Welcome, welcome to another Ask An Outfitter post! Each month I explore certain hiking or trail-related questions and respond by stating the advice I would give customers I run into while working as an outfitter at an outdoor retail shop. If you have a topic that you would like to be covered, please do not hesitate to reach out in the comments or at calliehikes@substack.com. There is absolutely no such thing as a stupid question. Unless you ask me to help you find waterproof umbrellas, then I might look at you funny.
Since summer is right around the corner, today I figured we would dive into the complexity of the Ultraviolet Protection Factor or UPF for short. You may see this abbreviation on various outdoor clothing, particularly tech tees or moisture-wicking fishing shirts sold at BassPro. Some may know the basic information about UPF and how it protects your skin from the sun. In a nutshell, that’s exactly what it does. However, there’s a little more to know about it than that!
So, what’s the big deal with UPF? What does it mean and how does it work?
First, to understand UPF, you must know a little about ultraviolet radiation. UV rays are released from the sun and can do wonderful things like give us vitamin B and help boost our mood. However, these rays can also do scary things like create skin damage or cancer. Therefore, for fair-skinned folks like me with red hair and really anyone who has the tendency to burn easily, sun protection is essential to help prevent future health problems.
There are three types of UV radiation: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC isn’t something to worry too much about because the ozone layer fully absorbs these kinds of rays when the sun shines on Earth. However, UVA and UVB radiation both have the capabilities to pass through the ozone layer and reach the surface of the Earth. UVA is mostly linked to causing skin aging or premature wrinkles whereas UVB is commonly associated with skin burning. Both of these rays have the ability to damage the skin and cause cell mutations that can lead to the development of cancer.
A typical question I get about UPF is how it differs from SPF. UPF is used as a rating system to measure how good fabric is at protecting the skin when in use. SPF, on the other hand, is used to measure the effectiveness of sunscreens. Under this standard, UPF blocks both UVA and UVB rays from reaching the skin while the SPF rated sunscreen only provides protection from UVB rays unless it states otherwise.
I won’t dive too deep into the rating system for SPF, but generally, the number given to sunscreen is an indicator of how long a person can be in the sun while using the product before getting burned. The UPF rating system is very different. Any article of clothing advertising a UPF of 30 or above is considered very good protection by the Skin Cancer Foundation. 50+ UPF is the highest amount you will ever see printed on a sale tag and shields 98% of both UVA and UVB radiation exposure.
To sum everything up, UPF plays an extremely important role in the creation of hot-weather outdoor gear! The construction of UPF clothing can vary, but usually, fabric with densely woven fibers works the best. In the outdoor industry, both wool and synthetic fabrics are often used when crafting these garments because they not only aid in sun protection but can also be incredible at moisture-wicking and drying fast. Dark or bright colors also absorb rays and make for fun outfits on the trail. Depending on the brand, some clothes may even have chemicals added to the fabric to make absorbing UV rays even more effective.
Some of my go-to brands that offer these types of clothes come from Patagonia and North Face, but REI, Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, and other big outdoor name brands also have their fair share of sun protective clothing lines too. Patagonia’s Capilene Daily Cool line has been a fan favorite for years even though there was slight controversy around its design in 2021. Patagonia did a voluntary recall on the Capilene Daily Cool and Tropic Comfort lines because they discovered that these products did not offer the 50+ UPF it advertised.
They are clear to state though that these lines do still provide excellent protection from UV rays and fall somewhere between a range of 17-45 UPF. As of right now, they are not stating specific UPF numbers for these products on their website until they can bring the UPF back up to 50+. Despite all of this, the Capilene Daily Cool line is still incredible and I encourage everyone to go buy some after reading this post (no I am not sponsored).
I hope this answered all of you’re “burning” questions about UPF. For maximum coverage, I recommend applying sunscreen on your skin and still wearing long sleeve shirts or pants to be on the safe side. However, that just might be my gingerness talking.
Another Ask An Outfitter post will come out next month, so please get your questions to me beforehand. I hope everyone has an astronomical day!
See you out on the trail!