Sarah in the Buff

Happy to be Buff

 I remember when I started working at River’s Edge last summer and noticing the shop carried these things called “Buffs”.   I also remember scoffing at them and thinking you’d have to be a serious dork to wear one of those.  Come on, a good hat is all a person needs.  That stated, fast forward to this past May when I took my first saltwater fly fishing trip to Mexico.   When we stepped off the plane, the air was so hot and thick, my Bozeman conditioned lungs could hardly breathe.  Fortunately, I quickly adjusted to the heat and immersed myself into the culture and experience.  Day 1, we set out with our well-respected guide “Beto” to fish Chetamul Bay and spent much of the day combing the flats in search of bonefish.   Boy it was hot, but doused in sunscreen and well-covered in superlight clothing I survived and even landed my first bonefish – fun success!   Day 2, we set out again to a new area of the bay for another 8 hours of the hunt for more bonefish and even some permit.  Son-uva-biscuit it was hot!  Despite the great fireball in the sky starting to mess with my head, I was determined to be tough.  Needless to say, my sunscreen was beginning to fall short and by the end of the day I was pretty wilted, over-heated and an icy margarita back at the non-air conditioned lodge never tasted so good.  Day 3, I was a little leery to hit it again for another 8 hours considering how I had felt the prior afternoon.  Fortunately, Beto being a well seasoned guide sensed my apprehension and I remember well the moment he said to me “Sah-da, you need Booof”.  Translation: “Sarah, you need a Buff”, such as he was wearing each day.  These pieces of fabric I had once laughed at on a regular basis, were now coming back to haunt me and I knew Beto was right.  Absolute full coverage was going to be key for my thin skin.  At this point, three good things happened:  1) I had no pride, 2) I said “Yes! Where can I get one?”, and 3) the remote lodge actually did have one available for purchase! Phew!  It was an easy sale.  And so, the third day started off with me rockin’ the Buff and within hours singing its praises.  Who would’ve thought a mocker and doubter could become such a believer?  Hallelujah, praise Jesus!   I owed Beto a few beers for my salvation.

Well, you can mostly figure out the rest of the story.  The next few days of saltwater fishing were still hot, but I was managing the heat situation much better.  The Booof protected my ears which were previously frying in sunscreen and helped me stay dry and cooler.  In sum, we caught some more fish, had a great trip, and I came back to Montana officially on the Buff train. 

Of course, I now own more than one Buff and use it on occasion for more local adventures.  The Buff is very appropriate for many situations and outdoor activities and even has 12 different ways it can be worn…see chart.

 My personal favorite look for the Mexico trip was the “bank robber” look – which is not on the above list.  It’s similar to the ‘Balaclava’ look, except the covering the chin and lips as well, only exposing the eyes; a bit creepy, but effective.  Here’s an example:

The Bank Robber ....Stick 'em up!

Here in Montana, I like to keep my neck cool and sport the Neckerchief look on those hot summer days out on the river.  

The neckerchief

There are many designs, fabrics, and styles for Buffers to pick from.  You can go big or Buffer your style as needed.   I have yet to try the “polar Buff” to keep me warm and dry in my winter angling, but I’m no skeptic to their benefits.

In closing, I just have one question for you: Are you buff enough?

Sarah Shelley, The River’s Edge

Tags: About Buffs, Buff, Buffs, How to wear a Buff

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 at 7:59 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
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