brooklyngirl813 said:
I'm walking the
Camino Frances from SJPP August to September and intend to wear lightweight , moisturewicking longsleeves ( capilene 1 shirts) with SPF 15 . Is it too hot? Should I opt to wear short sleeves? Love to hear your thoughts on this.
I think it's probably a personal preference. Most people seem to prefer the short sleeves and shorts, but I hate the sun and always wore long sleeves and long pants. And also a hat with a wide brim which I'd put over a handkerchief that would drape over the back of my neck to keep the sun off that. And I took some lightweight gloves, cut off the fingers and cut out the palm of the hands which I would wear to keep the sun off the back of my hands.
Pretty much the skin that ever touched direct sunlight was my face and my fingers. Due to those gloves with the fingers cut off, I actually had tan lines on my fingers!
I basically wore that outfit the entire distance--including through miserably hot weather (about 100 F or 40 C). I did the same thing hiking through the Mojave Desert during my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike. Only when I was in deep forest where little sunlight reached the ground would I walk without the long sleeved shirt.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5_WJbiXQlfM/UEeRB2k3KVI/AAAAAAAADbs/Nj1jN9yB_rA/s1600-h/Dscn9578b3.jpg: A self-portrait. The temperatures were probably about 90 F (30 C) when I took this photo.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GtaT7kM5SAQ/UEYpFk_FthI/AAAAAAAADWg/-ZGE0dcpvIQ/s1600-h/Dscn9410b3.jpg: This photo I show because you can see the handkerchief under my hat that keeps the sun off the back of my neck and the glove on one hand where I cut off the fingers. (The palm of it is also cut out, but I don't have any good photos of that.)
When I reached Muxia, I took off my little "glovelets" and ran my fingers through the sand on the beach. I'm including this photo because you can actually see the tan lines on my fingers. =) I didn't even realize it when I took the photo, but I love the tan lines. They still make me laugh. =)
Anyhow.... if you want to hike with a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt, by all means, it's certainly doable! The sun is evil. *nodding*
-- Ryan