Fun in the Sun

What better topic coming off a hot, sunny weekend than sun protection! Unless you have really bad luck, you'll be spending dozens of hours in the sun on your CHS hikes this summer. Here are a few tips for doing it safely.

• The active ingredients in sunscreen can and do expire. Check your sunscreen for an expiration date, and replace it if it's past due. Apply sunscreen liberally at the trailhead -- even better, at home before you leave for the meet spot -- and at the lunch break, and more frequently if you're fair-skinned. 
• Pack a boonie hat or other cap with a broad bill and perhaps a back flap to keep overhead sun off your face and neck. They're goofy-lookin' as hell, but the trail's not a fashion runway! 
• Sunglasses are a must-bring for every hike. In bright light conditions, they dramatically reduce the glare and give your vision more contrast so you can see obstacles in your path. Plus, you'll find that squinting for long periods of time gives you a real headache. 
• Use a compact umbrella -- preferably white or other reflective color -- to keep direct sunlight away and maintain a cool zone around your upper body. 
• Know the symptoms of heat stress and heat stroke (profuse sweating,  chills, cramps, dizziness, slurred speech, and inability to take on food and water are a few), and watch your fellow hikers for signs. I usually get a low-grade headache and become a great big whiner when I'm dehydrated -- you probably have your own symptoms. Be prepared to turn around and end your day early if someone suffers overheating. It's near impossible to recover on trail, and the best solution is lots of rest in a cool environment.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! On a really hot day, if you wait until you're thirsty, it may already be too late to catch up. If you anticipate extreme heat on an upcoming hike, keep pre-hydrated by limiting your alcohol and coffee intake a day or two before the hike, and by chugging 16-20 oz. of water before you lock up the car.
• Include an electrolyte replacement beverage (Gatorade, Powerade, Accelerade, Nuun, EmergenC, diluted citrus juice, etc.) to compensate for the sodium, chloride and potassium you lose as you sweat.
• Observe the color of your urine -- you're looking for clear to straw-colored, and not dark yellow. Obviously, if you haven't had to go in a while, that's a problem too!
• Take every advantage to use a stream, river, waterfall or snowfield for a refreshing cool down. Dunk your hat, soak your bandana, or build a snowman!

If you're having a "bug" kind of day instead of a "windshield" kind of day, these precautions may not save you. Even experienced hike leaders suffer in the heat. But do your best to be prepared, and store all those memories of what it feels like to hike in the heat -- you can call them up when you're taking your vitamin D supplements and trying to get through the cold, wet winter!

--Steve