2nd most important equipment

After my last post about the importance of boots I was reminded about another critical piece of equipment. On our last climb my friend Mike neglected to put on sunscreen or lip protection. By the end of the day his face was a deep shade of crimson; a bit painful but easy enough to live with. The real surprise came the next morning when he woke up and his lips had swollen 3 times larger than normal. He looked like a chimpanzee in heat. It made eating and drinking a pain, not to mention the social stigma of looking like he was blowing kisses at everyone on the mountain.

I'm sticking to my opinion that boots are the most important, but would like to add a small reminder that personal care gear can really help as well. Don't forget your sunscreen, sun glasses and lip protection.