BackpackGearTest.org Review - /reviews/Health & Safety/Sunscreens/Smartshield Sunblock Products/Greg Mehojah/Field Report

Field Testing Locations & Conditions:

Backpacking:

San Pedro Parks Wilderness:

I spent two weekends (three nights total) in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness near Cuba, New Mexico. This area is within the Santa Fe National Forest system at an elevation of 10,200 ft (3,109 m). The three trips included one with my wife and her friend, a trip with my son, and a trip with some of the New Mexico hikers I met on the Backpacker Magazine website. Each of these trips consisted of between 5 and 7 mile (8-11 km) hikes into the wilderness with varying weather conditions ranging from sunny and warm, to wet and cold. Generally the temperatures ranged from between 65 F and 85 F (18 to 29 C) during the day, and 20 F to 45 F (-6 to 7 C) in the evenings. The Smartshield sunblock products accompanied me on each of these trips, and were applied either prior to leaving the trail head, on the trail, or at camp.

Latir Peaks Wilderness:

The Latir Peaks Wilderness is a small wilderness area 15 miles from the border of Colorado in northern New Mexico. The Wilderness is a high-altitude 4.5 mile (7.2 km) hike from the trail head through ponderosa pine and aspen forest to Heart Lake which resides at an elevation of 11,500 ft (3,505 m). We made camp at the edge of Heart Lake, and then hiked the next day to the Latir Peaks complex that includes various peaks connected to a large mesa (Latir Mesa). The elevations range from 9,000 feet (2,743 m) at the trailhead to 12,700 feet (3,871 m) at the tallest peak (Latir Peak). The temperatures during the day ranged from 35 F to 65 F, (1.6 to 18 C) and 15 F to 30 F (-9 to -1 C) in the evenings. The weather included sunny days, rain, clouds, and even a light snow shower. My son and I spent two nights in the wilderness on this particular trip.

Hiking:

Sandia Mountains and surrounding foothills:

The Sandia Mountains, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I reside, provide hikes ranging from easy going to extremely strenuous. The elevation gains can be brutal but the trails are generally well maintained. The trails are made up of loose sand, pebbles, gravel, rocks, and in the higher, forested elevations, packed dirt/mud depending on whether the has been any rain. The elevations range from 7,000 ft to 10,000 ft (2,133 m to 3,048 m) above sea level. Temperatures at the base of the foothills range anywhere from 35 F (1.6 C) in the early mornings to 95 F (35 C) in the afternoons, depending on the time of year. The ridgeline trails average 35 F to 75 F (1.6 C to 23.8 C) during the test period. Many, if not all, of the hiking trails involve exposed terrain that provides a lot of sunny hiking. During the test period I spent many days hiking the trails in the Sandias including hikes with my family on easier foothills trails to play in the streams that have been flowing due to the unusually wet season we have experienced this year.

Santa Fe Baldy Peak:

Santa Fe Baldy Peak is located within the Santa Fe National Forest system and is accessible primarily from the Santa Fe area Ski Basin parking lot. The starting elevation at the trailhead is 10,000 ft (3,048 m) and climbs to 12,622 ft (3,847 m) at the peak of Santa Fe Baldy. The hike is 14 miles (22 km) one way and involves a mixture of protected forest hiking and exposed scrambling above tree line. The temperature ranged from 40 F (4.4 C) at the trail head to 65 F (18 C) through most of the hike, but dropped to about 35 F (1.6 C) at the peak.

Mesa Verde National Park.

For my son's eleventh birthday we took him and my two year old daughter to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado for a long weekend trip. I have always wanted to go there and see the spectacular cliff dwelling ruins, and my son loves being outside regardless of what we do. Mesa Verde resides at an elevation of 6,800 to 7,200 ft (2,072 to 2,194 m), and was between 55 F and 90 F (13 to 32 C) during our trip. The sun shone through cloudless skies the entire weekend and it was HOT. We spent the weekend crawling around the cliff dwellings which often faced directly into the sun magnifying the reflective heat, and taking walking tours of some of the other pit house ruins hikes along the top of the mesas as well. We took along the Smartshield sunscreen with us for this trip and we were glad to have it.

General Purpose Activities:

I bike commute regularly along the Rio Grande 20 miles (32 km)round trip to work at least three days per week. The entire route is exposed to the sun for the length of my commute. The temperatures ranged from 45 F (7 C) in the mornings to 90 F (32 C) during the afternoon return trips. I also actively mountain bike at least three days per week The trails range in elevation from 6,680 ft. to 7,368 ft (2,036 to 2,245 m). The temperatures averaged between 65 F and 95 F (18 to 35 C) during the daylight hours and a bit cooler when the sun set. My rides span between 8 and 20 miles (12 to 32 km) and take between 1 and 3 hours to complete. I generally sweat a great deal both during bike commuting and mountain biking, which gave me an opportunity to test the sweat/waterproofness of the Smartshield products.

