Your biggest travel risk this summer? The sun

Don't get burned this summer.

I don't just mean that figuratively — like being singed by surprise fees and surcharges — I mean it literally.

Don't get burned by the sun. It can happen anytime, anywhere, even on an overcast day. Stop me if you already know this.

Consider Taylor Harkins' ordeal on a recent trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. Harkins, a young woman with red hair and fair skin, is particularly sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. She didn't know how vulnerable until one cloudy afternoon, when she assumed it was safe to skip the sunscreen.

It wasn't. UV rays can easily penetrate mist, fog and even clothing.

"My skin was a deep red, and I had horrible sunburn lines marking where my shirt had been," she remembers. She covered her body in aloe, drank water and applied cool towels to her forehead.

Don't end up like that. If you're traveling this summer, chances are you're on vacation. That means you'll be out in the sun. So I'm making a necessary detour in today's column to talk about ways to avoid being fried.

The trick to preventing a burn sounds simple: Avoid too much exposure and protect yourself when you're outside. After a long winter on the East Coast, that's anything but easy. Try telling the kids they can't spend the whole afternoon playing in the pool. Go ahead. I'll wait here.

In fact, the single biggest misconception about sun protection is that it begins — and ends — with sunscreen. "Many people think that if they use sunscreen, they are properly protected, and they can stay outdoors in the sun for longer," says Steven Wang, director of dermatological surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Basking Ridge.

Though daily sunscreen use is important, he says, summer travelers need to adopt a complete sun protection regimen that includes seeking shade during the sunniest times of day and wearing protective clothing such as wide-brimmed hats, rash guards and UV-blocking sunglasses.

Let's stay on the subject of sunscreen for a minute. Since I live in Florida, I apply sunscreen every day, rain or shine. I use a scent-free Lubriderm moisturizer with SPF 15 and for the kids, we have a Babyganics moisturizing daily lotion with the same sun-protection rating. Depending on the intensity, I ratchet up the SPF. For example, on a bright spring day in Utah, I went with the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch (SPF 100). Other family favorites include Bullfrog Super Lotion (SPF 40), which stays on in the water.

Consumer Reports recently released its own sunscreen recommendations. Among its best buys: NO-AD Sport lotion (SPF 50), Equate Sport Continuous Spray (SPF 30) and Equate Ultra Protection lotion (SPF 50). Sunscreen is such a personal choice, but I'm willing to bet that if you're reading this, you don't use it enough. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found only 18% of men and 42% of women regularly use sunscreen on their face.

"Any and all UV radiation that skin is exposed to is harmful," says Keith LeBlanc, a dermatologist, skin cancer surgeon and founder of the Skin Surgery Centre in Metairie, La. "Even minor exposures can still lead to DNA damage in the cells of the epidermis that over time can lead to premature aging and the development of skin cancer."

Here's some more advice from a pro: Leave no part of your body uncovered this summer. The sun burns.

"Wear protective clothing whenever possible," says Kim Kelder, the lead esthetician and skin care expert at Miraval Resort and Spa in Tucson. "Even on a cloudy day, 80% of the sun's ultraviolet rays pass through the clouds."

Take a hat (I like the Jamison by the Wallaroo Hat Co., which has SPF 50 protection) and a reliable pair of sunglasses, and if you're not a hat person, at least consider something such as the UV Buff, multifunctional headwear that can protect you from the sun's bright rays.

In the shirt department, I've tested several long-sleeved, summer stock shirts from Coolibar, Lands' End and Ex Officio. They're all highly effective at covering your skin and have built-in sun protection without stifling you, even when temperatures soar.

Staying in long sleeves while everyone else is in shorts, getting tanned, isn't easy. Were it not for light fabric used in the long pants such as those manufactured by Kühl and Mountain Khakis, I might still get a little too much sun on my legs.

I'm happy to report that Harkins, the redhead with the bad burn, made a full recovery and is on an adventure to visit all 50 states by the time she's 30. I'm sure she'll remember to pack the sunscreen.

Three products that will keep you from getting burned

• Let's spray. The Cabana Boy Spray Applicator ($9.99; my-cabanaboy.com) is a universal tool that gives you a little extra reach when you're applying sunscreen as a spray. It actually serves two purposes, allowing you to reach hard-to-get areas, like your own back and legs, and as a bonus, it's fun to use. My kids routinely argue about who gets to use it.

• Wrap it up. The White Sierra Kool Printed Gauze Scarf ($17.99; whitesierra.com) does more than protect you from UV rays; it also repels bugs for up to 70 washes.

• Pitch a tent. If you're serious about staying out of the sun, you'll want to throw a Quik Shade Solo LT ($199; quikshade.com) into the back of your minivan. It offers 7 x 7 feet of protection from the rays, and sets up lightning-fast, using quick-release sliders with Teflon bearings.

Christopher Elliott is a consumer advocate and editor at large for National Geographic Traveler. Contact him at chris@elliott.org or visit elliott.org.