Bush hat suggestions?

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GuestD

Need to contact Admin...
Feb 10, 2019
1,445
700
Afternoon all,

With the recent hot weather I’ve decided I need a new hat.
I’m looking for something like the British army bush/jungle hat, just in green or khaki.
I know that there are hundreds of boonie “style” hats out there, but I’m looking for something high quality that can take repeated use and last, I’ve had £5 copies before and they don’t last.
There are some 50s/60s Brit ones out there but all are in small sizes, I’d need a 58/59cm.
So any suggestions? Key points are:
Bush hat design
Cotton or a cotton mix
High quality
Can be folded and shoved in a pocket
An take getting soaked/dried repeatedly and not fail.

Thanks for reading

Saw the very thing today,

90502.1_11.jpg

Snowbee Ranger. Similar to Tilley. The one I saw rolled up and went in my back pocket no problem
 

Clayze

Tenderfoot
Dec 28, 2018
77
27
West Sussex
My son has a British Army issue desert pattern DPM hat from Silverman's. Its a few years old now and still going strong. I'm not sure how back pocket friendly it would be though.
 

KenThis

Full Member
Jun 14, 2016
825
121
Cardiff
I have a Brazillian tarp hat, can't fault it really. The only thing is that I freely perspire which is noticeable whilst wearing it. But it keeps the sun and rain (up to a point) out of my eyes.
I like the look of the Kangaroo Leather Barmah hats but have read mixed reviews. I'd love to hear if anyone has one.
Although I'm 40 I still think those Tilley hats look like they're for old people. However they are rated very highly...
 
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Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,438
2,859
W.Sussex
I have a Brazillian tarp hat, can't fault it really. The only thing is that I freely perspire which is noticeable whilst wearing it. But it keeps the sun and rain (up to a point) out of my eyes.
I like the look of the Kangaroo Leather Barmah hats but have read mixed reviews. I'd love to hear if anyone has one.
Although I'm 40 I still think those Tilley hats look like they're for old people. However they are rated very highly...

Oi! Less of the old. ;)

TBH I agree, but do like the Wanderer cos it’s all scruffy. :)

My Amazonas Tarp Hat has done me proud, rusted grommets and wire, been with me for years, but I can’t stuff it in a pocket or bag.

Where’ve you been? Haven’t seen you about in ages.
 
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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Wear the best = buy a Tilley. We get too soon old too fast to care about style.
I wanted a broad brim to keep the rain off me = Outback Kodiak waxed canvas.
Greg Norman mesh golf hat for the warmest of weather. Still bug-proof.
Assorted knit toques with ear flaps for snow. A matching scarf is a little over the top.
 

KenThis

Full Member
Jun 14, 2016
825
121
Cardiff
Oi! Less of the old.

TBH I agree, but do like the Wanderer cos it’s all scruffy. :)

My Amazonas has done me proud, rusted grommets and wire, been with me for years, but I can’t stuff it in a pocket or bag.

Where’ve you been? Haven’t seen you about in ages.

No where in particular, my father died so have been doing a lot of life admin. Hobbies tend to be the first things I give up when stressed.
I'm back now though. :)
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,438
2,859
W.Sussex
No where in particular, my father died so have been doing a lot of life admin. Hobbies tend to be the first things I give up when stressed.
I'm back now though. :)

Good man. My condolences, my father in law died suddenly, over a year ago now. Things can be, and still are, very difficult. Best wishes. We can only carry on :drive:
 
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Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,438
2,859
W.Sussex
No where in particular, my father died so have been doing a lot of life admin. Hobbies tend to be the first things I give up when stressed.
I'm back now though. :)

Here, this is good for us all, like Attenborough at Glastonbury. Didn’t really know where else to put it, though the man is sporting a fetching hat himself. :)

My niece, Anya, graduated at York last weekend, bless her little self. I bet that sounds grand and posh but it’s not, she and her twin bro didn’t have an easy start to life. Anyway, on the list of honorary degrees was our cheery local bushcraft chappy, Ray Mears. The video was sent to me by my sister, so I’ve befuddled myself over several hours and made it into YouTube for you. :)

 
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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Wear the best = buy a Tilley. We get too soon old too fast to care about style.
I wanted a broad brim to keep the rain off me = Outback Kodiak waxed canvas.
Greg Norman mesh golf hat for the warmest of weather. Still bug-proof.
Assorted knit toques with ear flaps for snow. A matching scarf is a little over the top.
 

