UL Fall/Winter Hat options

I don't like wearing hats in general but in winter I need to. After a bit of experimenting I now have two hat options that work for me. One is an Outdoor Research Peruvian style Windstopper hat with ear flaps and an elastic band across the bottom. The band is important because it allows me to snug the hat up against the ears in very cold weather. My second and most favorite combination is a down balaclava under the hood of my jacket. This fits loosely around my face and yet breathes a lot, keeping my ears and head just the right temp. If I need my head to be just a little cooler I just throw the hood back until I need it again. Works great for me.

Consider a down hat. Much warmer than a fleece. Katabatic makes a couple great down hoods.

Very cool suggestion, Marmot Prince; I'd never heard of that brand before, but will definitely check them out.

Speaking of down hats, anyone have experience with the Outdoor Research Transcendent beanie?

http://www.rei.com/product/819152/outdoor-research-transcendent-beanie-hat

It weights 1 oz and it looked and felt fine when I tried it on, but I don't know how warm it will be.

+1 on the Peruvian style caps with ear flaps. I feel the cold more on my ears than my head overall. The OR model in Windstopper is good. Other than that, a simple microfleece beanie is something everyone should have– cheap, light and easy to stow.

I'm still looking for the perfect balaclava– it seems to be a very personal sort of fit– head and neck size, face opening, how breathable, etc. So far, the lighter ones seem to work best.

I've been experimenting with a buff too, but they seem small for me (I wear an XL hat). I think I can get more out of a simple fleece scarf. I've been thinking about using a square of microfleece like a shemagh — a shemagh is the cloth head scarf worn across the Middle East. All you need is a simple square about 40" on a side. It may be that fleece is a little thick and a shemagh is typically worn folded into a triangle, so a single layer triangle of fleece may work as well. My thinking is that it could be a universal sort of item like a bandana– scarf, hat, balaclava, a neck seal for your quilt or sleeping bag, etc.

whatever the skiers use and you can buy cheap at a dept store

i usually use a $1 beanie …

i havent found it performs any differently from a $30 beanie …

@ Dale
-In regards of a buff, I know that the merino wool versions are significantly longer than the original models buffs so maybe you should give that a try.

It is the diameter of the buffs that I'm having a problem with– too tight.

I use my bike helmet liner hat. 1.1oz goes over the ears and packs down to nothing.

http://www.rei.com/product/786450/novara-thermal-tech-beanie

I am a fan of my Lowe Alpine Mountain cap.

But for lighter weight options I go between two different synthetic balaclavas. One is really lightweight fleece made by TurtleFur. The other one is much warmer and is made of Polartec 100 Powerstretch (made by Cold Lizard).

I really love the sound of a Black Rock down beanie but I haven’t justified buying one yet due to the price.

I like having a bill, so maybe a model with lightweight but lined earflaps?

Have a Patagonia lined in R2 fleece but too small for my 7 3/4 noggin.

Hey, Eric, you could step up to $3.99 and get a classic :)

Lightweight fleece caps are a dime a dozen, any cornerstore or pharmacy will sell inexpensive fleece or acrylic beanies that work as good as any of the cottage stuff, with maybe the exception of the Black Rock beanie or a down balaclava like others recommended. The addition of a windproof liner or wool knit exterior with a fleece liner is worth the extra weight/cost for a fall/winter cap. Dale, my head is kinda big and the merino Buff fits me very well, they are very stretchy, more so than the standard Buff.

Not to drift this too far, those that have experience with them, what are the advantages to a down beanie besides weight, and are they worth the cost? Here's my take, having never worn or seen one inperson, maybe you can change my mind: #1-Expensive. #2- Camp use only, wont handle sweat/ moisture and sustained activity #3- Sewn through baffles #4- Compression and loss of warmth when used in a sleep system. Does wearing a cinched hood over a down beanie affect warmth?

"It is the diameter of the buffs that I'm having a problem with– too tight."

Try putting it on from the top down instead of the bottom up…… ;-)

I usually use the OR Wind Pro Balaclava as a hat or balaclava. Breathes well and slows down the wind. They also make Wind Pro hat for the military that has ear flaps and fits under helmets. A few stores carry them, I like both and they are my go to items.

I usually wear a 7-5/8, which is either an XL or an XXL depending on the manufacturer, and I haven't had a lick of trouble with the fit of my merino Buff. To anyone on the fence about getting one of these, I strongly encourage you to pick one up. It's so many things in one: neck gaiter, beanie, balaclava, eye mask for sleeping in northern latitudes, etc.

In winter I like to use a thin balaclava and a lighweight windproof beanie as a system. Size the beanie so that it can fit comfortably over the balaclava. That way you can wear either piece alone per the conditions, but if it's really cold you can layer the beanie over the balaclava.

Mountain Hardwear makes a great windproof beanie that has regular fleece over the ears so that your hearing is good. Very warm, light, and effective.

@David: who makes them in sizes? All I have seen is the buffusa.com items.

Dale, sorry about any confusion. As far as I know, they're a one-size-fits-all kind of product. I was just suggesting that, despite my humongous melon, I've had no issues with the fit.

The merino wool Buffs are bigger in diameter (around 1/2") and twice as long as the ploypro Buffs.

You can also get a buff with a Gore-Tex windstopper membrane.

I am liking the idea of a head wrap. The single triangle of fleece could work great. You may need to add a tassel or something to help hold it in place at the corners. I think a full sized wool keffiyah could work great as well.

My brother brought me one back from Jordan, and it fits really nicely. I've had the problem in the past with beanies and balaclavas being uncomfortable after wearing them for hours on end in the cold. I think wrapping would solve this problem for me. I think this is going to be something I make for myself in the very near future. I'm not sure of the fleece, but a wool one would definitely work.

Nunatak makes in interesting down balaclava. It uses snaps in the front to make temp adjustments easy.

It's probably overkill for your purposes at 4oz and $116, but someone may like it.

http://nunatakusa.com/site07/garments/balaclava.htm

New on the website

"What other hats besides the above mentioned hats would you recommend and/or like?"

Mountain Hardwear Airshield Micro Dome. 1.7 oz; $25. This puppy is comfortable, windproof, and WARM.