A good bushcraft/hiking hat!?

[unijaw]

Hey folks so I'm looking to purchase a decent hat, I found a promising one here http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003YTDN9Y/ref=s9_simh_gw_p193_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1FPC6PXRVME05JASZ6EE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549767&pf_rd_i=468294 but I don't really know enough about these kind of things so I though I would ask the bushcraft community.
I need a waterproof hat ideally in the colour brown and leather. Do you folks have any recommendations and what hats do you guys wear? I've been unable to find a large ranges of hats and have only found a dozen or so on Amazon. The one I linked has decent reviews and many people are very happy with it and it looks pleasing and is a sensible price. I was looking at the Rogue Ranger hats but because of their price I am not happy to invest in one unless I can get solid reviews, which I haven't been able to find.
Thanks for reading! irate:

 

[allfatherodin]

I got a leather hat from ebay for about $20 shipped, brand new. The brand is jakaru. Excellent full grain leather. I took the guitar string wire out, because I hated how it kind of bounced as I walked. I put copper wire in it instead, and I love it.

Put some Nikwax on the leather, and perfect it be. Just watch ebay for deals, I'd say.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Forget the hat you linked unijaw......absolute crap.........best stick to well known brands, There's BC hats, Jacaru & of course Barmah which are very popular with folks on here. Have a look at their websites & see if there's something that takes your fancy. You'll have to pay around 50 quid for a decent hat though (new)
The South African Rogue hats are OK too, I'm not a fan but they're decent hats.

 

[Erro Telcontar]

I've been pondering this same thing. I was thinking of getting a felt hat, outback style shape, as i used to have a leather one but i found it made my hand pretty sweaty when hiking and wondered if a felt one would be more breathable and perhaps lighter too?

Not much of an answer for you i know, but its what i've been thinking about.

Erro

 

[santaman2000]

Personally I stay away from leather hats. They're just too hot for me (but I do live in a much warmer climate than you) and not really ideal in a wet climate.

On the other hand I do have a couple of hats I use constantly when outdoors:
1. The Akubra Snowy River (TBH all Akubra hats are good): www.akubra-usa.com/snowy_river.html A damned good hat but not cheap at around $120 here.
2. The Real Deal Brazil Tarp hat: www.realdealbrazil.com/tarp-hats.php Also a damned good hat but less expensive by far.

 

[Harvestman]

I'll put in a good word for the Tilley hat. I won't leave home without mine, unless the weather is so cold that I need a serious cold weather hat. Not the cheapest, but the no quibble instant replacement if it wears out is excellent and the customer service is first class too.
www.tilley.com

 

[Nomad]

Tilley...

http://www.tilley.com/Hats-Men.aspx

I've had a standard T4 for years. Keeps the head cool in hot sun. Stiffens up in the rain and doesn't let in. Dry enough to wear straight after the spin cycle in the washing machine. They do a hemp version in a fetching shade of brown, and a waxed one. I think the numbers relate to the width of the brim.

 

[Wahboasti]

I've got one of the Brazil Tarp hats and it's superb, with the added bonus that each one is unique!

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

http://www.toggi.com/acatalog/TOGGI_Hats_Accessories.html

have a look at row five.
Can recomend them highly. The Bushmans is nice and soft.
In winter I have a felt one of similar style but not sure what make it is.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

True enough the tarp hats are both fun & cool with plenty of character & individuality....................they can be dyed too & reasonably rainproofed using either wax or an oilskin dressing.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Still can't beat a flat cap. Great in the wind, even bombing on at 60 mph on a quad mine still stays on and no massive brim to snag on foliage. Yeah, yeah I know I've got a wide brim in my avatar, but flat caps rule supreme IMO.

 

[SimonM]

I've moved away from wide brim hats and gone back to the woolly bob cap for cold weather or a flat cap if I want to keep rain off my face.

i do have a Tilley, but that only gets used for the odd day out in the canoe these days...it provides sun protection for the back of my delicate neck.

Simon

 

[grumit]

Tarp hats are great I have one and love it

 

[Harvestman]

Still can't beat a flat cap. Great in the wind, even bombing on at 60 mph on a quad mine still stays on and no massive brim to snag on foliage. Yeah, yeah I know I've got a wide brim in my avatar, but flat caps rule supreme IMO.

Isn't it the law that you have to have a ferret as well though?




(I like ferrets)

 

[Man of Tanith]

Another vote for flat cap. Unless it's torrential rain in which case coat hood comes into play or horrifically cold in which case it's wooly hat.
Broad brim hats just don't see t work for me.


No ferrets near me though. ...yet

 

[Bushwhacker]

Isn't it the law that you have to have a ferret as well though?




(I like ferrets)

It certainly is!

 

[Dave]

I've got a few.

A good tip is to buy a thin see through shower cap, with the elasticated edge, which goes around the brim, and an elastic band, around the side band, and keep it in the thin pocket of your Tilley, for when it rains persistently.

 

[unijaw]

Forget the hat you linked unijaw......absolute crap.........best stick to well known brands, There's BC hats, Jacaru & of course Barmah which are very popular with folks on here. Have a look at their websites & see if there's something that takes your fancy. You'll have to pay around 50 quid for a decent hat though (new)
The South African Rogue hats are OK too, I'm not a fan but they're decent hats.

Thanks for the input once again wolf! Before reading this thread I was viewing this South African rogue hat: http://www.kendrickimports.com/rogue/hats/packaway-hat.html
Opinions? I'm going on appearance and review rating here. I am concerned about roasting up under my hat. but surely SA is hot, so no SA hat would be designed in away that makes it unusable in the heat. I've seen these hats in a thread on this forum before http://www.tarphat.co.uk/ another viable option.
Thanks for all of the replies folks. I've got simple hats at home and its hardly a vital piece of equipment for weekend camping trips I'm just looking for a decent product that I can treat myself to at a later date.
As for flat-caps what brands should I be looking out for? I was always under the impression the flat-cap was just a fashionable hat rather than a practical one. The only time I've seen them in shops are in highstreet cloathing shops New Look/Next etc

 

[Moosemap]

Tilley for me, the new waxed one should do the job...

 

[rik_uk3]

Tilley, baseball, flat or army boonie take your pick or better still buy them all.