SimonL

Full Member
Oct 13, 2010
123
50
Farnborough, Hants
I have a Brazillian tarp hat, can't fault it really. The only thing is that I freely perspire which is noticeable whilst wearing it. But it keeps the sun and rain (up to a point) out of my eyes.
I like the look of the Kangaroo Leather Barmah hats but have read mixed reviews. I'd love to hear if anyone has one.
Although I'm 40 I still think those Tilley hats look like they're for old people. However they are rated very highly...
Hi KenThis,
I have a couple of Kangaroo Leather Barmah hats, bought for me by a good friend in Australia and I've worn them, on and off (no pun intended) for a few years now in all UK weathers, so here's my opinion...
When I received the first one, I had never seen a hat that folded up into a drawstring pouch before (the pouch is around 23x26cm flat) and was very impressed that it actually LOOKED like a hat within a few minutes of freeing it from the pouch.
The next thing I noticed is that unlike similar hats I have from other countries, there's no strap to hold the hat on in the wind (yes, I have chased the hats on a couple of occasions !) which is a bit of a pain, but can be overcome fairly simply with a bit of improvisation. The other "problem" with not having the strap is that you can't just push the hat off your head so it drops to your back, so if not actually wearing it on your head, you need to find some way of holding it (and I've also done a couple of about turns when I've realised I put my hat down for a break, them promptly left and forgotten to pick it up again - d'oh !)
What I've done with mine now is punched a small hole through the rim of the hat, fairly close to the edge at the back, fitted a suitable sized grommet (eyelet & washer), then threaded a short loop of paracord through it, this then means I can hang the hat from a carabiner on my rucksack if I don't want to wear it, but want it handy.
It does a good job of keeping the sun off my head (I guess that's to be expected given the country of origin) and face, and keeps the rain off too, although if I look down at something, a stream of water inevitably runs off onto what ever I'm looking down at.
I would add that when it's hot, as we've been experiencing recently, my head sweats a lot - to the extent that there's dripping inside the headband area of the hat. Unfortunately, this means that if it gets uncomfortable, the hat comes off exposing my head & face to the sun and defeats the primary reason for wearing it - a cheaper "straw hat" is FAR more comfortable in heat.
But, I like them, and generally speaking, it's in the rucksack, in the pouch ready.
Sorry for rambling on - but that's my take on the Barmah hats
Cheers
Simon
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Simon: those wind strings are called "Rodeo Strings" here, and for good reason.
The Outback brand of hats from OZ have rodeo strings, I have some regret taking mine off.
Hell of a quick way to lose them, too.

Generally, I think that the Australians have several hat makers that are the equal to any one.
I find myself wearing a hat of some sort all the time when I'm out. So I have specific likes and dislikes.
 

baggins

Full Member
Apr 20, 2005
1,563
300
49
Coventry (and surveying trees uk wide)
i also have one of the Aussie roo baramahs, bought in Auss back in 2000. I wore it alot out there and over here. It is a lovely hat, but i do find it's not so suitable for UK weather as the weather here is generally more humid than Alice and the central deserts. I do sweat alot in the heat and, over time, i have had a lovely patina develop around the headband (read, sweat marks, lol!). For hot weather over here though, i'd probably go for a Tilley now as well.
 

Laurentius

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 13, 2009
2,422
614
Knowhere
I have had a variety of hats over the years from felt to leather. I used to think the Tilley to be over priced till I picked up a second hand one, which I am wearing on my avatar. I now have a T3 as well as they really do everything on the tin. If I had to chose only 2 hats it would be a Tilley for summer and Lowe Alpine mountain cap for winter.
 

Wildgoose

Full Member
May 15, 2012
776
429
Middlesex
Thanks for all the replies everyone,

I bought a varusteleka one in green and have to say I’m very impressed with it. It has a cord around the brim and a chin strap, which I removed as I felt it wasn't needed.

I’m going to keep and eye out for a Tilley too as I like the look of them and they come so highly recommended.
 
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stevec

Full Member
Oct 30, 2003
547
142
Sheffield
Like the look of the varusteleka hat. I have an old (2003) tnf brimmer hat. The brim got a bit to floppy so I got one of those pop out sunshades for the car and took the spring steel out of it and fed it through the outer edge of the brim. Using the twist and fold method you use for those screens you can fold the hat up
 

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