stupid newbie bushhat question

[wvdveer]

I'm trying solve an argument here at the office:
Why is it that you can fix the brim of the hat to one (or on some hats both) side(s) of the hat?

Opinions here:
- it catches less wind
- you can carry your rifle better
- ?????

 

[jakunen]

Don't know if this is urban legend but...

Apparently its so that in jungle you can pin it up so that it doesn't catch in vines and stuff.

May be wrong, but that's what I've heard...:?:
And there's no such thing as a daft question. Just a daft answer.

Welcome to the forum BTW.

 

[tenbears10]

Never thought of why. But Aussie soldiers hats are up on the rifle side of the body and down on the other so maybe that is the answer. :?:

No now I've found a pic it's turned up on the left. Unless the Aussies carry the rifle over their left shoulder pointing up and hence the brim needs to be up.

Hope you are as confused as me now. Does anyone else know why?

Bill

 

[Edi_M]

The Australian bush hats are wider than (for example) the south african ones (which don't pin or tie up) and can dip a fair bit with age. I would hazard an educated guess that the reason for pinning the sides up is to increase the field of peripheral vision when wearing the hat, fairly critical for a soldier.

You protect your eyes & nose while getting sunburned ears.... :yikes:

 

[Tumper]

I was always under the impression that this was to facilitate the drawing of a sword, especially when mounted on horse back. The arm pulls upwards, and the blade is at its closest to your own head when almost fully unsheathed...dont know if this is correct, but it makes sense.

just found this article which claims it was turned up to facilitate rifle drill. http://www.rar.org.au/history2.html

...yes...its a slow day for me today :roll:

 

[Gary]

I thinks its actually for shooting - the wide brim would catch on the rifle butt or shoulder and this would knock it off - especially relevant in the old bolt action rifle days.

 

[Tantalus]

arent bolts on rifles on the right side?

Tant

 

[tenbears10]

I thinks its actually for shooting - the wide brim would catch on the rifle butt or shoulder and this would knock it off - especially relevant in the old bolt action rifle days.

But in the pic it is not turned up on the right which is the side you would shoulder your rifle.

The sword theory makes sense in that a righthanded person has the scabbard on their left (side which is turned up)

:?:

Bill

 

[jakunen]

arent bolts on rifles on the right side?

Tant

Not necessarily, I used to use an American Lee Enfiled No.4 rifle which was left handed and so the bolt wsa on the left. I got lumbered with it as I'm ambidextrous...

 

[den]

I'd say it was simply to look cool.
A lot of troops I knew turned up the sides solely to look cabby .No other reason.
I can only find disadvantages with it.

 

[Gary]

Rifle bolts can be either side depending on if the firer is left or right handed, in fact I think the SA80 is the first weapon that isnt designed for ampidextrose fittings.

Also during drill rifles are carried over the right shoulder a brim that side would mean soldiers knocking their hats off all the time.

Bill it is possible the picture is around the wrong way or maybe, as with so many army traditions and military dress items, it is possible that the flap is up one side and not the other just because a light horsemen at gallipolli or some such put that side up because the sun was on the other side of their trenches - not that I am saying that happened - just that it is worn in such a way because of something that happened in a battle or similar.

My own regiment wear a black tombstone behind their cap badge to commerate the fact that we wear at the battle of Quebec and were with Wolfe when he fell

The Gloucesters where a cap badge on the front and back of their berets because at waterloo they had to fight back to back against french cavarly because they were so out numbered.

So you see army traditions are necessarily things designed for function.

 

[tenbears10]

The quirks of uniform could fill a whole forum couldn't they. It is probably like you say for some specific reason long ago and not practicality at all.

Bill

 

[Carcajou Garou]

I may be mistaken but the Aussie Bush hat was up on the right at first to accomadate right shoulder arm, but changed later to the left as a new adjustment was brought on, passed on by a Aussie friend but he coudn't verify?
just a thought

 

[jakunen]

The quirks of uniform could fill a whole forum couldn't they. It is probably like you say for some specific reason long ago and not practicality at all.

Bill

Too true Bill.
There are many theories as to why my regiment's cap badge is called a 'Jimmy' (but I know which story is my favourite ).

 

[mercury]

Is this the "jimmy" that doesnt smoke ? ):

 

[leon-1]

Well I will, get rid of one of the suggestions. In the jungle you want a wide brim, it stops beasties (insects more than anything else) from falling down your neck, because they bounce of the brim. I can remember being told this because someone decided to modify their issue hat and got a telling off (this is probably the politest way of putting it) ):

Gary is more than likely to be correct, if you have a wide brimmed hat and a rifle in the shoulder then there is more of a likelyhood of knocking your hat off whenever carry out a drill command. This would look untidy to the military mind and that cannot happen (heaven forbid :shock.

 

[Paganwolf]

by the way matie theres no such thing as a stupid question :biggthump i've found it really interesting! :biggthump

 

[Justin Time]

From personal experience with my Tilley hat I'll fix one side or the other depending on what direction the wind is coming from. This prevents the brim from acting as a sail and moving the hat about. If it's really windy I've been known to fix both sides up... only problem then is the rain gets in your ears....

 

[leon-1]

From personal experience with my Tilley hat I'll fix one side or the other depending on what direction the wind is coming from. This prevents the brim from acting as a sail and moving the hat about. If it's really windy I've been known to fix both sides up... only problem then is the rain gets in your ears....

Use a chinstrap, you will not look half as big a burk as the guy with his hat flying off down the road.

Wide brimmed hats are there for reasons if not to protect against insects falling off foliage then to protect against the effects of the sun, the wind isn't so much of a problem in rain forest or jungle, but in wide open areas a chinstap will work.

Strangely my Barmah has no chinstrap and relies upon the elasticated strap (inside the hat rim) to hold it on your head and even with the weather that we have had recently (I live in underwater Paignton in Devon, sad but true I wear it to work when it rains) and the weather that we had on Isla I still have not required a chinstrap.

 

[Justin Time]

Use a chinstrap, you will not look half as big a burk as the guy with his hat flying off down the road.

Yup, I use the chin- strap... in fact the Tilley's have a chin strap and one which goes round the back of the head, they do work well to keep the hat on the head.... fixing the side(s) up helps to stop the brim from flapping madly about and from spinning the hat round your head.