Headwear for Desert races such as the Marathon Des Sables
Headwear should protect your heat from the sun, and also shield your face and protect your neck and ears. We recommend a sun hat with a protective neck curtain. A dark surface on the underside of the visor prevents glare from the sun. Buffs are handy as they can take on all sorts of configurations to protect your head and neck. A combination of a sun hat and a buff provides great flexibility. If you soak your buff in the water at the checkpoints it will help keep you cool (great around the neck!) and when dry it wicks sweat away and also keeps you warm in the evening. A great piece of kit with multiple uses.
See a few examples below of suitable headwear and check out our full range of headwear here.
| Head Wear | Weight | Sizes | Unisex | ♀ | Fit for Large Head | Fit for Small Head | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| myRaceKit Sunhat | 64g | One Size | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | A very popular choice with SPF 50+. Good adjustment and suitable for many head sizes. Black underside of the peak for reduced glare. Detachable neck flap. |
| Raidlight Sahara Cap | 65g | One Size | ✔ | ✔ | ❓ | ✔ | Good fit for small heads. Detachable neck flap. |
| Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap | 79g (average) | S/M/L/XL | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Large detachable neck flap that can be pulled together in front of the face. SPF 50+ and several sizes make this suitable also for large heads. |
| Compressport Ultralight Visor | 62g | One Size | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | If you prefer to not cover your head a visor will still provide sun protection |
| X-Bionic Bandana | 41g | I / II | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Fennec heat-reflecting technology to match the rest of the Fennec range. |
| Buff Regular | 35g | One Size | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | The well known original Buff. We know it works. |
| Buff High UV | 37g | One Size | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | High UV Buff for extra piece of mind. |