Summer hats for UK use

[Paul_B]

I was wondering what you guys use on the head over summer. I use a baseball cap made by montane. I forgott it once for a walk on a very hot summers day (we had one or two of them last year) and had a look in a general store in the little village I was walking from. I spotted a simple bucket hat but with a wider brim in a nice green for £6 or less (can't quite remember but it was v cheap). It served me well that day and saved me applying horrible, synthetic grease to my face to protect skin from the rays.

I was wondering if anyone had a tilley hat and which one is best for UK summers with its rain and sunshine. I also don't want to look like a prat (vanity I know). Is theree anything as good thats not as expensive as a tilley? I do like how others seem to look with a tilley like hat with the brim tucked down or curved up at the side and wondered what make and model of hat would work well here and work with a tall slim specs wearing geek like me.

 

[Survivalmike]

Hi Paul!

I´m not from the UK, but here in Austria we have a lot rain/sunshine as well!
I bought a BARMAH-Hat a while ago and I´m very happy with it.
It is a full leather hat, which is foldable to fit in a small cotton sack when on tour and not on the head. I also gave the hat a proper coat of beewax which makes him water repellent. The air circulation is amazing and keeps my head cool on hot days.

I really like it and would recommend it at any time!

In really really hot conditions I wear a HAD "scarf" which is very versitile and can be folded into a "pirate-rag" as well.
Its a great stuff - in winter you wear it as a scarf, in summer as a rag, and in between this seasons you can make a lot of other stuff out of it.
Even you can pre-filter water with it etc.

The barmah hat (made in Australia) costs approx 70GBP the HAD you get for approx 5-8GBP.
With this combination you are ready for any adventure

cheers
Mike

 

[rik_uk3]

Baseball cap works fine for me, keeps off the sun and rain from my specs.

 

[treadlightly]

I use my Tilley in the summer. I have a cotton duck one which keeps off the sun and repels a good deal of water. Also its very comfortable and doesn't fly off in strong winds.

 

[Badger74]

I use a Tilley hat all the time, but can't remember which one. The cream has lost a lot of it's brightness due to use.

I'm not to bothered about the vanity bit, my mate christend me Van Helsing one night out walking the dog as I had my Tilley hat on and a long length wax coat coupled with walking stick.

Keeps the chavs away whilst walking the dog down by the canal on a night

 

[Chainsaw]

I prefer a surplus boonie hat, the US ACU one, it's easier to find if you put it down somewhere. Floats, dries quick, reasonably water repellent and is cheap.

Cheers,

Alan

 

[BorderReiver]

Tilley hat for me too; nice big grommets to let the air circulate.

If it gets too hot, I soak a big handkerchief in water and wear that under the hat.

 

[gregorach]

For summer use, I have a Lowe Alpine Mosquito Mesh Hat, but it's a bit floppy. I also have a cheap broad-brimmed straw hat which I like, but it's not very packable... Great down on the allotment though. I have also been known to resort to a shemagh to keep the sun off me bonce.

 

[SRC]

I have a Tilley T5 in Cotton. It's a great hat. I want one in Hemp but will have to wait until this one wears out (ie never!)

 

[big_swede]

KISS. A baseball cap works very well. Most of the time I don't bother with a hat. But I have hair mind you.

 

[JonathanD]

Have a look around Hatsdirect in Aus. Shipping is cheap, fast and they mark it as a gift too. Some great hats there.

 

[Melonfish]

I've got a cotton US army Boonie had in woodland. it keeps the sun, rain, dirt, falling animals, bb's and grenades off my head. well they're bb grenades but it does the job
love that hat.
thinking of using nikwax to add some more water resistance to it actually.

 

[Paul_B]

KISS. A baseball cap works very well. Most of the time I don't bother with a hat. But I have hair mind you.

I've got a good head of hair too. In fact its so thick it takes about half hour of heavy rain before the water gets through. Doesn't help with water or sun down the neck and on the ears. Similar with a baseball cap which I've been using for a number of years now. That really hot summer we had in '04 I think I had forgotten my cap and bought the cheapest hat I could find where I was on hols in Wales. Turned out to be a craghoppers cap with detachable flap around the sides and back. I wore that with my polo shirt collar up to meet it. REally helped me that day on the walk. I doubt a basebal capwithout the flap would have helped me as I nearly got heat stroke. I drank about 7 litres of water that day.#

I must admit Tilly hats are quite good. I once went trying some one once with someone and got a few polite and diplomatic shrugs when I asked them what they thought. I never got one in the end.

The Barmah hats were reviewed and recommended in a bushcraft mag I once got in WHSMITHS. I also saw some hats similar about 19 years ago in a little market in leeds under the railway arches.

