Best backpacking hat?

You are so right, John. I like my bandannas of the "do rag" variety for headwear. Forgot to mention in my previous post that buffs can also be worn as sun hats to protect the back of the neck. Just tuck the back extra cloth under to form a neck protector or it in "pirate mode" to protect the neck and tuck your ears under the buff in harsh sunlight. Seriously, IMO, buffs are by far the most versatile of headwear in all conditions.

Stargazer (a Buff buff)

Bandannas are great. They keep the sweat out of my eyes and are so multi-functional.

BUT, I'd hate to wear just a bandanna in the harsh UV radiation of Colorado.

I tan very well (thanks to my southern Italian ancestors and various invaders of southern Italy over the years ), but anyone fries up at 12k or so feet on a high alpine pass.

So, I wear the dorky sun hat to keep the sun off my face and the melanoma at bay! :D

I hate sunscreen (see above about sweat in the eyes..even worse with sun screen!) and would rather wear clothing to protect me from the UV radiation than glop; esp on a multi-day trip.

Works wonders down here.

That ain't a dorky hat.

That has panache and is sure to make any man hiking the trail have women desire them and have men desire to be like him.

Now excuse me while I reminisce about my trip to the the Pecos wilderness and ponder more green chile' beer from Eskes Brew Pub in Taos.

;)

In the forest in summer: a headband.
I only need something to keep the sweat out of my eyes and glasses.

In the open in summer: military desert hat, beating others in cost and maybe durability

Other times, excluding very cold winter: polyester running hat with a bill

I've been wearing the Sombriolet Sun Hat and a $10 very light nylon "golf hat" from Target. Similar to other sun hats by MH, OR, etc, just a baseball-style cap in nylon/polyester with two strips of mesh to keep your head cool.

Looks a bit like this one from MH:

I wear a hat so i don't have to use Sunscreen anywhere on my head and neck. That requires a full brim. Baseball style caps are useless for that purpose because it leaves the side and neck exposed.

My hat currently is a Tilley LTM6. I have to admit that it doesn't breath as well as I would like but that's compared to not wearing anything at all so hard to compete with nothing.

I do have to say that Buff's are really nice as well. I really like being able to dip them in a cold stream and put on. You can get the full sun protection if you wear it Balaclava style.

Merino wool buff- regulates a wide temp range, multipurpose, comfortable

Cheap wide brimmed straw hat- tons of sun coverage, breathable, light, cheap!

Outdoor Research Sun Runner & a tube bandana.

I seem to be one of the few who prefer a tube bandana… never understood why more people do not like them.

I googled "tube bandana" and found out that a buff is a tubular bandana. So that puts Stargazer and Newton on board as people who like tubular bandanas a.k.a. buffs.

Eugene may qualify but only when he isn't wearing his straw hat or sombrero.;-)

Party On,

Newton

—

Found a Froggtoggs Aussie hat. 3 oz. waterpoof, breathable good sun protection with full wide brim, packable, not too dorky, $12.00 at my local sporting goods store.

http://www.froggtoggs.com/?accessories/details/FTH101

I have a big noggin…okay…a huge noggin…so I am very limited on the hats I can wear. When I find a hat that works I protect it with my life and/or buy extras for backup. So far my faves are…

Arcteryx toque for warmth and a Tilley T3 for sun protection.

I **love** my merino buff, but I bought it for a day trip into Denali when I forgot my Arc toque. The only color they had was Cru which is basically caucasian skin color so, yes, it looks like I'm wearing pantyhose on my head. Needless to say, I don't wear it much, but I do love the functionality of it.

All that said, I have long hair and my favorite thing to wear while actually hiking is a bandana headband like a good ol' hippy.

I recently got my fourth Tilley hat over the past twenty five years. I now have two T3's- one in brown and one in what was once olive. I also have a hemp version (the TH5). . However, the one I bought recently I wear all the time- walking the dog, paddling my canoe, hiking the trails north of the city. It is the Tilley Outback (TWC7), kinda like a Filson hat I used to own and liked. You can see it here-

http://www.tilley.com/The-TWC7-Outback-Hat.aspx

Ya, they're a bit pricy but they're worth it and they look great and they last forever- or, in my case, at least 25 years!

I bought this baseball style hat from Sierra Trading Post two months ago and got to use it in very bright alpine conditions for two trips. It's by Discovery Expeditions. I'm not kidding when I say that the hat has excellent mesh ventillation, an extra long brim to block the sun (I didn't wear sunglasses while hiking, such a relief), perfect for wearing a mosquito net and keeping it off of your face, a string to attach it to your clothing, and a really nice liner to soak the sweat from your forehead…

I got this hat for $6.95 with a discount code! I couldn't believe the quality of this product. http://www.sierratradingpost.com/discovery-expedition-cool-tech-flap-cap-for-men-and-women~p~4849w/?filterString=mens-hats~d~4885%2FDiscovery-Expedition~b~3598%2F&colorFamily=02

Oh crap, I should go out and buy more before they stop producing it.

*edit* I just bought two more with an additional 35% for $6.45 a piece. These would make an excellent gift for your favorite hiker. They are one size fits all and not too dorky on my head.

I've found this to be a practical cap for backpacking, and I bought it at a local mom&pop outdoor store. It appears to be a standard navy blue baseball cap, except that it is Goretex. That makes it slightly warm in the summer and somewhat drier in the winter wet weather.

–B.G.–

LOVE my OR Swift cap.

I'd say my "backpacking hats" ae either seasonal (LL Bean fleece baseball hat W/ ear flaps & TNF synthetic ball cap).

Or climatic (REI mesh vented polyester wide brim hat for sun shade).

(TILLEY hats? well, good quality, 'spensive but ALL COTTON. Don't want one on my head when it's raining!)

@Eric

Yes, Tilley hats are ALL COTTON…unless, of course, you buy one made of wool, nylon, hemp, or raffia. ;)

You mean they now make a Tilley of NYLON??? Sacreledge!

Well, in that case Tilley makes the best synthetic hat on the market. (mea culpa)

Uh, I guess it's the grandpa hat i like.

$82.00 for a Tilley?? That's insane! What can that hat do that my $12 froggtogg can't? I looked up their 3 oz nylon and it doesn't even claim to be waterproof. "weather and stain repellant finish" Please enlighten me.

I've owned a Bora bora booney, Tilley, Sunny day hat, and an OR sun runner hat. None of them are as good as my Koppen no fly zone with mesh sides.

> $82.00 for a Tilley?? That's insane! What can that hat do that my $12 froggtogg can't?

It has style and is close to indestructible. Tiley used to (maybe they still do) collect stories about what their hats surivived… like being consumed and then pooped by by an elephant… multiple times?! — That was submitted by a zoo keeper who had a troublesome elephant. Then again, if the hat was cheaper, maybe he wouldn't have felt the need to recover the hat, wash it, and wear it again :)

It was recommended earlier in the thread, but I would vote for a hat which is more expensive than your $12 hat as well. For me, it would be the sunday afternoon adventure hat which is around $36. It is the coolest wearing hat I have found with a great brim, and a veil that protects the back of my neck without bumping into my pack. Looks stupid on me, pretty nice on the women in my family which I think is no fair. One model or another from Sunday Afternoon is the favorite hat of everyone in my family, and many of the people I backpack with… at least the ones with no fashion sense :)

–Mark

My hat is more for rain and UV protection than coolness. I'm a southern Man so I can handle the "heat" while hiking. However I do like the Idea of the veil in back instead of the brim.