BEATING THE AUSTRALIAN SUN

An eternity or so ago I was a motorcycle courier in Perth, Western Australia. Summers there, even before global warming, were punishing, with 40 degrees in the shade not uncommon.

I tried to do the right thing and wear a jacket while many of my colleagues rode around in shorts and T-shirts, until one day I realised my concentration was failing due to heat stress. The jacket went into the top box and I finished the day’s work, only to take the next few days off with crippling sun and wind burn up my arms. Riding in extreme heat sucks.

That was a long time ago though. Times have changed and gear has gotten a lot better (and so has sunscreen). These days there is plenty you can do to stay cool and keep