Additionally, because of the elevation around Albuquerque generally, if I am going to spend any amount of time outdoors, I always wear sunscreen. This includes doing yard work, walking my children to the local park, walking the dogs, and attending/umpiring my son's many MANY little league baseball games. Because I am fair skinned, I get burned quite easily, especially at our altitude and given that the skies are nearly cloudless every day. Additionally, New Mexico has a very arid climate, which causes me to frequently have dry lips, and I use lip balm nearly the entire year to prevent chapped or cracked lips. I used the Smartshield sunblock products detailed in this test as my exclusive protection from the sun during some of the hottest days of the year in New Mexico, and at frequently high elevations.

Sunscreen Towelette w/insect repellent (SPF30) I used every one of these towelettes during the test phase, primarily because they were so easy to use. Simply tear open the individual packet, wipe the towelette on the skin and toss it back into my pack or my car. The towelette did have a distinctive alcohol odor when first applied, but I believe that is simply the delivery mechanism. The product dried very quickly when applied and did not have any type of lingering odor. The amount of product on the towelette was more than sufficient for my use, and on a number of occasions, I applied sunscreen to my arms, legs, and neck and then had enough left over to wipe my two kids down. The product did not feel greasy or sticky at all. I really like this method of application. I did not notice that the product provides all that much insect repellent, however, as bugs (black flies and gnats mostly) still swarmed around me, landed on my skin where I applied the product, and generally hassled me as though I was not wearing insect repellent.
Sunscreen Lotion (SPF 30) The foil packet of Sunscreen lotion provided more than enough of the sunscreen product to cover my arms, legs, face, and neck with a bit leftover. I found the lotion to absorb very quickly, leaving behind no sticky or greasy residue. There was a faint odor from the lotion, but nothing that I could smell unless I put a dollop of the lotion right up to my nose. Once applied, I could not detect any noticeable chemical or other type of smell. I found that I could apply this product right before engaging in an outdoor activity, as opposed to the thirty minute period suggested by the manufacturer. The lotion did not appear to change consistency when warm or cold, and remained generally constant over time. I found the packages much nicer to carry when hiking or backpacking because I only carried what I needed, and not an entire bottle full of sunscreen. I only had a bit of a guilty conscience knowing that I generated trash when using the foil packets instead of a bottle-type application. I never found the packets to be difficult to open, nor did they appear to be affected by 3,000+ ft (914 m) elevation changes.
After Sun Pain Relief Gel I only had one opportunity to use the After Sun Pain Relief Gel. While I applied sunscreen to my legs and arms, I fogot to apply any to my face, ears and neck, which resulted in a pretty painful sunburn. It did, however, give me a chance to test the pain relief properties of this product. It's consistency is a bit more liquid than the sunscreen lotion. It has a slight aloe smell that I found to be pleasant. Applying the gel is a simple matter of smearing the product onto the injured area of skin until mostly absorbed. I found the gel to immediately cool my skin and provide pain relief from the sunburn. There was enough gel in the packet that I was able to obtain three full applications to my face, neck and ears. I had to lean the open packet up against something to keep it from spilling. It might be better for the user if there was less of the gel in the packet because there is no easy way to re-seal the packet if all the product is not used. I tried rolling the top down but it popped right back up. To maintain the level of pain relief I desired, I had to reapply the product every 20 or 30 minutes. Overall, I really liked this product, despite the fact that there might be too much gel in each application.
Spray Bottle - Sunscreen w/ Insect Repellent (SPF 30) I really wanted to like this product, and when I did apply it, I never received a sun burn. However, it had a somewhat stronger cedar smell than I liked and it left a bit of a greasy residue on my skin. The most frustrating aspect of the product, however, is the constant problems I experienced with the pump-spray applicator. It worked infrequently and when it did, I labored to get one good spray in every 4 or 5 attempts. On a couple of occasions I sprayed the sunscreen onto my face with my eyes closed, which worked fine. I preferred using the other product provided that was specifically designed for faces, however. The idea of spray application is a fantastic one, and the product generally appeared to work as advertised with regard to sunscreen properties (though I had similar lack of success with the insect repellent as I did with the towelettes), but the execution of the applicator was a bit dissapointing. I could live with the slight greasy residue if the application process was less frustrating. I never experienced a problem with the bottle leaking, nor did the lid pop off on its own after being knocked around in my various packs for extended periods of time.
Squirt Bottle - Sunscreen Lotion (SPF 30) The bottle of sunscreen provided for this test spent nearly all its time in the back of my truck for use at the trailheads when either hiking or mountain biking. I wanted to use this product primarily to determine how well it resisted wearing off as a result of water in the form of precipitation or the many water crossings on the trail, or as a result of sweat carrying the product away while exercising. As with the foil lotion packs, I found the product easy to apply, non-greasy, and without a really noticeable odor. I applied this product mostly to my arms, legs, and neck. I never received a sunburn while using this product even while fully submerging parts of my body to cool off in streams, or as a result of sweat while hiking and mountain biking. There is enough sunscreen in the bottle to provide a lot of applications. I still have a bit left over that I hope to use for the remainder of the season. The lotion appeared to absorb well into my skin and while I was generally out for many hours, one application was sufficient to keep me from getting sunburned. I think, though I am not sure, that the product in this bottle is the same as that in the foil packs discussed above.
Sunscreen Solid Stick (Eyes, Nose, Lips) - SPF 30 I have to admit, while I put this product to use, I did not reach for it as my first option for sun protection. This is primarily a result of my own preference, and because applying sunscreen from this product was a bit clumsy. I found that while I could easily rub the product onto my skin using just the stick applicator, I had to rub it in to get it to fully absorb. I never did feel like it absorbed as well as the liquid lotion or sunscreen from the squirt bottle. I never received a sunburn after applying this product, but my primary concern was that I might not evenly apply the product and get burned where I missed some areas of my skin. While this was not a problem, it was always in the back of my mind. I found the applicator iteself to be quite simple to operate and it never failed. It did not appear to migrate into my eyes when I sweat, nor did I experience any irritation from using it on my eyelids, nose, lips, or face, even after shaving. I did find that it was easier to apply when warm, as opposed to cold, which is as I expected..
Sunscreen for Faces - Non-Migrating (SPF 30) This product also spent a great deal of time in the back of my truck along with the SPF 30 lotion. I really wanted to put this product to the test when actively engaging in strenuous activities. When I mountain bike, I generally sweat a great deal due to the strain from the activity, and because most of the trails I ride are fully exposed to the sun. My face particularly sweats a lot. I used this product before each mountain bike ride, with times of application ranging from right before I hopped on my bike, to 45 minutes prior. I did not find that the product made my eyes burn at all, nor did the product ever wear away causing sunburn. I would generally ride from one to three hours when wearing this product. Application was simple, odor free, and non-greasy. I felt like the sunscreen always fully absorbed into my skin, leaving no residue behind. I really liked this product, and despite using it three or four times per week, have about a third of the sunscreen left over in the bottle. I also liked the flip top lid as an applicator because it had a positive mechanism that stayed either fully open or securely closed and could be operated with only one hand. It also provided just the right size openning to allow enough sunscreen to be squeezed out without having it all pour out in one fell swoop.
Lip Balm I fully used both tubes of lip balm provided for this test. I always carried one in my pocket whether I was hiking, backpacking, working, or conducting errands around town. Because it is generally so dry here in New Mexico, I always have lip balm in some form on hand. I found the lip balm to be very pleasant to use, with a nice consistency, no taste, and little to no noticeable scent. My lips were never sunburned while wearing the lip balm. I also found the applicator easy to use with a nice solid dial at the bottom and securely locking top lid. I did not find the product to get any more or less soft than other comparable lip balms after being carried around in my warm pockets all day. As I expected, it is easier to apply when warm than cold, and when the lip balm was too cold to apply, I would simply warm it in my hands or pocket. Additionally, I found the lip balm to always keep my lips from becoming too dry or cracking.

