Sol Altitude Sunguard

If you’re hiking high, you better save your skin. That’s because UV intensity increases 6 percent for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain, and on alpine trips shade can be rare. Sol’s pharmaceutical grade (not cosmetic) mineral oxide compounds block the elements with a physical barrier that doesn’t absorb into the skin, but does prevent moisture loss that leads to frostbite in the cold. When BACKPACKER staff spent four days on a glacier in British Columbia at 8,000 feet, we tried several sunscreens. Some faces blistered and peeled, but one editor who used Sol’s SPF 40 Altitude Sunguard barely got a goggle tan. The best part? Absolutely no eye sting. $15; 3.4 oz.