Headed to do some warm water fishing this winter? Don’t forget to pack the sunscreen, and consider a NECK GATOR. According to JPT Captain Clay Ellis-Escobar, who spends a lot of hours on the water where they sun’s reflection can get super intense, a neck gator offers the perfect protection.

 

A neck gaiter is just what it sounds like - you wear it around your neck, and it covers a lot of skin so you don’t get sunburned. While you’re fishing, your neck is one of the most exposed parts of your body to the sun. And while they might look a little strange at first glance, a neck gaiter offers a comfortable way to protect your skin from serious sun damage.

Clay shared these thoughts:

 There are a lot of ways you can wear neck gaiters.

• a half mask - covers the entire back and front of your neck, but it also covers the bottom half of your face. It will go up to just about under your nose, so you can still see and breathe.

• a neckerchief - covers the entirety of the back of your neck, the front of your neck, and the bottom of your chin. 

• a hood - covers your entire neck and wraps around the top of your head, does not cover any part of the face.

• a do rag - covers your forehead and is tied around the top and back of your head.

• a balaclava - covers your entire neck, the bottom half of your face, and the top and back of your head.

• a sun guard - similar style as the balaclava, but you wear a hat with a visor to protect your face and make it easier to wear the gaiter. The hat will protect most of your face, with the buff tucked underneath the hat to keep it from falling down. 

 

 I find all of these forms very helpful ways to protect the skin on my neck and around my face. I mostly like to wear the styles of the neckerchief, the sun guard, and the half mask. 

 There are other reasons besides sun to wear neck gaiters, too. You can also wear them in cold weather and wind too, not just for sun protection. There are different materials for different weather - some even have UV protection. The material that they make it out of is also very light, so your skin can breathe through it, and it won’t steam up your sunglasses. (Which are important to wear to protect your eyes from sun damage!)

Till next time, see you outdoors!