Has anybody thought about the ideal "survival hat"?

I'm thinking it would have to be waterproof and able to protect from the sun - could it possibly be able to store items for a mini-PSK?

Any thoughts or suggestions? [color:"black"] [/color]

That one's easy. The Tilly Hat. Has foam padding in the crown & a nifty little compartment. Even cpmes with a ziplock bag.

A Tilley hat ...



No. That's not me. He only WISHES he looked like me.

I have a USMC real deal marpat Digital boonie hat. Tilley's are good though.

Lee

I too , have heard good things about Tilly hats, and have a Booney or two.

You might like to look at http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/40tec_hat.shtml
it is more of a ball cap, but has some interesting features.

Outdoor research has a few interesting hats over at
http://www.outdoorresearch.com/home/category/Home_OR/headware/headware_all

I would love to see an ETS designed "survival hat"

Lee

I have the Tilley as well and love it. I have the lighter weight version (LT5) and it keeps my cool in the summer. They are great hats with a lifetime warranty. The hidden pocket is pretty cool. As mentioned above they have foam in the top for insulation and will float too. Take a look at them and try one on, you will not be disappointed.

Ready

a goretex ball cap. So simple.

I too vote for Gore-Tex ball caps or the Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero for times when heavy rain may be encountered.

Tilley, all the way. Just bought my second T3 on e-bay. Here's their URL: www.tilley.com

I've retired my boonie hats to "keep it in the truck just in case I don't have anything else" status.

Used to wear ball caps, but switched to hats 25 years ago 'cause I got tired of rain & mist on my classes. The full brim of the hat just offers better protection.

Last summer, while on an outing with my little boy, he insisted that I wear a ball cap, like the one I'd just given him, instead of my preferred Tilley. It was a scorchingly hot, humid day. When we got back to the truck after our hike, I swapped back into my Tilley, and was amazed at how much cooler I felt with the full brim shading more of my head & shoulders. For me, that pretty much cemented my decision to keep baseball caps around only for use under the hood of a parka or poncho.

David

Quote: "I too vote for Gore-Tex ball caps or the Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero for times when heavy rain may be encountered."

Add my vote to the Seattle Sombrero for foul weather noggin protection.

TR (Wetless in Seattle)

Though perhaps practical, the Tilley hats are over-priced and make a clear statement that the wearer is over 60 and/or has given up on any hint of fashion sense...

Hey! I resent that! I'm not over 60 yet!

The Tilley's look good, but hats are something I never buy without trying on.

A basic boonie, in tan. It isn't going to absorb heat due to it's color, and it is versatile. If you really NEED it to be waterproof, you can find them without the ventilation eyelets, but you will miss them when all the steam stays in. And, if you don't mind being a fashion outcast, pin up one side, and with that part of the brim and a bit of doublesided velcro wrap through one of the loops, you can carry a tinned PSK without much trouble.

Around here, it's the sun you're trying to keep off. If I'm not at work, then I'm probably outside dinking around the property. I wear a Columbia Sportwear hat with the mesh side panels and 3 1/4" brim. Got it at REI a few years ago and it's starting to get a little worn. It's got the widest brim I could find and wish it were an inch or so wider.

Anybody know of a lightweight hat with a 4 or 4 1/2" brim, let me know.

The brim measurements for Tilley's T2 are: Front: 3 7/8", Back: 3 7/8", Sides: 3 ½"

I've got felt hats (Akubra, by preference) that are 4" or more...I think Akubra makes one with a 6" brim...but it might be too heavy. If an Outdoor Research product (the Seattle Sombrero or one of it's siblings) won't suit you, you may have to look into a straw hat, such as a good Panama.

David

No sense of style !!! Over 60 !!!!

That was cold........ Obviously you've never worn a Tilley hat.

One thing that was overlooked by others: Tilley hats are washable and have a life time plus (your kid after you're dead) warranty. No questions asked.

The alternative? A dingy greasy baseball cap......
hmmmm....
Have a great day!

www.sundayafternoons.com has some interesting, functional if weird looking hats that are lightweight and include neck veils (Bedouins are not fools wearing those) to keep your neck from getting sunburned. See the Adventure and Sport Hat models.

My version is actually two items. An OR Seattle Sombrero and an OR Ice-9 helmet liner. They fold up and take up almost no space and keep you dry in extreme wet weather, and you can add the liner if it is cold. Obviously this is optimized for the Pacific Northwest where I live. :-)

Oh, in the winter, I replace the liner with a Columbia Sportswear Kazoo Hat. Mucho warmo.

Stuff fashion sense. Do I look like a lemming?

I can't tell from here. Step a bit closer to the camera.

:-)

-john

It ain't about "fashion sense"...it's about style! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

David

Style.... AAAArrrrrgggh. Oops, sorry. Touch of the old allergy there.....

I swear by my Tilley hat. I got it about 15 years ago and it is still going strong, I wear it fishing, hiking, anywhere. It covers the back of my neck and has a "secret" compartment where you can put some basics, like ID, a couple 20s, and if needed shirt-pocket survival kit.

It isn't waterproof, but it dries quickly and a simple baggie will protect whatever is in the compartment. I use the chin strap if I'm out on the water, so it has never fallen or blown off.

Another vote for the Tilley (which I bought when I was under 30!). It's awesome. A little chilly in 34deg rain, but then other options come out for the cold weather.

I prefer the model with the darker under-brim, to cut down on glare in bright sun. I also replaced the cotton shoe laces for the strap system with paracord and came up with my own knot system to adjust things back and forth.

It's been through some good times, Grand Canyon, Middle and Main Salmon Rivers in Idaho, Rogue and Illinois Rivers in Oregon, seakayaking in Canada, and various hikes in the northwest.

Here's a shot of the hat, though I'm still attached under the water...

How many different styles of hats can you see here? (Grand Canyon trip)


J

The solution is simple... Get your kid a Tilley too... Or at least something similar...
Do you want him to be the only one with the sunburn??? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

He has two boonie hats, along with a slew of baseball caps. On that particular day, I'd just given him a ballcap from my undergraduate college. I meant for him to put it up & keep it, but he wanted to wear his new cap, & for me to wear one to match his.

After all, it was his day, so I did what he wanted. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

David

My Tilley LT6 has been going strong for a couple of years now on countless backpacking and snowshoeing and hiking trips, crumpled up, sweat on, dropped in mud (and worse), washed and wrung out dozens of times...it always bounces back and looks close to new.

Here it is in 40-knot winds atop Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada: