Your favorite wind proof headwear?

"Any suggestions or advice is welcome!"

Suggestion – Suck it up! It's only cold.

Cinch up the hood on your rainwear. Your Dome/balaclava can be in addition to rainwear.

"Suck it up! It's only cold."

The cold I can deal with. The wind… not so much.
Besides, I need to be more streamlined in the wind so that I can keep up with you on the trail.

ID Primalid. I've only used it about a dozen times for work purposes thus far but looking forward to taking it on my next trip. Pertex shell keeps the wind at bay and primaloft has me taking it off at times to let some heat out. This was in temps in the 20s and 30s. Warmest non-hood headwear I've used.

Adam, I've been using an OR Windstopper balaclava occasionally for 10 years. It was quite effective during 0*F 40 mph winds in Antarctica, if that helps. It's hard to hear well though the Windstopper material, but that's a small price to pay, normally.

Hooded windshirt on top of R1 Hoody. Hooded puffy parkas also help.

I also have an OR Sonic Balaclava (mesh removed) that I use when things get ridiculous.

I have the OR WindPro Balaclava and the OR WindPro hat they make for more military functions. I like them both over regular fleece because they do greatly reduce the amount of wind coming through versus regular fleece and breath really well which Windstopper does not at all. I wish it was more wind resistant but I will live. Combining either with a hood really does help though and you head does not get too hot. The Balaclava is thick for WindPro and huge.

Fairly windproof (under 30MPH) when you combine the two also.

Thanks Gary!
That's a huge endorsement.

And, Matt, I considered my R1 Hoody and Houdini for the next trip. I feel like this would be nice as I wouldn't have 2 or more pieces of headwear. I may give this a go next time to test it out and see how it compares.

Thanks all for the replies thus far.

You need either fleece with a windproof membrane or a tightly woven shell on your headwear. A hood will work but needs to be a good design.

In high winds and blowing snow I've been happiest with a Windbloc fleece balaclava over a baseball cap with goggles and a neoprene facemask. Not UL by any means! I like the Windbloc fleece instead of shelled bomber hats because it seems to affect my hearing less- the sound of snow blasting against a hard shell over my ears can be pretty loud.

> Suck it up! It's only cold.
'A numb brain is a dumb brain. Only a dumb brain gets a numb brain.'
Dr Phil Law, Director, Australian Antarctic Research Expedition

Needless to say, I agree with Phil. You need a windproof layer over something else.

Cheers

"'A numb brain is a dumb brain. Only a dumb brain gets a numb brain.'
Dr Phil Law, Director, Australian Antarctic Research Expedition"

I'll keep that in mind when I go to the Antarctic!

Fleece lined shell caps are very popular in the Scottish mountains in winter. There are quite a few, but they are all along the lines of this eVent Rab Mountain Cap

http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Bomber-Supplex-Brown-305n/dp/B001IBKBYK/ref=pd_sbs_a_4

oh so warm

i usually just wear patagonia's r1 balaclava with OR peruvian hat over that. i like having flexibility of the balaclava + the windstopperness of the hat

"FWIW, I was wearing either a MH Dome Perignon, a Pat R1 balaclava or both at times. I love the blaclava, but it doesn't do a bit to cut wind."

Consider replacing the Dome Perignon with a MH Transition Featherweight Dome(1 oz). It has a Gore Windstopper membrane that really cuts the wind. I use it with my R1 Hoody all the time with excellent results and, IME, it breathes just fine. It would be fine over a balaclava as well.

I recomend a spandex type toque, I get them at running stores such as the runnning room. Mine looks like a neck tube but can be cinched up type at the one end to make a very wind proof and versitile hat. Another choice is to add a nylon shell to a simple fleece toque. Very simple to make

I have a tendency to layer my head. In winter this is typical a moderately wind resistant wicking base (sometimes a polarbuff or a cloudveil schoeller dryskin cap or the hood from the patagonia r1. These all preserve hearing and provide enough ventilation to keep my head from sweating. As it gets colder I pull up the hood from my jacket. When that's not enough a high loft insulated cap (ancient golite snow cap or down bakalava goes on).

–Mark

If you simply want a hat that keeps out the wind and cold then get a Black Rock Down Beanie (www.blackrockgear.com). At only .74 ounces its THE lightest and warmest hat available not to mention the only down beanie you'll find anywhere. It's two layers of .9oz Momentum fabric with 900fp goose down making it extremely windproof and the soft wicking dryline headband keeps it snug and in place keeping your head and ears warm.

It's lighter and compresses better than any synthetic hat you can find especially compared to the bulky ID Primalid which is more than twice the weight and a few times the bulk. Stuff this in your pocket on a winter trip or a high mountain spring hike and it dissapears.

The windstopper fabric hats are great but they have no insulation and simply do nothing more than cut the wind. You can't really wear them at night to keep your head warm like the Black Rock Hat. So no need for two hats, one windstopper and the other insulation, just go with a single Black Rock Hat.

There is a review of it here by Rock and Ice: http://www.rockandice.com/basecamp/Basecamp18.html#field

Hey, Adam,

I agree with your choice of the R1 balaclava, and I'll cast the fourth vote for a wind shell hood as a necessary compliment. A windproof shell hood in combination with your R1 is roughly comparable to the OR Wind Pro, with the additional benefit of a wider temperature/comfort range. With your Perignon to keep your forehead from burning cold in strong winds you might be set.

I have a no longer available OR PS 50 balaclava. It doesn't provide as much face coverage as your R1, but like you, I think the performance is great. In conditions like you describe I would also also add a fleece cap, mine has a looser weave than your Perignon, between the PS and hood.

But in wind, my face would still be cold. If the collar of my shell garment is tall enough, it and the balaclava will keep my chin warm. Finally, and try this before you laugh, I wear a thin fleece headband over the bridge of my nose, over my cheeks, and around my head. It works great in these conditions and I always use it.

I have a moonlite/light? pile OR Gorilla balaclava for colder conditions and I'm glad that it is not windproof. It is extremely breathable, but I always have a wind shell to augment it. In fact, in sub zero, windy conditions, my gorilla requires a shell, at least until I'm warmed up.

I like the OR Baffin balaclava – made of windstopper fleece and has face mask type arrangement

I like the OR Gorilla balaclava. Velcro makes it fit exactly right. The separate nose piece is easier to breath through than a scarf and stays in place better.

You might want to take a look at the Bomber Hat on Ray Jardine's RayWay website. You have to sew it but I like the idea that you don't need a parka hood up to keep your head warm and protected from the wind. I spend six months in Antarctica using a balaclava and a fur trimmed parka hood. The combination did keep my head warm but the wind blowing the fur and the rim of the parka hood into my face when I was not fully cinched up was annoying to say the least.

Lowe Alpine Mountain Cap. After I lost my first one while working at a ski hill, I bought two replacements. WPB outer shell, backed w/fleece. Small wired brim, ear flaps. Works great!