A good wide-brimmed hat?

[dogwood]

I concur with the caution about leather hats in wet weather -- they can be miserable once wet (and too often leather hats can be heavy, though the better ones are not).

Tilley's are great and you can't go wrong with them. Simple boonie hats are great too -- I've worn them happily on and off for years.

My favorite do-anything go-anywhere hat at the moment is a Stetson Rawhide, made from buffalo fur felt. I've had it in atrocious situations and it's stood up like a complete champ. It has pretty much everything I'm looking for in a hat.

If you do get a wide brimmed hat, heed this warning: you'll want one with a wire brim if you wear a high backpack with it. I used to have a nice felt river hat (quite a wide brim) but I couldn't wear it backpacking because the pack kept tapping the brim and working it off and I couldn't turn my head without hitting the pack with the brim.

If you have wire in the brim, you can just bend the back down while your backpack is on.

Boonies and tilleys have softer brims and this isn't a problem.

 

[Aussiepom]

Hi Draven,

I'm in Australia, and we're a nation that's split into 2: City versus country. Out in the country most people wear hats of some form against the fierce sun. The young crowd tend to predominately wear baseball caps caps 'cause they're too worried about appearances and being trendy, but anyone who spends more time in the sun (or has realised the limitation of baseball caps as anything other than shade for your eyes) wears a wide brimmed hat.

I regularly see all of the types mentioned in previous posts, but by far the most popular are felt hats and by far the most popular brand are Akubra. They breath better in hot weather, they can take a large amount of rain before any starts to finally seep through - and it is just a very slow seep, not a drip drip drip kind of leakage. They are lighter than the leather hats - though slightly heavier than the cloth hats, but they make up for this minor weight penalty by having what is a better formed rim which is more comfortable after a few hours wear. By comparison, my cloth hats will leave a red ring around my head after any more than about an hour's use. They dry out fairly easily. They never need any type of treatment or proofing and they are very hard wearing. You regularly hear of guys still having the same hat for years and years. My own current one dates back to 1996 and is still going strong.

The only one thing I would say is that most felt hats look a bit naff when brand new - whichever model of Akubra you choose, they need a bit of wearing in before they look 'just right'. Just something to bear in mind if you decide to try one on in a shop. Models I prefer: You can't go far wrong with a 'Cattleman' or for a slightly wider brim a 'Norther Territory' I think, or it might just be called 'Territory' not sure.

If you do decide on the 'Territory' bear in mind Dogwood's post - though I've never actually experienced that myself.

 

[Bogman10]

I love my Tilley T3. It's good in the rain, the querky write up that came with it says that it lets in just enough rain to refresh you! Good in the wind too as it has a chinstrap that can be tucked away when not needed.

One of my favorites too!
The other is a Filson Tin can Fedora type ( same hat can be seen on Les Strouds head in Survivor man season 1's Mountain top survival ) my Favorite Fly Fishing in the Mountains Hat, well it's my second hat of the same Make and style, 1st one was 12 yrs Old when it blew into the campfire unnoticed till it was sadly too late....uppy_dog . This year the new one will be broken in.

 

[dogwood]

Aussiepom,

I'm glad you mentioned Akubra -- a big +1 on them too, they're terrific hats. They are to Aussie hats what Stetsons are to American hats.

 

[forestwalker]

Draven, most people who try leather in a wet climate, really don't care for it. Once leather is wet, it is hell to dry out and the faster you dry it out the stiffer it will be. The best water repellent hat that I know of here in the U.S. is a Filson. They make a high dollar line of outdoor clothing. They use a couple of different cloths. There hats run about 25 dollars for a baseball style hat to about 40 dollars for a hat with a brim all the way around. Get the "tin cloth" version. It is leak proof and unbelievably durable. You will never wear it out. Just Google: Filson and you can check out their catalogue. Filson "tin cloth" reminds you of the oiled finished coats made by Belstaff and Barbour some years ago, except the material in the hat is thicker and heavier. Good luck finding something you like.

I have a (cheaper than Filson) waxed cotton hat that I use as "town" wear when it rains cats, dogs and small barnyard animals, and it is is great in that kind of condition. For anything else I use my akubra, and weather around here can mean a long period of rain-sleet-snow-rain-more rain during late fall. Sheds it fine, and dried surprisingly fast.

Basically; if you want reainwear like quaities waxed cotton is the way to go, if you want physical indestructability good leather is probably the best, for alround best choice a good quality fur felt is (IMHO) the best choice.

