Any list of walking equipment usually includes sun block, sun glasses and brimmed caps. Why? Because we find ourselves in the sunlight for protracted periods of time and therefore need to be concerned with the levels of sun radiation absorbed during our time out of doors. But. do we need to take a look a our clothing as well? Recently you may have begun noticing something called a UPF rating on your walking clothing. What is it and why should we concern ourselves?

Simply put, a UPF is a numeric rating system designed to provide you with an objective measurement of an item of clothing’s level of protection against the UV radiation from the sun. As you most likely know, extensive exposure to UV radiation from sun light can increase the rate of skin aging and can possibly lead to skin cancer. There are certain classification of people that are more susceptible to the damage, namely children and the fair skinned, sun sensitive of all ages. But it’s important that we all take some basic precautions to minimize the levels of UV radiation absorbed while walking. The usual forms of these protections include sun block and hats. But again what about the clothing we wear? This is were the UPF rating fits in.

UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. The rating you see on clothing typically runs from 15 to 50+. Think of it as being similar too but not exactly like the SPF rating used on sunscreen products. (The SPF rating is used to measure the ability of the sunscreen to block burn generating rays of the sun.) As a general rule the higher the UPF rating the more protection the clothing provides. A rating of 15-24 will provide a “Good” level of protection, a rating of 25-39 is classified as “Very Good” and 40-50+ is considered “Excellent” protection. A “Good” level will allow about 4% of the available UV radiation to get through to the skin while an “Excellent” rated piece of clothing will allow less than 2%. How does that compare with the typical white tee shirt? No definitive studies have been done, but a generally accepted guesstimate is that a cotton tee will allow about 20% of the UV radiation through to the skin.

What are the characteristics of UPF rated clothing: Typically they are treated with UV absorbing chemicals during the manufacturing process. Special UV absorbing dyes are used for coloring. Since natural fibers (cotton and wool) do a poor job of UV absorption, UPF rated clothing items are typically made of a synthetic fibers. Polyester and nylon are the number 1 and 2 rated. Finally, the cloth usually has a very tight weave.

So now the question is do I need to wear UPF rated walking clothing? Most likely not. But if you are fair skinned and sun burn easily, live in an area of high sun intensity and/or suffer from or have a family history of skin cancer you should consider an item’s UPF rating when shopping for your walking gear. Outdoor clothing for children also fall into a concern category since the CDC reports that just a few serious cases of sun burn or high UV absorption during childhood can greatly increase his or her chances of developing skin cancer later in life.

If you find yourself in one of these risk categories it would behoove you to look for walking clothing with some level of UPF protection. A good deal of the allure of walking is getting out into the fresh air and sun light but, like the use of sun block and proper head gear, UPF protected clothing is an “ounce of prevention” worth considering.

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