After a couple years of being happy with the Outdoor Research Sahara hat, I decided to go for something lighter and with more ventilation. My selection was the Patagonia Airius Running Hat, and it has met all of my needs.
I wear the Airius just about every day for running and backpacking unless it is below 35 degrees or so. The hat is made from Patagonia's Airius fabric which provides awesome air flow due to having lots of small holes that let air in. The fabric covers the entire "head part" of the hat and takes sweat and seems to increase its cooling power. While I have always loved hats with mesh, I never wore one that provides the air flow that the Airius does. I can truly feel the breezes reach my hair and cool me. With the Coolmax lining on my forehead, it handles sweat well and dries quickly. It was just what I was looking for.
The brim on the hat is crushable and pretty floppy. While it sometimes looks funny and can blow in the wind, this does not bother me because I can stuff it in my pack, and it comes out fine. This floppiness could bug a user if hiking often in windy conditions, but for a one ounce hat it is a trade that I don't mind. In addition, the brim holds up my .59 oz. Petzl E+Lite easily when I am reading. It is also black on the underside to reduce glare. No complaints here.
The back closure is also effective and easy to adjust. The hat is very comfortable on my head and essentially feels weightless.
The hat is extremely light at one ounce. I have not found a hat that performs so well at such a weight. Even the BPL Headsweats hat weighs 1.5. I loved the OR Sahara Hat, but this is far superior. While the hat's Airius fabric is somewhat delicate, it has survived many branches hitting it and remained unscathed. I am sure it will take a lot of abuse.
If you are looking for a great hat and prefer a baseball-style (like I do in most conditions), then look no further.
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