GOT THE SUNBLOCK?

Summer days sure are long.

More time for fun in the sun, which calls for a reminder on the importance of using sunblock when you're enjoying your adventures.

Colorado is an exceptionally sunny state, and its high-altitude climes make the sun even more damaging to our skin.

Because the sun's rays are more direct in the thinner atmosphere, they cause sunburn more quickly. The potential for skin damage increases when the sun is reflected off snow or water.

So make sure to grab a tube of good-quality, high-UV-protectant sunblock and slather it on a half-hour before you head out to the mountains, and reapply it often.

Your skin will thank you for it.

GOTTA-GET GEAR

• Equinox Ultralight Tarp

• Cost: $100

• Why you need it: It weighs less than some rain jackets but keeps three hikers dry. At barely more than a pound, this siliconized nylon tarp averages only 6.3 ounces per person if it's sleeping three - in a pinch, it'll shelter five. Why this tarp when there are so many out there? The 1.1-ounce ripstop nylon is feathery light but tough enough to withstand being knocked about by hail and thunderstorms on the Continental Divide Trail; the seams are double-stitched for durability; and 16 total grommets and ridgeline ties allow a dozen pitching options.

• Where to get it: 1-800-326-9241; www.equinoxltd.com

Dennis Lewon, equipment editor of Backpacker magazine.

For more summer hiking gear, see the June issue of Backpacker magazine.

THE NEXT HOT THING

Many outdoors enthusiasts usually look to add a new wrinkle to their experiences.

But a new craze has emerged where competitors try to eliminate wrinkles - extreme ironing.

Billed on the sport's Web site as the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt, participants iron garments while kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking or any other outdoors activity.

The sport was born in 1997 in Leicester, England, and has pressed its way around the globe and recently into the United States, giving new meaning to the sporting term "iron man."

• For information, go to www.extremeironing.com