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I have posted before about my sensitivity to the sun and the several skin cancers I have had. Three years ago I began to take sun protection seriously and bought a facial shield (often referred to as a buff). With the first shield I purchased, I was frustrated by frequent heavy fogging of my sunglasses caused by my exhalations moving up through the shield and onto the glasses. In 2014, I found a company that made a shield that had a mesh patch over the nose and mouth area. The mesh allowed exhalations to exit and not pass up through the shield. This reduced fogging noticeably. That company was called Breathes Like a Fish. I think they are now part of the Gillz company.
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I have used the vented shield on almost every trip for the past two years. I like the protection but find that it does not always stay in place and requires periodic readjustment.
Over the winter I received several Cabelas catalogs in the mail. Cabelas introduced new facial shields (they call them gaitors) and a full balaclava in their Guidewear series that also incorporate a mesh breathing section. I visited the Cabelas store in Delaware in late March. The product was so new that it was not yet stocked in the store. I purchased the balaclava online. I tried it several times at home and was pleased. This morning I wore it in the Florida heat and sun for 5 hours while kayak fishing for specs. The balaclava worked very well and kept nearly all of my face covered. It required no periodic adjustment. The light fabric was not uncomfortable. I was able to wear a regular ball cap over the balaclava rather than my other hat with a neck flap. With the steady breeze this morning, I had no issues with fogging. The mesh patch is a tighter weave than the one on my other facial shield. On a day without breeze, it is likely to have some potential for fogging.
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I can recommend the Cabelas balaclava as an effective sun protection screen. I believe that Cabelas offers lifetime warranties on their Guidewear products. (Disclosure: I have no financial interest in any of the mentioned products.)
P.S. - fishing was slow today on a grass flat near the mouth of Tampa Bay. I caught a 20.5" spec on topwater early in the morning, but only a few other small specs after that
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I have used the vented shield on almost every trip for the past two years. I like the protection but find that it does not always stay in place and requires periodic readjustment.
Over the winter I received several Cabelas catalogs in the mail. Cabelas introduced new facial shields (they call them gaitors) and a full balaclava in their Guidewear series that also incorporate a mesh breathing section. I visited the Cabelas store in Delaware in late March. The product was so new that it was not yet stocked in the store. I purchased the balaclava online. I tried it several times at home and was pleased. This morning I wore it in the Florida heat and sun for 5 hours while kayak fishing for specs. The balaclava worked very well and kept nearly all of my face covered. It required no periodic adjustment. The light fabric was not uncomfortable. I was able to wear a regular ball cap over the balaclava rather than my other hat with a neck flap. With the steady breeze this morning, I had no issues with fogging. The mesh patch is a tighter weave than the one on my other facial shield. On a day without breeze, it is likely to have some potential for fogging.
20160619_141237.jpg20160619_141312.jpg20160619_141101.jpg20160619_141953.jpg20160619_142009.jpg
I can recommend the Cabelas balaclava as an effective sun protection screen. I believe that Cabelas offers lifetime warranties on their Guidewear products. (Disclosure: I have no financial interest in any of the mentioned products.)
P.S. - fishing was slow today on a grass flat near the mouth of Tampa Bay. I caught a 20.5" spec on topwater early in the morning, but only a few other small specs after that
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