Sun Protection for Hiking: What We Wear and Pack Year-Round
Sun Protection for Hiking Starts With the Trail
We’ve been caught out on hot walks where we knew we were getting cooked, and cold ones where sunscreen barely crossed our minds. It’s easy to forget about the sun when you’re pulling on another layer.
Sun protection for hiking means combining UV-protective clothing, broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30+ sunscreen, a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses, plus taking shade when you can. Look for a tested UPF rating when choosing clothing specifically for sun protection, and keep sunscreen handy for reapplying.
We plan around the route and the UV forecast: how long we’ll be outside, where the shade runs out and whether there’s snow higher up or a long beach section. That tells us more about the coverage we’ll need than a cool morning at the car park.
Check the UV for the Whole Walk
We check the UV forecast for the hours we expect to be out. An early start might get the climb done in cooler air, but there could still be two hours of exposed track between the summit and the car.
Sun protection is needed when the UV Index reaches 3. Long days outside and time in the mountains, on the water or around snow need attention even when the forecast UV is lower. Cloud and cool air don’t reliably tell you how strong it is. SunSmart’s UV guidance explains those differences.
Use Sunscreen You Don’t Hate Reapplying
Start with broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30 or higher. Apply it generously before heading outside, following the label’s directions, and get the easy-to-miss places: ears, the back of your neck, hands and exposed scalp. Use an SPF lip balm for your lips too. The sunscreen application guidance has more on timing and coverage.
How it feels matters. We’ve used sunscreen that seemed fine getting ready, then ran into our eyes on the first climb. Other formulas left us greasy enough that we really weren’t looking forward to putting more on.
If yours is a pain once you start sweating, our best sunscreen for hiking guide compares the ones we’ve used while hiking, travelling and spending days around the water.
Reapply at least every two hours outdoors, and sooner after swimming, heavy sweating or towel drying, following the product’s directions. Even water-resistant sunscreen needs another round, as the reapplication guidance explains.
We find it easier to remember when the bottle’s handy and we’re already stopping for water. If you tend to keep walking, a phone reminder helps. Keeping sunscreen underneath lunch and a rain jacket certainly hasn’t helped us use it.
Sweat, swimming and rubbing can mean that next application needs to happen sooner. We’ve gone into those situations in our sunscreen reapplication guide.
Choose Coverage You’re Comfortable Walking In
A light long sleeve can feel good on a dry, exposed trail. In humid bush with no breeze, we’ve spent plenty of time pushing sleeves up and wishing we’d worn something else.
We generally prefer short sleeves for warm, shaded walks and consider loose, lightweight long sleeves when we’ll be in the open for hours. Fabric and fit make a difference. A clingy shirt that stays wet can bother you far more than the sleeve length.
If you’re deciding between them, there’s more to choosing long sleeves or short sleeves for hiking than the weather. Bugs and overgrown sections can make us glad of sleeves we wouldn’t otherwise have worn.
When a layer comes off, remember the skin underneath it. Your arms might have been covered when you put sunscreen on that morning.
A Cap Leaves Your Ears and Neck Out
We wear caps plenty because they’re comfortable and easy to chuck on. They still leave our ears and much of our neck exposed, so those areas need sunscreen. A broad-brimmed hat or suitable neck coverage gives you more protection on a long day in open sun.
For sunglasses, look for 99–100% UVA and UVB protection or UV400. Dark lenses alone don’t guarantee UV protection, and polarisation is about reducing glare. A close-fitting or wraparound style also helps limit light coming in from the sides. The FDA’s sunglasses guidance explains what to look for on the label.
After that, we want them to stay put. Constantly nudging glasses up a sweaty nose gets old well before the walk’s over.
Summer and Winter Need Different Attention
In summer, we’re often balancing coverage with staying comfortable on the climb. An earlier start can help with heat and stronger midday UV, and we’ll take a shady spot for a break when there’s one available. If the heat’s becoming hard work, we’ll slow down or reconsider how far we’re going.
Winter usually means more skin is covered, but your face, lips and eyes can still be exposed for hours. UV increases with altitude, and snow reflects it back towards you. That makes suitable eye protection and coverage around your face especially important, even when you’re bundled up. SunSmart’s mountain and snow guidance explains why.
An alpine walk can change a lot between leaving the car and coming back. You might start in the dark wearing several layers, then descend in a T-shirt with nowhere to get out of the sun. If that’s the sort of day you’re planning, our sunscreen at altitude guide goes into what changes higher up.
Breezy coastal walks deserve attention too. It can feel comfortable enough that you barely notice how long you’ve been outside, especially with a few stops along the beach.
Start With What’s Already in the Cupboard
Most of our team wears the same shirts for everyday life and plenty of our walks. If something’s comfortable and suits the conditions, we keep wearing it.
A few longer outings usually make it clear what could work better. Maybe your shirt stays damp for hours or feels heavy once you’re sweating. That gives you a useful starting point when you’re looking for another one.
If slow drying is what’s bothering you, the quick-dry options in our Hiking Shirts & Trail Tees are worth a look. There are cotton tees for easier dry walks too, including the sort you’ll keep wearing once you’re home. Pick around the walks you actually do and what you like wearing.