 

[forestwalker]

The only one thing I would say is that most felt hats look a bit naff when brand new - whichever model of Akubra you choose, they need a bit of wearing in before they look 'just right'. Just something to bear in mind if you decide to try one on in a shop. Models I prefer: You can't go far wrong with a 'Cattleman' or for a slightly wider brim a 'Norther Territory' I think, or it might just be called 'Territory' not sure.

If you do decide on the 'Territory' bear in mind Dogwood's post - though I've never actually experienced that myself.

You can sit on it a few times to give it that lived in look. Won't be damaged by it, but will loose that "new hat" crispness.

 

[Barney]

Last year I purchased, from a member here, an Akubra cattleman. As a spectacle wearer it has been an absolute delight to own and wear. I use it whenever rain is forecast. . It is more than capable of preventing water ingress, still keeps the chill off even when wet and it remains windproof under all conditions that I have been able to subject it to, so far.

Good for promoting combustion of the fire lay, Mine is a bit mucky now and I have not the inclination to clean it so has a nice lived in look and smell after only a few months.

The downside, a few idiotslmao give it the old "YEE...HAAAAAA" if I use it to go shopping in Sainsburys; Do I need it to go shopping in? Not really, I consider it a valuable piece of outdoor clothing that provides a degree comfort in what would otherwise be challenging conditions. Its everyone else who considers it a fashion statement

 

[Doc]

I've got an Akubra Snowy River (apparently the best seller in Australia) and a slightly narrower brimmed Stockman. Akubra make superior rabbit felt hats - their standard quality level ('Imperial') is impressively high - some Americans say Akubra is as good as Stetson used to be, the implication being old Stetsons are better than new ones.

Outdoors, the Akubra is superb from spring to autumn - it is far more water repellent than you might think (and there are various recipes involving lanolin and petrol for improving this) and if the fit is right and the hat is worn in, it stays on in quite a breeze. I think the folks who regard felt hats as fashion just haven't worn one for long trips in wild country. They have been standard wear in the bush for decades for a very good reason. Good for fanning fires too.

Unless its a really bright sunny day, it will attract cowboy/Indie/G'day comments in town. One guy on the Fedora Lounge had cards printed to hand out to such folk on the lines of 'Thank you for your original and witty comment about my hat. You are the 4351st person to make this comment. Have a nice day.'

Tilleys are good in sun, ok in rain, but IMHO, a very bad idea when it is wet windy and cold. They are made of cotton and soak up water, and hold it against your head. A felt hat is a far better choice in such conditions. Of course, in really bad conditions, the best choice is a Lowe Mountain Cap with a hood over the top.

Hi Draven,

I'm in Australia, and we're a nation that's split into 2: City versus country. Out in the country most people wear hats of some form against the fierce sun. The young crowd tend to predominately wear baseball caps caps 'cause they're too worried about appearances and being trendy, but anyone who spends more time in the sun (or has realised the limitation of baseball caps as anything other than shade for your eyes) wears a wide brimmed hat.

I regularly see all of the types mentioned in previous posts, but by far the most popular are felt hats and by far the most popular brand are Akubra. They breath better in hot weather, they can take a large amount of rain before any starts to finally seep through - and it is just a very slow seep, not a drip drip drip kind of leakage. They are lighter than the leather hats - though slightly heavier than the cloth hats, but they make up for this minor weight penalty by having what is a better formed rim which is more comfortable after a few hours wear. By comparison, my cloth hats will leave a red ring around my head after any more than about an hour's use. They dry out fairly easily. They never need any type of treatment or proofing and they are very hard wearing. You regularly hear of guys still having the same hat for years and years. My own current one dates back to 1996 and is still going strong.

The only one thing I would say is that most felt hats look a bit naff when brand new - whichever model of Akubra you choose, they need a bit of wearing in before they look 'just right'. Just something to bear in mind if you decide to try one on in a shop. Models I prefer: You can't go far wrong with a 'Cattleman' or for a slightly wider brim a 'Norther Territory' I think, or it might just be called 'Territory' not sure.

If you do decide on the 'Territory' bear in mind Dogwood's post - though I've never actually experienced that myself.

 

[Lordyosch]

I've got the 'Lowe Alpine Outback Brim Hat' which is fabric, its a bit bent out of shape these days after 8 years use and regularly being stuffed under the lid of my backpack. I think it was 20-30 quid when bought.

Keeps the rain out of my neck, the sun off and dries pretty quick.


Jay

 

[myotis]

Tilleys are good in sun, ok in rain, but IMHO, a very bad idea when it is wet windy and cold. They are made of cotton and soak up water, and hold it against your head.

