Clothing During the Hot Summer Months

Fellow photographers, this topic falls into many different sub-sections but I feel the "General" section may be best. As the title states, I'd like to ask all the outdoor, wildlife, automotive photographers, etc...out there, what gear do you guys wear to protect yourselves from the sun and heat?

The majority of my outdoors photography is airstrip racing in Texas. Those of you from the area know the heat I'm talking about. I've been out of it for a couple of years but I'm hoping to attend more events starting this year. The first one I went to this year was back in May, the next one is in October. I got burned pretty good and still have plenty of tan lines to show for it.

I'm looking for a lightweight, breathable long sleeve that I can wear 10 - 12 hours at a time without discomfort. I'm not huge a fan of sunscreen as I have not found a product that I like that does not leave a greasy film. Having to reapply throughout the day is troublesome at times.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Clothing, sunscreens, anything to keep me cool and the UV rays out.

Thanks,
Jesse

wide brimmed hats can be a pain in the neck when shooting but you can push them up on your forehead, especially if you have a huge melon like me. Orvis, Outdoor Research and other outdoor suppliers make quality stuff.

cheap linen long sleeved shirts are nice. I use to buy them at Old Navy this time of year. White and pale yellow were my go to colors.

the "sports" type of sun screen is usually the best to keep from being oily. Probably want to take some soap and hot water to your hands after applying.

For all day I find the problem is early and late, ie when the sun is low. I dislike sunscreens but use Neutrogena beach defence mist spf50, the sunscreen I dislike the least.
For the hottest part of the day I like a wet hand towel around my neck. Then a fresh shirt for the afternoon.
Resist the temptation of ice cold drink and instead have water closer to body temperature.

Saltwater fly fishing clothing, has to protect from 100% exposure for hours at a time, but also all the reflected light off the water as you're wading, simms and patagonia are the best, very technical clothing, so not cheap.

It gets damned hot here in Florida in the summer. Easily nudging 100.....or more.

I use a wide brimmed hat, usually just a white T-shirt and shorts and a sweat rag. Good walking shoes....Skechers makes really good, affordable ones.

I don't know how you guys can wear long sleeves. That'd kill me.

My #1 preference is long sleeved (light colored) micro fiber shirts. They are extremely light weight and wick away any moisture. Wash and dry extremely fast. Most recent use was our 2016 tour of the Mighty Five in Utah. Shirts can be found in Amazon and other places.

I wear Nike Dri Fit polos when shooting outdoors. They're short sleeve shirts, but there are tons of loose fitting Dri Fit type long sleeve athletic shirts out there. Great for the gym, and equally good for shooting in the heat. I highly recommend them for staying cool, covering up, and wicking and masking sweat.

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I have found that the best "protection" against getting sunburned is a good tan. . Once I have a nice even tan, I can withstand full days in direct sun and not get burnt at all. .I actually like the way that it feels when the sun reaches out and touches my skin - that "sun-baked" feeling is pretty nice! . So, I haven't really found a need to for clothes that protect against sun and heat. . In fact, I'm usually looking for opportunities to take clothes off in hot weather, so that the sun can touch more of my surface area (except when fighting wildfires, of course, but that's another matter altogether).

What I do need protection from in the summertime are mosquitoes. . I despise any kind of ointments or lotions or anything of the sort on my skin, so I don't use bug repellant. . Plus, bug repellent smells wretched - I would rather have huge itchy welts all over me than to have to smell bug spray!

The way I protect against the ever-present mosquito is to simply cover up with multiple layers of long sleeved clothing. . And then a tee-shirt put on upside down over my head that drapes down and covers my neck area. Long johns under my cargo pants ensure that the skeeters don't "bite through". . They can bite through any sock, no matter how thick and heavy, so I wear knee-high rubber packs to protect the ankle area. . And of course I wear gloves on my hands.

Most of the places where the wildlife can be found in the summertime are completely mosquito-ridden, so all of this heavy clothing is a must. . But then these places are usually cooler than the surrounding areas, because they are at high elevation or in wooded swamps. . Out in the surrounding deserts and scablands it is very hot, but mosquitoes aren't a problem in those areas.

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Tom Reichner wrote in post #18380497
I have found that the best "protection" against getting sunburned is a good tan.

Bad idea!

https://www.cdc.gov …skin_not_health​y_skin.htm

http://health.usnews.c​om …/tan-skin-is-damaged-skin

Perfectly Frank wrote in post #18380512
Bad idea!

https://www.cdc.gov …skin_not_health​y_skin.htm

http://health.usnews.c​om …/tan-skin-is-damaged-skin

Nothing new there. . That's the same anti-sun message that I've been hearing my whole life. . Some of us have skin that isn't prone to skin cancer. . My whole family, going back generations, have had skin that holds up to a lot of sun exposure with no problems at all - no skin cancer in my family tree whatsoever. . I'm not going to base my decisions on what happens to other people with different skin genetics than my own.

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Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #18379857
the "sports" type of sun screen is usually the best to keep from being oily. Probably want to take some soap and hot water to your hands after applying.

Make it "definitely," not "probably," for the soap and water before touching a camera or anything related. Mild soap without moisturizers. Warm water is good enough and is less irritating than hot.

I live in southern California where the summer temps often go above 100. Here's what I wear to protect my skin.

Long sleeve T-shirt. Mine is plain cotton, but I'll check into the micro-fiber shirts as suggested by a member here.

Neutrogena Sport Face oil-free sunscreen lotion, SPF 70+
Like others, I'm not a big fan of using sunscreen lotion, but I've found this lotion to be the least objectionable.

https://www.bing.com …ex=1&mode=overl​ay&first=1

Wide brim lifeguard type hat. Offers lots of protection from the sun. I wear this during air shows when I'm standing
in the sun all day. If the wide brim gets in the way of shooting, just push the hat back a bit.

https://www.amazon.com …r&keywords=life​+guard+hat

OhLook wrote in post #18380533
Make it "definitely," not "probably," for the soap and water before touching a camera or anything related. Mild soap without moisturizers. Warm water is good enough and is less irritating than hot.

After applying sunscreen lotion I wipe the palms of my hands with a dry paper towel. That's good enough, and in 8 years of outdoor shooting
there has never been a problem handling camera gear.

I also keep a few of these on me in case I have to use the "John" and there is no place to wash my hands.

http://cdnimg2.webstau​rantstore.com …ra_large/53916/​897096.jpg

I'm also a big fan of cargo pants or cargo shorts.

OhLook wrote in post #18380533
Make it "definitely," not "probably," for the soap and water before touching a camera or anything related. Mild soap without moisturizers. Warm water is good enough and is less irritating than hot.

Alternatively, one could rub their hands in the grass and dirt and rinse them off in the nearest cool creek.




As for microfiber, I'd recommend giving a good run at linen too. I have owned all variety of natural and synthetic fibers and worn them in the backcountry while backpacking in all kinds of conditions. IMO microfiber does a great job of keeping you dry and comfortable ... if the fabric touches your skin. Linen is an ancient fabric, possibly the first if memory serves. It's strength allows for loose weaves and lots of airflow. It is also naturally cool to the touch, absorbs, and dries easily. Evaporation off the fabric adds that much more cooling. Cheap blends work okay, but the more natural linen the merrier. Plus, it won't add to the micro plastic problem that is harming our environment.

Check out various hiking apparel stores (REI, Sierra Online, etc.) and search for "UPF" clothing. Cotton is ~8 UPF, you can easily buy 30-50 UPF clothing that will be just as comfortable but far more protective. If you want really good sunscreen, check out Elta MD brand -- pricy, but may be worth it depending on your circumstances. YMMV.