[pct-l] trekking brolly

[Barry Teschlog]

If you cover up, the necessity for an umbrella for sun protection is largely mitigated.
 I'd recommend you use long sleeve shirts and long pants, and have a wide brim hat with "Foreign Legion" style flaps to provide extra cover for your neck.  I added the flaps myself and found them to be quite effective for additional protection to the neck and ears.  

It's not as hot as you might expect being covered up.  I used light grey "silk weight" Patagonia Capaline shirts which breathe quite well, plus REI convertible nylon trekking pants.
Sun gloves might also come in handy.  "Strap tan" from the trekking poles is a clear marker of a thru hiker.  :-)

When you're on snow up in the Sierra, watch out, the UV reflecting off of the snow is intense, and there's nothing an umbrella can do to help you there.  In spite of liberal application of high grade sunscreen, by the time I got to VVR, my face looked like that of a racoon, only in reverse (light where the sunglasses protected it, tanned / burnt elsewhere).  I'd recommend a buff that you can use to cover your face in addition to sun screen.

YMMV.  HYOH.  2 cents.  Yadda, yadda, yadda.

As I am very light skinned I will need to take particular care with the sun. I was thinking of taking a Brolly, and wondered what people,s experience was with them. Would you recommend these for the PCT?

Mayo