A piece of gear so omnipresent that I didn’t even list it in the first several iterations of my pack list because it’d be akin to writing out wallet or water.
The classic style Buff is arguably the most versatile piece of gear that I own. I generally wear it around my neck to keep the sun off, but it works well as a headband, face mask, hood, towel, and handkerchief. If you search for uses for a Buff you’ll find plenty more.
Once around your neck you’ll barely notice the Buff there. I throw one on in the morning before I leave the house and then I don’t worry about the sun (although inside the office I don’t have too many UV related worries).
I am a very fair skinned redhead and need to stay as covered as possible while outdoors in order to minimize sunburns. I have become quite good at staying covered while remaining cool in hot temperatures but it is a lifelong struggle. Buffs make my life so much easier because I can pull it up or down as needed in order to block the sun. If I forgot sunscreen I can simply pull the Buff up to cover as much of my face as is exposed. This reduces the need for sunscreen which makes my life much easier, keeps my face and skin cleaner, and reduces the amount of chemicals I’m applying directly to my skin. Reducing the amount of sunscreen used is also helpful when traveling overseas where good sunscreen is not easy to find and is often extremely expensive. I made it through three months as a beach bum in Southeast Asia with less than 15oz of sunscreen (the 5 3oz bottles that I brought from home) and only one bad sunburn caused by falling asleep on a boat in the middle of the day, a serious rookie mistake.
When riding in windy or cold conditions I pull the Buff up over my face to about where my sunglasses end to protect the skin. When it is muddy, buggy, or sandy out I pull the Buff over my mouth to prevent anything from getting in. When riding around the desert I keep the Buff over my mouth to minimize water loss via respiration. I never expected such a simple product to change how I adventure so much.
Buff did not provide me personally with any product but they do sponsor my bike team, Razzle Dazzle Racing, so I have received product from them. I used their products for years before this relationship was formed (I sought them out as a sponsor for the team because I used their product so much).