Summary and Conclusions:

I only suffered one sunburn during this test, and that was because I forgot to apply sunscreen before umpiring my son's baseball game. Generally, I really like the sunscreen products for protection from sunburn. I found them all to provide complete protection from sunburn while used for the detailed activities. Specifically, I liked the towelettes for their ease of application, the foil lotion packets for their convenience, the lip balm because it had no odor or taste, and the liquid faces sunscreen product because it did not cause my eyes to burn from sweat transportation. While I did not find that the insect repellent provided me much of a benefit, I think it is a great idea to combine both into one product. Additionally, I found the pain relief gel to provide the advertised pain relief from sunburn, and enjoyed using it despite the fact that there may be more than one application in each foil packet. While I did not particularly care for the solid stick sunscreen product, that is mostly due to my preferences and fears of not sufficiently covering my skin. Similarly, I did like the spray sunscreen, even though the applicator bottle appeared to be defective. I never experienced a rupture of any of the foil packets despite some fairly rough treatment in my packs, nor did any of the bottles unexpectedly open on their own. I was pretty careful during the test not to get any of the products on my clothing so I cannot speak to what the products do when applied to clothing. Overall, I am really happy with all the SmartShield products.

Reviews > Health & Safety > Sunscreens > Smartshield Sunblock Products > Greg Mehojah > Field Report

Reviews > Health & Safety > Sunscreens > Smartshield Sunblock Products > Greg Mehojah > Field Report