A good 'year round' peaked hat with 'ear flaps'.

Alan 13~7

Settler
Oct 2, 2014
571
11
Prestwick, Scotland
Army peaked cap fell out of fashion with the bush/jungle brim downsized to ally standards. The mtp incarnation has ear flaps, although the issue baseball is more fashionable less ear protective? The army being the army added a neck nape to the bush hat though, although rarely seen being used.

I love my mvp Hat I wear it for the winter school run when it's frosty out it's warm & if it looks like rain or if it's already pissing down its 100% waterproof I may look a bit odd but its functional & I don't give a tos & it has a chin strap for when its windy
a fiver on ebay brand new Three quid postage

Wet-Weather-MVP-Hat by Alan 13-7, on Flickr

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Camo-Goretex-Wet-Weather-MVP-Hat-SMALL-56cm-/280572655175
 

sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
479
derbyshire
I have two of these hats
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135412
they are superb. They keep me dry (and I worked in them for years, archaeologist, worked solid six weeks pouring rain and sleet in the Lake District) warm, no windchill and comfortable, regardless of the weather.

I don't know why Dave's selling his, but mine will be pried out of my kit only when I'm stone deid :)

M

After 15 years i reckon my first one is due for replacement this winter. waterproofing has been getting worse each year and the peak wire is broke into three pieces
Absolutely my favorite hat ever
Does anyone else turn the ear flaps up inside the hat?....i find that perfect for keeping the wind off the tops of me ears (esp while on the quad) without hindering hearing

I should have bought dave's before he changed his mind :D
 

Jaeger

Full Member
Dec 3, 2014
670
24
United Kingdom
Aye Up Tallywhacker,

'crap-hat' - term (of 'endearment' dare I suggest?!:)) used by paras and commandos when they refer to any other beret colour apart from their own i.e. infantry khaki, armoured/support black/dark navy etc. (except for RMP's for whom special terms were reserved!:)).
Crow cap - (CROW = Can't Read Or Write) lightweight, peaked dpm cap with fold down ear flaps originally issued to all soldiers and especially worn by junior soldiers during their initial training before they were even allowed to wear a 'crap-hat'. In it's original construction and material (early '70's - see image) many thought that it was a was a decent/useful hat as long as you didn't machine wash it as the peak inner was cardboard! - It was better than a beret, lighter than a steel! helmet - comy if you got the correct size, allowed your head to breathe, kept light rain off, kept the sun off your head and the peak kept the sun out of your eyes, flaps kept the tips of the ears warm first thing but as with most Brit kit it gradually became produced with cheaper materials and so it did become a crap-hat. I got hold of an original, dyed it, replaced the cardboard with plastic and it worked well as previously stated. There may have originally been a plain olive green version in the better material (study some of the FI imagery and you may see what looks like one). You will find the Fjallraven Sarek cap on their web-site(s). Its made from the G1000 material (in dark olive) used on the jackets and trousers which I personally think is over rated and too expensive but I have to confess that I have bought some of those (and the hat) as I find that the tarmac/dark olive combination works extremely well for my purposes. By the way, I have tried a Lowe Alpine with the inner removed - it just doesn't feel right as the outer shell needs some support (how about replacing the fleece with cotton?) Alas, the FJ Sarek (summer unlined version) has what I would describe as a 'Euro profile' in appearance and that brings me back to my previous response (and to a degree to Tonyuk's post) that we don't seem to take well to peaked caps in the UK. Maybe their is a stigma attached to the M43 (German WWII lightweight hat) profile which the crow hat vaguely resembles. The modern day German forces still use it, today in flecktarn but you can still get plain olive versions. The Austrians on the other hand have moved away from that style and have both a new summer and a winter version of a different cap (KA03 issue - see attached image which is winter version - the summer looks identical to it but not sure about the ear flaps or the materials of which each version is made ) perhaps you could do something with those?
Brit dpm cap.jpg
BH KA03 cap-winter.jpg
 

MikeLA

Full Member
May 17, 2011
2,090
399
Northumberland
That one posted isnt the crap hat. Its the new-ish cold weather hat, with a fleece & mvp lining based on the lowe alpine and was very ally when it came out, and still a top bit of kit now. The old crap hat is still on issue to those doing phase 1, still hated by all;

g_MTP-CRAP-HAT.jpg


Tonyuk

They were not popular in my battalion, I think me and one other person had one (the DPM version) worn in the field others preferring a acrylic hat
 
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tallywhacker

Forager
Aug 3, 2013
117
0
United Kingdom
Cheers for all the replies, seems i have gone from few options to many!

