As I was looking at Tilley hats online, I saw "their best selling style" which was a medium brim Aussie style hat where one side or the other can snap up.

I'm hoping someone can tell me the logic behind wearing a hat in this manner. Ideas?

Preference.

I like them when I'm shooting- keep the sun off the back of my neck and the top of my head, but doesn't get in the way of bolts and scopes, or get knocked off by a scope during recoil.

That being said, my summer knock about hat is a boonie hat with both sides up, because I like having my peripheral vision and an unburned scalp.

QUOTE: "...a medium brim Aussie style hat where one side or the other can snap up. I'm hoping someone can tell me the logic behind wearing a hat in this manner. Ideas?"

Ors,

With one side snapped up it is a "Daktari" sort of thing. It just looks cool. The classic Brit on safari motif. It is a symbol of adventure and swagger. The idea that one side flipped up gives clearance to my trusty rifle just adds to the alure. I freely admit to purchasing my own "one side up" classic safari hat at MGM/Disney in Orlando. I'm still breaking it in to fit my head for an upcoming Cub Scout resident camp with a safari theme. I found pith helmets fit poorly and are too hot in their modern incarnations (styrofoam inside with bogus outer shell). Just the same, I am curious as to the genesis of the pith helmet.

LIke Ironraven, I have worn hats like this in the past with both sides snapped up. It keeps the sun off my face, noggin, and neck, but still provides good peripheral vision (along with sunburned ears).

TR ( I must have watched too many jungle adventure movies as a kid.)

Having the right side of the hat snap up is from a military style digger hat. The idea was that if the soldier is at right shoulder arms the wide brim of the hat would not get in the way. You can see the same thing on US Army Hardee style hats from the pre thru civil war

I can also tell you from experience that if you are wearing such a had and want to practice your archery skills, you will be very happy to have those snaps.

Otherwise, the bow string keeps knocking your hat off.

Also, it is not as wind sensitive with less brim down to catch the wind.

I am not one to wax rhapsodic about a hat, but I love my Tilley. Also handy that they are available in real sizes and not just too big and too small.

As I posted a while back, I have a large noggin, and I was so happy to see on Tilley's website that not only did the size calculator not explode when I put in my head size, but that they make sizes that are TOO BIG for me <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

where would an average guy get a chance to shoot wild game on safari wearing such hat? Gun crazed america has too many guns with no game. the only place is australia.
Besides women might think men are strange by wearing aussie hat. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Umm, let's see. Bear (black, brown, & grizzely), wild pig, moose, elk, deer (white-tail & mule), antelope, coyote, bobcat, cougar, rabbit, squirrel, sheep (Dall & big horn), ducks, geese, pheasents, quail, turkey, dove, praire dogs, nutria, rattlesnakes and assorted international imports.

And let's not forget rapists, violent felons, enraged ex-spouses, assorted gang members and looters. Of course, maybe if we told the criminals we loved them they'd be nice to us. It doesn't work in Europe, but maybe it'd work here in the US of A. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

-Blast

I used a similar hat while surveying in Northern Idaho; turn it 90 degrees (miner 49'r style) and you can look through a scope uninhibited by the hat brim.