:23
I bought the vented Tilley hat last year for a JMT hike. Liked it a lot. Cooler than a ball cap and obviously better sun protection. Also provided enough rain protection to keep my glasses mostly clear. Expensive, but great quality.

Marta
06-24-2015, 09:55
I look like an alien when I'm going around in the sun. Tilly hat (not sure of model; about 15 years old); sunglasses; Buff around neck; long-sleeved shirt; gloves to protect backs of hands; long pants; socks to cover feet if I'm wearing sandals. Sometimes I cover my lower face with a bandana, or the Buff. I use a little sunscreen on my face and around my wrists. I prefer this get-up to slathering on the sunscreen.

bigcranky
06-24-2015, 14:17
You will want lots and lots of sunscreen on top of your hat.

I would probably put the sunscreen on my skin, instead. :) (Sorry, could not resist.)

My dad just had a big chunk taken out of his nose; apparently it was bad so they went pretty deep. I got burned a lot when I was young, so I expect the same thing at some point, but now I use sunscreen all the time. Even with my hemp Tilley hat, which is ten years old and going strong.

10-K
06-24-2015, 14:23
I now keep a big bottle of sunscreen by the front door so I'll see it on the way out. Trying to get the habit going... :)

Mags
06-24-2015, 14:35
Plus you'll look dapper in the hat. :)

Being serious, the clothes/sunscreen/hat combo is a winner.

I don't know if a wide hat is overrated or not.

All I know is that I get less "color" when I wear a wide hat...on my face and neck. Being bald, I have to wear some sort of hat.

I have light sun spots on my cheek that get darker when I DON'T wear a sunhat. I now only try to wear ball caps in town only.

Note: I put sunscreen on my face, now, too.


(Like many people my age, I was blase' about sunscreen when younger. Go to the beach? What's sunscscreen ??!? :) And I have a darker complexion naturally. Does not matter.)

Another Kevin
06-24-2015, 15:37
Other makes are available!

The Tilley seems to have blown up recently in Britain as well. I have a similar hat made by Dorfman Pacific. It's the 'big brim booney hat'. Really like it, super light, 100% nylon, cord to tighten around the head and around the chin also.

Another vote for the big brim boonie hat. It's cheap, lightweight, sheds water, doesn't blow off in a high wind, keeps the bug net out of my face, and has UPF 50 ultraviolet protection. It makes me look like a total dweeb, but that's true of nearly everything I wear.