I was born and brought up in Scotland, and have survived more than 30 years of our not-so-hot summers. Therefore I never really reckoned suncream was an essential item in my kits. (EDC, BoB etc)
Last Sunday was a first. After only an hour in the sun, you could have fried an egg on my neck and bacon on my arms.
I have never been even close to burning in July let alone on a spring day in May.
I hope you've all remembered to include a tube of factor x in your EDC's. It will save you a lot of pain and discomfort.

Your Comment has Brought to Mind my following Question; -How has the Occassional Rare European Heatwaves, -Been for you and Scotland / Your Fellow Scots?!

You also have the Added Benefit of High Elevations, -Toward Cooling, -Even at Times such as Those! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]joblot[/email]

Being of Balkan descent, born in Italy, and mild olive skinned, I find the best way to not burn is to allow a slow tan to occur. In my natural color, most people peg me as having Greek heritage. When I tan, most people see me more as Mexican or Latin heritage.

The neck is easy to protect with a large bandana attached to your hat or tied around your head so that it overhangs your neck. Loose shirts with a sleeves take care of the arms. Sunglasses for the eyes, and if you haven't had a chance to develop a gradual tan or are sun sensitive, the only thing you will have to put protectent on is your face.

Bountyhunter

BountyHunter
Good common sense advice. The trouble is, quality sunshine is so rare in these parts you want to go out and enjoy it.
As the song goes.. "only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun.."

Scott: As far as I know, apart last year, the last heatwave to effect Scotland was in 1976. It is of course all relative. Any temerature above 25c is considered hot here. At 25c its probably just begining to warm up in Florida.

Edit:
High Elevation" You mean I have to climb a mountain to cool off! <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I am 'blessed' with the pasty white celtic skintype. Sunscreen has always been de riguer. There is justice of a sorts however. The bronzed, football,hero god of the beach nemesis of my schooldays now looks like Freddie Krueger from skin cancer. <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

If he has Freddie Krueger's bank balance, he probably doesn't feel too bad.

The skin cancer thing has to have more to it than just a dark tan. The dry wrinkled look I can understand happening from too much tanning. However, if you look at George Hamilton, it would appear that sufficient basting of one's skin while getting tanned can offset even the dry wrinkled aspect.

Bountyhunter

Although I have heard of George Hamilton, I couldn't quite place his face. So a quick search of google turned up this:

http://tinyurl.com/265f7

I'll keep any slanderous thoughts to myself, but I'm sure BountyHunter's got roasting his thanksgiving turkey down to a fine art! <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Anything below 26c (80f) and a true Floridian is looking for a sweater. It is already past 32c (90f) down here now.

If you are going to be out for prolonged periods in the sun use water resistant sunscreen or reapply often.

As a fellow Scot, I find that I don't really burn since getting a 'scorching' in Nigeria some 20 years ago!! Just a little care now (such as putting long sleeves on when the tingles start) and common sense is needed.
As I head Connolly say once ; We Scots aren't white, we're actually blue - it takes us two weeks in Spain to turn white!!?!!

The picture shows an awfully smooth face when you consider how much this man exposes himself to the sun. The eye wrinkles are age that hasn't been made over by a plastic surgeon.

You have to give George credit for being the most ingenious legal draft dodger in the United States. He dated one of President Lyndon Johnson's daughters turning her into a sought after socialite from the wallflower she used to be. He evaded the draft by proving his mother could not live "in the style she had become accustomed to" if he were forced to serve in the Military and actually prevailed.

Bountyhunter