Cuben hat cover?

[Jeremy Platt]

Hi guys,

Have recently been thinking about what to do with my .5 oz cf and just had the idea to make a hat cover. The idea is… I assume goretex hats would be much hotter and sweatier, and heavier than non waterproof hats. When it rains though, having a waterproof hat means you can ditch a hood and have a much better time (better visibility, airflow movement etc).

I thus plan on making a hat cover maybe with a velcro attachment at the top and also attachment points around the brim. I reckon this would only weigh 20 or so grams and would be pretty darn handy.

Has anyone done this before? If so does anyone have any tips?

Cheers,

Jeremy.

[Steven Paris]

I don't have any insights about making it, but I think it sounds like a good idea. Cyclists have helmet covers for the same reason.

[Jeremy Platt]

Just googled a bit more extensively and found that people already make these out of normal plastic:

http://www.signalone.com.au/content_common/pr-wide-brim-hats_plastic-hat-cover.seo
http://www.thehatshop.com.au/products/Plastic-Hat-Rain-Protectors.html
http://www.kingstons.net.au/products/Western-Hat-Cover.html

Anybody have any experience using one of these?

[Jake D]

wouldn't a shower cap be as light and a crap ton cheaper than Cuben?

[Steve B]

Got to thinking of a rain cover also, but thought that it would be quite sweaty if the material isn't breathable. So how about having the part on the head out of the WPB cuben that zpacks has?

Haven't used those covers that you linked. Don't know how well they (or any hat cover) would work with the Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat.

Steve

[Nick Gatel]

IMO, a non-breathable hat is not the best idea in any weather. In hot weather I wear a wide brim Tilley, which is water resistant and has a lot of venting.

In cooler weather, where I expect a lot of rain, I wear a REI eVent baseball cap. Works pretty good. So I will hike with my poncho hood tucked out of the rain. If the rain gets really bad, I put on the hood and the cap helps with visibility. It is a system that works well for me.

[Andy Duncan]

I recently made a cuben hat cover for a Sunday Afternoons hat. After hiking in the rain recently I kept my hat and windshirt on as long as possible (until they both soaked through). Although the hat eventually soaked through it was enough to keep rain off my head and neck. Once I stopped and put on a poncho the rain stopped (of course).

I made a cuben rain parka w/ a hood and pit zips and used it on the JMT this summer, but it was way too hot/clammy.

So I made a cuben poncho/pack cover/ground sheet with a tall colar (to protect my neck and divert rain falling down from the sides) and a hat cover. This seems like the best way to get total rain protection and decent overall breathability.

It's made with 0.51 cuben. I bonded the seams with cuben tape at the top and sewed french seams along the sides. This is my first version and it is a little too small. I plan on making on a bit larger next time.

[Jeremy Platt]

Nice work Andy,

That thing looks sweet. I am currently wearing a non waterproof hat over the top of my jacket hood which has worked well but I will hopefully build something similar in future.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[Matthew Pullan]

How about making the hat out of ventile?
http://www.extremtextil.de/catalog/EtaProof-waterproof-cotton-2nd-choice::550.htm
Then you can forget about the cover completely! BTW, I completely agree with the comments about low breathability in hats. I used a hat in the Pyrenees in 2003 with a WPB membrane and ended up with a really bad case of dandruff. Now I avoid any WPB membrane like the plague, I just use cotton instead. I'd rather my head got wet than fell off.
Matt

[Robert Richey]

Hey Andy, I was thinking about the hat rain cover you made to go over a broad brimmed straw hat which provides maximum shade for my face which is prone to develop basal cell carcinoma, a not too harmful form of skin cancer. The cover would be removable to take advantage of the fact that these straw hats are much cooler than traditional sun hats or the ZPacks Pointy Hat which is what I currently use for backpacking. The straw hat’s brim tilts down around the circumference of the hat so no pooling of water would take place. Your thoughts?

[Author]

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