Turns out Lowe Alpine are stopping their clothing line after 2015, to be replaced by RAB. The identical RAB version is currently getting sold off V cheap in places and the lowes are starting to get discount so im gonna try and snap one up as the prices drop further. No point in paying close to full price for the lowe or even used right now, not in a rush and it might not suit 100% but it is worth getting one i reckon before potentially disappear once prices drop further.

Anyhow, gonna snap up some ex issue gear in the mean time, because why not it's cheap enough. Some of em look really good, in particular the KA03 issue mentioned. It is the lower photo right jaeger? The term 'KA03 issue cap' seems to be drawing a blank for me, perhaps there are other common names i can try?

Another i came across while checking out the crow and crap cap was the 'swedish m59 field cap' the summer variant. Looks good, although for some reason one seller says they are good until you try and pull the ear flaps down.. Anyone know if these are any good or a flawed design?

Cheers all
 
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tallywhacker

Forager
Aug 3, 2013
117
0
United Kingdom
Oh aye, nearly forgot about this bad boy. Stumbled upon the sherlock of the field cap world. Comedy value at it's best, oddly i kinda like it (in a pipe smoking, problem solving kind of way).

2878.jpg


The 'BW field cap'.
 
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tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
55
Rossendale, Lancashire
Well, since it cost me a couple of books I didn't want which I got as part of a swap in any case and I can mentally write it off as costing nowt I went and ordered the Northern Pattern Gorblimey hat and today I got photos of it finished and he's done a lovely job, outstanding. Just waiting on a invoice so we can send him the money and then it will be posted off to me. I think I'll let the tache grow into a proper gravy strainer walrus and take the beard down to long stubble for the whole old Bill look!

Pics when I've trained it into shape, you deserve a good laugh!

ATB

Tom
 
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Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,669
McBride, BC
Google Images for "Peruvian Hat" and look at the knitted ones. I have 3, different thicknesses. My D1 was climbing in Peru and brought one back for me. The thickest one keeps the back of my neck warm at -25C. I'll wear a hat when it rains but the Peruvian ones are great, now that all the water is hard.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,305
3,088
67
Pembrokeshire
For all the cooler months- a repro M43 cap.Wool lined in cotton, peak, "Balaclava" effect and about £20. Come in grey /green, blue/grey or black as standard.
For all else a Tilly hat!
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
55
Rossendale, Lancashire
Ta da!

image.jpg1_zps8zikfh2f.jpg


And worn all round Bolton for six hours in the Bugatti Cap shape

image.jpg2_zpsfnxaukdw.jpg


No no one batted a eyelid at it except the owner of the model / war games shop who admired it greatly! Mind at Xmass it was one of the less stupid looking hats on show.

A good raining on and shaping has improved the cloth cap effect. It's not been bad enough to merit wearing the side flaps down yet .

i don't normally wear the chops in winter but had to bare the chin for a medical reason so since I had been going for the full Victorian patrician before hand I found I had to crop the rest or it looked even sillier than the family would tolerate. I don't mind them walking five paces behind as that could be mistaken for a sign of respect but five paces in front pretending not to be with me, that hurts !

ATB

tom

ps got a lovely posed after the event pic of three 1/6th Sherwood Foresters with their Northern Pattern Gorblimeys pulled into the same cloth cap shape going on a Trench raid early 1916 if anyone wants to see it. No wonder the authorities hated them!
 

Twodogs

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 16, 2008
5,302
67
West Midland
www.facebook.com
As I said earlier in the thread Martti sorted me out with two M36 Finnish army caps ,,,very well made and wool with a good peak ideal for a glasses wearer ,

 
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