On our first trips on the Green River through Desolation Canyon—which is a notoriously hot trip in the summer—we slathered ourselves with sunscreen throughout the day for UV protection, timing the re-application after each dip in the water. (No sense in wasting expensive sunscreen.) But through the course of the river trip, we all started to dread “screening up,” and the resulting caky mixture of sunscreen and sand that lodged in our pores.

Rowing raft in Grand Canyon
Rowing Grand Canyon on a blazing hot day in full sun-protection clothing
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Soon enough, we figured out that wearing UV-protection clothing on river trips was a much more effective—and pleasant—way to keep sunburn at bay. It saves roughly a zillion dollars in sunscreen, reduces that nasty sunscreen-plus-sand grime on your skin, and cuts down on struggles with sunscreen-resistant children. Here I share my tips—gathered over hot, multi-day trips in the western U.S. in Grand Canyon, Desolation Canyon, the Lower Salmon, and many others—for choosing the best UV-protection clothes, including hats, shirts, pants, gloves, and shoes. (This post includes some affiliate links.)

Scouting Killer Fang rapid in Grand Canyon
Scouting Killer Fang rapid in Grand Canyon on a 100-degree day—in long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats, and long pants for sun protection

Table of Contents

Clothing is better than sunscreen for sun protection

All clothing provides some protection, but the higher the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating, the better the protection. Clothing must have a rating of at least UPF 30 to qualify for the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation. The UPF factor indicates how well the fabric blocks UV radiation. A rating of 50 means that the fabric blocks 98 percent of the sun’s rays, allowing 2 percent (1/50th) to penetrate. 

Some factors to keep in mind when shopping for sun-protection clothing, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation:

  • Dark or bright clothing is better than light clothing at providing sun protection because it absorbs rays rather than allowing penetration.
  • Densely woven fabrics shield better than loose weaves. Most UV-protection clothing for outdoor activities is made of synthetic fabrics that are both dense and light. (Denim, while also dense, doesn’t work well on the river.)
  • Shiny polyester fabrics reflect light, so they offer more protection than, for example, unbleached cotton. (A plain white T-shirt has a UPF of only 7, and 3 when it’s wet.)
  • Loosely fitting clothing works better than tight, which can stretch and create micro-gaps for sun to pass through.
  • More coverage equals more protection. The sunnier and hotter your river trip, the more skin you should cover with lightweight, high-UPF clothing.

The options for sun-protection rafting and paddling clothing have exploded in the last decade. Here’s a roundup of different types of sun-protection gear that have worked well for us on river trips. 

Sun hats

Starting at the top, sun hats for river trips can be a conundrum. Any hat is vulnerable to flying off in the wind if it isn’t affixed to your head in some manner. Wide-brimmed hats are more unwieldy and not practical with helmets. Ball caps (which can be anchored down with hat keepers or a hood) don’t provide as much protection.

Here’s what I look for in hats to wear with helmets:

  • Minimal hardware. Skip hats that have a hard button on top, a big metal buckle on the back for the size-adjustment strap, or any other hard edges because your helmet will constantly apply pressure on those points, making you crazy. Look for a soft hat with a pliable adjustment mechanism (like a Velcro strap). 
  • Long brim. Some of my favorite boating hats have been running caps that have longer-than-average brims (2.75 to 3 inches is great), which is helpful to block the sun late in the day when you’re trying to see down the course of a rapid. 
  • Light weight. On a super hot day, the lighter your hat, the better. Hats with plenty of mesh for ventilation win extra points.