Yep, you are right, on their own they aren't great in cold/wet weather. But you are meant to buy them oversize to stop you sweating along the headband in hot weather, using the chin strap to hold them on when its windy.

This gives enough room to wear a thin fleece cap underneath the tilley, when its cold, and I've found this gives a very flexible head gear outfit, covering a wide range of conditions.

Having said that I do look at the Akubra hats every now and again with some envy

Graham

 

[traderran]

filson makes some good hats. But I am a Stetson 20x man myself.

 

[philaw]

I got one in a local army surplus shop fo £5 that's wide brimmed and a sandy coloured canvas. It's doesn't hold the rain out so great, so you probably get what you pay for, but it's tough and probably just wants some wax on it.

 

[Jaysurfer]

Have a look at the Scout Associations website. They sell gear on there and a range of different hats that have been approved by the Scout Association and worn by Scouts and Scout leaders for over 100 years.

 

[harryhaller]

In summer I swear by a straw hat. The only disadvantage being they don't fold up, which is why I am looking for a panama. The straw hats offer shade and a breeze over the head - assuming you keep your hair short. There's naturally a huge difference in quallity though - trial and error. The panama attracts me because if folds up, but I am worried that with its tight mesh, it wont let a breeze through over the scalp.

Against the rain, and to some extent the cold, I have a synthetic hat with a synthetic lining - sort of like this:

but black and shiny - completely waterproof - cheap no-name item from army surplus stores

 

[Uncle Alvah]

I have worn a Filson Bush hat for years, tough beyond description, and much better protection than their popular Packer hat.
Not much for leather, personally. Leather seems to posess the unique quality of being extra hot in the heat, extra cold in the cold. Make mine canvas, plzzz......

 

[harryhaller]

Aha! Here's my rainwear hat. (Didn't get given a parrot, though )

 

[Draven]

Thanks for all the input folks!

Filsons look decent but I'm having difficulty finding them in the UK. I can find some Stetsons ones I like, but too expensive for me! Ditto goes for Akubra.

Right now I'll work under the assumption I'll be getting a Kakadu leather hat, as theirs are the cheapest ones I've liked, and just bang my head off a wall and apologise to y'all if leather turns out to be a bad choice Still open to other suggestions though!

Cheers!
pete

 

[stephendedwards]

Having lived in Oz for 26yrs I can attest to the value of a good wide brimmed hat - despite what some prominent individuals say hats like these are good in all but the worst of cold and rain. The problem I have found with the felt ones (I prefer these) is that they are fragile in terms of shape. I ride motorbikes so everything must pack including the hat. I tried a Tilly for a while but wasn't that taken. I now have a waxed leather item from Kakadu traders and it is aging nicely. Stuff it in a bag, kick it round the yard and give it to the cat to have kittens in and it comes back for more. I wear it all the time rain or shine and being waxed it means that you don't have the rain beating down on you when you're trying to make a decision in the bush.


Steve

 

[Draven]

The problem I have found with the felt ones (I prefer these) is that they are fragile in terms of shape.

Also a big concern of mine! My dad has a felt fedora (and has done for as long as I can remember - it feels weird that I can remember when he wore it with his suit as standard, as well as when we used to go out to hack a christmas tree...) which has suffered an awful lot from the many moves we've had. I avoid wearing a hat where it's not necessary so it must be packable.

I now have a waxed leather item from Kakadu traders and it is aging nicely. Stuff it in a bag, kick it round the yard and give it to the cat to have kittens in and it comes back for more. I wear it all the time rain or shine and being waxed it means that you don't have the rain beating down on you when you're trying to make a decision in the bush.


Steve

Glad to hear it

I've bought a Kakadu one now, so we shall see soon!

Pete

 

[Tye Possum]

I have a tilley TH5 hat in "mocha" colour. I've worn it in the rain a few times and it got wet of course but I don't think it soaked through, though I didn't wear it through a whole storm or something. It's made of hemp so I don't know if that's better or worse than the cotton hats they sell but it seems to work alright. My heads pretty big though so I got one that's tighter than it's meant to be (didn't have my size at the store) so I can't wear it for long without my head getting kinda itchy. I was thinking of getting a cattleman from akubra but I'm a little worried about how it would do in the rain... I also can't seem to find a dealer around here. Also, I hate those people that make the cowboy comments. I mean I'm not a cowboy and just because it's a wide brimmed hat doesn't mean it's a cowboy hat...