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

[tallywhacker]

So yea, i'm looking for a peaked hat with ear flaps for while up the lakeland fells that is equally at home in the woods. I'm up there every weekend year round, come sun, wind, rain or snow (sometimes for days on end, dropping back into woodland for the night); so it needs to be good reliable kit.

The kind of thing i am looking for is along the lines of the classic lowe alpine mountain cap, only with less in-built insulation/lining, keeping warm is not an issue at that level of activity and a beanie/balaclava can be added for cold winters or nights. It's primarily an outer layer / shell i'm looking for to fend off wind/light rain/sun from my eyes and ears. Everything i have read indicates the lowe mountain cap is winter/minimal activity only due top warmth. Fjallraven, Paramo, Rab, Salewa (jimmy hat) and Berghaus also make very similar hats but they look like they will be even warmer (fabrics used).

Enter the Rab lotok cap. Fits the bill almost perfectly: minimal lining and event membrane, compact/light, peaked, has ear flaps but looks a bit too trendy. I ordered one and tried it, it would work very well, but i look like a 'try hard cool kid' with it on so it went back.

I guess i am looking for both suggestions of other 'more traditional' hats, with a peak (doesn't have to be a big peak) and ear flaps suitable as an outer shell (no tilly/wide brimmed hats, weather gets too harsh); and/or confirmation that the mountain caps mentioned will be too warm. Practicality trumps budget on this.

Cheers

 

[sunndog]

I would marry a lowe alpine mountain cap in winter, never off my head every day all winter long.....i can confirm though it would indeed be to warm for summer
Still worth having for winter though imo

 

[tallywhacker]

I would marry a lowe alpine mountain cap in winter, never off my head every day all winter long.....i can confirm though it would indeed be to warm for summer
Still worth having for winter though imo

Ah well, it was worth the ask on that even if it was wishful thinking. Hopefully i can find a thinner one to layer with, it looks a cracking hat design wise.

 

[demographic]

Lowe Alpine Mountain cap for winter but yeah I agree that its too warm for summer.
If I wear a hat during summer its a Campagnolo cycling cap thing. Just keeps the sun off my head.
Cotton with a peak and if its too hot I soak it with water.

 

[tiger stacker]

[h=1]Craghoppers Nosilife Desert Hat[/h]

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I have a mountain life hat that is waterproof nylon type material with a fleece flap that folds down to keep your ears and back of your head warm, it has a wire peak. If I can find it I'll post a picture.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[janso]

Take the lining out of a mountain cap....


Sent from my hidey hole using Tapatalk... sssh!

 

[tallywhacker]

- I doubt the nos life will hold out the wind well enough for the circumstances. Been avoiding the dedicated desert hats as they seem to be more focused on breathability (understandably) and lack any form of membrane/DWR/windstopper. If it's similar to the solar dry fabric, and it appears so, it definitely won't hold off the strong winds.

- Removing lining: if that hat is even remotely well made, and i suspect it is, it will probably require picking a lot of stitching out and re-hemming; or hack and slash. I'm more likely to waste £30 or end up with a franken-hat.

- Mountain life seems to be having problems with their website, on paper that sounds ideal though. I'll try and contact them through their facebook page for a catalogue. You happy with quality? Cheers.


Would paramo/g1000 fabrics be a decent choice? Perhaps even more traditional fabrics like tweed (never used it)? Sure, i have read they are warm, but since they are a tad more breathable than goretex/event that might not be an issue in wind? Or maybe they will wet out too fast? It is after all only getting used when the wind picks up, sunglasses are fine when it's baking hot and still..

Also, anyone use the harkilla pro hunter or salewa jimmy and have an opinion of em?

Cheers for the replies and sorry for so much text over a hat.

 

[Toddy]

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

 

[Dave]

Too many hats Toddy.

 

[tallywhacker]

I really like em toddy, to the point im gonna ask again. Definitely too hot for warmer weather on windier days? Ahh who am i kidding, i'm probably going to buy one anyway and sweat my box off with a smile on my face. Really wish they made a non-winterised version of the mountain cap!

 

[Toddy]

If you're out, and in the fresh air, and the air is moving, then no, it's not too hot even in Summer. It just stops the wind dead.
If it does get too warm (rare here, it breathes very well) fold up the ear flaps and it still sits comfortably and the peak shades my eyes from the Sun. I have on occasion wished that there were an extra fold down neck protector flap on it too though, but it sits snug around the ears, without pressing tightly on them, it's just really well shaped I find.
I reckon the Tilley hat is probably as good as it gets for Summer when it's really hot…..well, apart from the soft rush one that Rachel at CraftyBeggars made for me

M

 

[Jaeger]

Aye Up Tallywhacker

Search for such a hat has long been a quest of mine, I've recently received an FJ Sarek unlined peaked cap with the intention of modd-ing it with lightweight ear flaps but I'm not sure about the 'modern' style either. Apart from the BB cap in everyday life, we don't seem to take well to peaked hats in the UK. I always found the Brit Army peaked cap (with fold down ear flaps) a superb piece of kit but the rank and file turned their noses up at it (the 'crow cap' as some called it). Certainly worked for me when I needed to get my eye in-in bright conditions. A few years back I dyed one from cam to a nice mid brown for counter poaching use - might be worth a look at yourself as they are still available.

 

[widu13]

This one?:

http://www.survivalaids.com/clothin...nd-beanies/pro-force-mountain-hat-olive-green

 

[Alan 13~7]

I got one of these 3 ways to wear sun wind wet

Camo Goretex Wet Weather MVP hat (Size small) by Alan 13-7, on Flickr

 

[Wildgoose]

The army ones used to be called "crap hats". Basically a Dpm cap with fold up internal ear flaps. They were often modded and stiched in various styles including a strange farmer hat. They have a slot for a cap badge but this was never used. They now are called the "cap, combat" in Mtp, they appear to still have the ear flaps. The material is standard Dpm cotton.

Sometimes referred to as "hat, dilac" but that's not for this forum!

 

[MikeLA]

I was just about to type the crap hat as well, until i read last post, Good for summer and the lowe alpine for winter would be good optiond

 

[tiger stacker]

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.

 

[tombear]

Already possessing many, many hats suitable for bushcraft use I have a terrible confession to make. I am seriously considering buying a gorblimey hat for winter use. The only thing that's stopped me so far has been cost ( not sense or good taste you note). If you ain't familiar with that sort of hat google 1915 pattern winter Trench cap ( specifically the wider crowned northern version). I tried one on at the excellent new Great War Gallery in the big museum in Hallifax ( I forget the name) you know the stuff they have for kids to try and fell in love. I'm now considering wat I can sell from the draw queens to get one.....

ATB

Tom

 

[Tonyuk]

The army ones used to be called "crap hats". Basically a Dpm cap with fold up internal ear flaps. They were often modded and stiched in various styles including a strange farmer hat. They have a slot for a cap badge but this was never used. They now are called the "cap, combat" in Mtp, they appear to still have the ear flaps. The material is standard Dpm cotton.

Sometimes referred to as "hat, dilac" but that's not for this forum!

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;

Tonyuk