Hats to wear with helmets

Here are some hats that work well under helmets (all are rated UPF 50):

Hats with capes

If you don’t need to wear a helmet, but prefer a ball cap style, check out the rapidly expanding array of ball caps with “capes,” which are typically removable and shield your neck as well. I like the ones that have a way to secure the cape in front so it stays put rather than whipping around in the wind. Some good choices:

Wide-brimmed sun hats

This type of hat does an ace job of keeping sun off your face—if you can keep it on your head. Although it’s tempting to grab a stylish straw hat, look for one that will work well on river trips, meaning that it is:

  • Water-resistant
  • Lightweight
  • High UPF rating
  • Drawcord for cinching under your chin
  • Adjustable band (bonus points)

Here are a few that fit the bill:

Sun shirts

Sun shirts are essential on river trips. I usually bring at least one shirt for every 2 days on the river. Although I have several button-down, collared shirts—which were the most ubiquitous style when UPF shirts first debuted—what I look for in a sun shirt for river trips now is:

  • Light weight. Putting on a long-sleeved shirt when it’s 100 degrees is not intuitive, so it helps if the shirt is thin and light.
  • Hood. A hood shields the back of your neck from rays, keeps your ball cap on your head in a stiff wind, and protects the sides of your face as well. 
  • Thumbholes. Thumbholes help cover the gap on your wrist between the end of your sleeve and your hands, offering more sun protection. 
  • Length. Make sure your shirt is long enough that you won’t have a gap of exposed skin at your back above your waistband. 

These sun-protection shirts check all those boxes:

Scouting Lava rapid in Grand Canyon
Scouting Lava in an array of sun-protection gear, including wide-brimmed hats, hooded sunshirts, UV-protection paddling gloves, and long-brimmed ball caps. Bonus points for long pants.

Sun pants for river trips

If you’re not paddling a hard kayak, you’ll also want some sun pants for hot summer trips as your legs can get fried if you’re wearing shorts in a raft or inflatable kayak. 

Here are my hard-won tips for choosing sun pants for paddling:

  • Skip the capri-length pants and go for full-length pants so you’re not constantly applying sunscreen to your lower shins.
  • As with choosing sun shirts, look for lightweight, dense fabrics.
  • Pockets are handy, but better on your lower leg—any gear in a back pocket will make paddling or rowing uncomfortable.
  • Pants that taper to the ankles are best so you’re not catching extra fabric on rocks or cacti on hikes.

Some good choices for river trip sun pants:

Water shoes for river trips

Chaco tans are kinda cool, but over time I’ve decided I’d rather keep the sun off my feet. Both my hands and feet are prone to heat rash, so after I tried my first pair of Astral boating shoes, I never looked back. Here are some of the high points of closed-toed boating shoes:

  • They have mesh uppers, so they provide some ventilation.
  • They cover your feet, which are notoriously resistant to sunscreen since they’re often in the water.
  • They are grippy on wet rocks and work fine for most hiking situations. 

If you’re in a hard kayak, of course your feet will be protected from sun so you should go for soft, pliable booties. But in a raft or IK, I highly recommend Astral shoes: 

Astral Brewess water shoes
Chacos and neoprene booties have their place, but my favorite all-around boating shoes—for sun protection as well as grippy soles—are the Astral Brewess

Paddling gloves

Although I used to want my hands to have direct contact with my paddle, I’m now a fan of wearing paddling gloves, both to protect my hands from the sun and because I think they improve my grip. Although full-fingered gloves are easy to find, I prefer fingerless gloves for better dexterity.

NRS Boater’s gloves are excellent, offer UPF 50 protection, and are relatively inexpensive—I’ve never felt compelled to try any others. Beware of paddling gloves that don’t have UPF protection: Many styles simply provide protection from blisters but not UV rays.

Paddling gloves I recommend:

NRS Boater's Gloves
NRS Boater’s Gloves are light, fingerless for dexterity, and UPF 50

Save your skin, wear sun-protection clothes on the river

These gear recommendations represent the best stuff out there, so the price can be steep. Budget tip: Check out the current stock of sun protection clothing at Geartrade, an online purveyor of consignment gear. You might get lucky and find the perfect thing in your size. Here are a few Geartrade search results for various types of sun-protection clothing (also check your local used outdoor gear store or thrift shops—you never know):

Wearing full-on sun-protection clothing on a hot desert river trip is a game-changer. Not only will you save money on sunscreen (but bring plenty for your face and any other skin you can’t cover up), your skin will be happier without that plasticky sludge.

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