 

[swotty]

Just bought a Karrimor hat, kind of a cross between a tilley hat and a boonie hat...only £5.99 from Sports Direct.
Seems pretty good.........

 

[Paul_B]

I have this http://www.montane.co.uk/products/men/windproof/aero-cap/150

I also have something by Regatta exert range I think with a medium brim that I tend to curl up almost in the aussie style I think. Nylon but it seems to keep the sweat against the head so it is not nice and needs replacing. I'm looking for something with a brim but doesn't make me look like a prat with a panama or cowboy hat. Also light and foldable to stuff away when not needed. My current brimmed hat cost me about £5 and was an emergency at the start of a long hot and very sunny day's walk when I realised at about 8:30 or 9am as I was about to set off that I hadn't packed my cap. Since it was already warm and I was starting to feel the strength of the sun I panicked and ran across and down the road to a funny little shop in Patterdale and got the first hat I saw. It was a nice green colour though shame it holds sweat against the skin and shows it up really badly. Not a good look also it ws too warm as there was no airflow in the crown. Perhaps I ought to splash out and get the best (Tilley) although there is a brand that looks a similar (but less detailed) hat but has these cooling crystals in it. Wet Rock I think.

 

[Paul_B]

http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-hunter2-snr01-390563?colcode=39056390

Swotty - Is this the one? Looks like its cotton, is it cotton, polycotton or fully synthetic? It is kind of the similar shape to mine but it has vents, pop up studs and lookslike some cord strap too. It is a floppy hat style of summer hat just like mine. Mine wa almost stiff enough in the brim to allow it to be curled up at the sides slightly like I've seen some hats. I don't know why I think this but I think these wide brimmed hats look better with a curl to the sides so they curl up slightly. Not clip up to the side of the hat with poppers but have some shape so they are narrower than they are long.

BTW GO outdoors are selling Tilley hats now and instead of £55 they are something like £49 for a LT5B or £46 for a LT3 or LTM5 down from £52. Not much of a saving but still something considering Tilley is a brand that kind of sells itself. You either heard of it and want it or you won't want it. I still think £50 is a lot to buy something if you are not completely convinced it is right for you.

How do you know which one is best? So many different models?

BTW I do like the Barmah hats but not on me. Leather does not really suit me on the head IMHO.

Perhaps I ought to stick to caps and admit to being the chav / ned I am.

 

[Rumcajs]

Another Tilley user here. T4 to be precise.
Great hats and they last forever. I wear mine pretty much all the time.

 

[Paul_B]

I think I might end up getting one of the medium brims with the sloping brim versions of Tilleys. Might be the LT5B nylon breathable one or even a hemp. Probably the nylons as its probably easier to look after. Which colour looks best. The darker ones whether mocha with the hemp or green or the loghter ones such as taupe (whatever that is) and the beige or sandy coloured ones (not sure what they call them).

So among the Tilley hatters we have a T4, a T5 in cotton, another cotton duck one and just a Tilley. It seems people like the cotton ones. Personally I'd go for the lighterweight nylon ones.

 

[Teepee]

I've got a cotton US army Boonie had in woodland. it keeps the sun, rain, dirt, falling animals, bb's and grenades off my head. well they're bb grenades but it does the job
love that hat.
thinking of using nikwax to add some more water resistance to it actually.

Same as.
It started out life as my lucky fishing hat, but I now wear it all the time when trekking. It seems just the right shape to keep out sun and rain without being too big. It soaks up sweat well too.

I put some nikwax tent proof on mine and it holds heavy rain out for 30 mins before getting wet.

 

[swotty]

http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-hunter2-snr01-390563?colcode=39056390

Swotty - Is this the one? Looks like its cotton, is it cotton, polycotton or fully synthetic? It is kind of the similar shape to mine but it has vents, pop up studs and lookslike some cord strap too. It is a floppy hat style of summer hat just like mine. Mine wa almost stiff enough in the brim to allow it to be curled up at the sides slightly like I've seen some hats. I don't know why I think this but I think these wide brimmed hats look better with a curl to the sides so they curl up slightly. Not clip up to the side of the hat with poppers but have some shape so they are narrower than they are long.

BTW GO outdoors are selling Tilley hats now and instead of £55 they are something like £49 for a LT5B or £46 for a LT3 or LTM5 down from £52. Not much of a saving but still something considering Tilley is a brand that kind of sells itself. You either heard of it and want it or you won't want it. I still think £50 is a lot to buy something if you are not completely convinced it is right for you.

How do you know which one is best? So many different models?

BTW I do like the Barmah hats but not on me. Leather does not really suit me on the head IMHO.

Perhaps I ought to stick to caps and admit to being the chav / ned I am.

Just double checked, as suspected 100% cotton canvas, not too floppy brim, about the same as a Boonie, although will more than likely remove the Karrimor logo!!!