Before You Head Out
Check the UV for the hours you’ll be walking and look over the full route, including the return. Bring enough sunscreen to reapply, keep it easy to reach and choose clothing, a hat and sunglasses that suit the exposure.
As you shed layers or leave the trees, check what’s now uncovered. It’s easier to sort while you’re already stopped than to remember an hour farther along the track.
Final Take
We’ve found sun protection easier to keep up with when our clothes are comfortable, the sunscreen’s handy and we’ve thought beyond the first cold hour.
A little preparation and a few stops to reapply leave us with one less thing to worry about while we’re out.
Sun Protection for Hiking FAQ
What sun protection do you need for hiking?
For an exposed hike, we’d start with broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30 or higher, sunglasses with proper UV protection, useful head coverage and clothing that makes sense for the heat and exposure.
You don’t need every bit of specialist sun gear you can buy. You need enough protection for the trail you’re actually walking.
What SPF should hikers use?
SPF 30 or higher is a good baseline.
For long exposed days, we often prefer SPF 50, particularly because we spend a lot of time in strong UV and most of us have fairly sensitive skin.
Using enough sunscreen and reapplying it properly still matters more than simply buying the biggest SPF number you can find.
Does SPF 50 last longer than SPF 30?
No. SPF tells you about the level of protection when the sunscreen is used correctly. It doesn’t mean SPF 50 can sit on sweaty skin longer than SPF 30 without needing attention.
Follow the reapplication instructions on the product you’re using.
How often should you reapply sunscreen while hiking?
Around every two hours is a common baseline, then sooner after heavy sweating, swimming, towel drying or anything that has clearly rubbed sunscreen away.
Should hiking sunscreen be water resistant?
We’d choose water-resistant sunscreen. Even if you’re nowhere near a swimming hole, hiking usually involves enough sweat to make it worthwhile.
Should you put sunscreen on before hiking?
Yes. It’s much easier to get proper coverage before you’re sweaty, dusty and halfway through the first climb.
Is UPF clothing better than sunscreen?
For the skin it covers, tested UPF clothing is convenient because it doesn’t need to be reapplied. You’ll still need to protect whatever the clothing leaves exposed.
Does every long-sleeve shirt protect you from the sun?
Clothing gives you a physical barrier, but not every long sleeve has a tested UPF rating.
If you want a known level of UV protection, look for clothing with an actual UPF rating rather than assuming every long sleeve performs the same way.
Should you wear long sleeves hiking in summer?
Sometimes. They can be brilliant on dry, exposed trails and horrible in hot, humid bush.
We’d let the trail decide rather than the season.
Can you get sunburned on a cloudy hike?
Yes. Cloud can reduce UV without removing it, so we’d check the UV Index rather than deciding from how grey the sky looks.
Can you get sunburned when it’s cold?
Yes. Air temperature and UV aren’t the same thing, which is one of the reasons mountain days can be so easy to underestimate.
Do you need sunscreen in winter?
Not necessarily on skin that’s completely covered.
Exposed areas can still need protection though, particularly during long days outside, at altitude or around snow.
Does snow make sun exposure worse?
Snow reflects UV, so some of the exposure can come back towards your face and eyes from below.
That’s why sunscreen, lip protection and proper sunglasses matter more than people sometimes expect on bright snow days.
Why does altitude matter for sun protection?
UV generally gets stronger as elevation increases, and higher trails often lose the trees and shade you had lower down.
Put those together and an alpine route can become a much more exposed day than the cold temperature suggests.
Do you need special sunscreen at altitude?
No. A good broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen still works.
The bigger issue is using enough of it, covering exposed skin and remembering to reapply as the day changes.
Do hiking sunglasses need to be polarised?
No. Polarisation can make glare much easier to deal with, especially around water and snow.
Proper UV protection is the part we care about first.
Is a baseball cap enough for hiking?
It can be part of the setup.
A cap shades some of your face and scalp but leaves your ears and most of your neck exposed, so those areas still need protection.
What spots are easiest to miss with sunscreen?
Ears, the back of the neck, hairline or exposed scalp, hands, lips and exposed feet are common ones.
We also check for any new bare skin after taking layers off.
What UV Index means you need sun protection?
A UV Index of 3 or above is the commonly used point where sun protection is recommended.
For hiking, the UV Index tells us much more about sun exposure than the air temperature does.
Is UV stronger in New Zealand and Australia?
Both New Zealand and Australia can experience very high to extreme UV, particularly in the warmer months.
That’s made checking the UV Index pretty automatic for us in New Zealand, but the same habit is useful wherever you hike.
Do you need special hiking sun gear?
Usually not.
Start with what you already own and let your actual hiking show you what’s missing. Specialist UPF clothing and other dedicated sun gear start making more sense once the kind of hiking you do gives you a reason to need them.
What’s the easiest sun-protection setup for hiking?
Check the UV, wear enough coverage for the trail without making yourself miserable, use SPF 30+ properly on exposed skin and protect your eyes.
Keep the sunscreen somewhere you’ll actually use it again, then go hiking.