[pct-l] Sunscreen on the trail

[Mary Kwart]

Hi--

I start hiking using sunscreen on my face and hands, but stop using it
very much because I wear long sleeves, long pants and a floppy hat. I
should use it more on my face, though. I carry a small squeeze bottle
of 50 SPF in a front waist belt pocket of my backpack.

 I found it really didn't make that much difference using it on my
hands--they were getting browner and browner. SO, I met a hiker named
Hiking Dude who turned me onto this cool trick--I bought a pair of
men's light weight nylon dress socks in the next town for 50 cents at
a second hand store. I cut off the toe of the sock, then cut a small
hole on one side for my thumb--making them into fingerless
gloves--they protect the tops of my hands and are not hot. I used them
for 600 miles on the Arizona Trail last year and still have the same
ones.

I am worried a bit about skin cancer because my parents used to go to
the beach when I was young and I burned a lot.

--Fireweed

On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 3:07 PM, Claire Persichetti <
 c.e.persichetti at gmail.com> wrote:

 > Hey everyone,
 >
 > I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the necessity of carrying
and using
 > sunscreen throughout the trail. Should I expect to use it just in
the
 > desert section or count on using it the entire length of the PCT?
As a
 > non-sunscreen wearer in general, my inclination is to just pack
some for
 > southern California, but I'm curious what others have had luck with
in
 > terms of sun protection.
 >
 > Thanks!