Sun hat

[Stephen M]

Hi folks,

Does anyone know if any of big box stores (Walmart, Meijers, Target etc.) sell decent sun hats that don't weigh too much.

Went to the local Sporting Goods shops and all the had where straw hats.

Cheers,

Stephen

[Will Webster]

I like my Columbia Omni-shade. They're a pretty well-distributed brand so you should be able to find it in the big boxes – if not WMart look for a Dick's or Bass Pro.

[Stephen M]

Cheers Will,

I will have a look in Walmart tomorrow, I don't know there is a Dicks or Bass pro locally but I can always call in to the Columbia outlet shop on my way to the airport on Thursday.

Thanks,

Stephen

[Mary D]

My favorite sun hat is the Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat. Yes, it's dorky, but it keeps the sun off, is well ventilated, and has a drape in the back so there's no brim sticking out to get into fights with my pack!

Also, I can pull my rain jacket hood over the hat; it squashes the brim in a bit at the sides but the hat brim gives me as good a cover as an umbrella over my glasses. The brim holds up to rain just fine. It's also a great base for a mosquito headnet!

You'll probably have to order it from REI or somewhere, so you may not get it in time for your trip. Consider it for future use, though. I use mine not only on the trail but at home for gardening!

Have a great time on on your trip!

[Mark Verber]

+1 to Mary's Sunday Afternoon hats. Best I have found. I have noticed that our local costco had what looked like knock-offs of the Sunday Afternoon hats. Didn't look at them carefully but at first glance they seemed ok.

–mark

[Stephen M]

Hi Mary and Mark,

I will definitley check out that hat, I should be able to get in the Boulder branch of Rei on thursday evening and try it out.

I have these visions of the type of that French foriegn legion solders wear :-)

I am really looking forward to trip :-)

[John Jensen]

I've got a Outdoor Research Sun Runner cap, which is maybe kind of luxury item, but I've taken to wear it cap-only, sometimes with my bandanna.

I'd think the big box stores would all have similar runner's caps. Lightweight baseball caps.

Other than that, when there isn't too much wind, a cheap straw hat rocks.

[In Active]

The Kmart in my area has lightweight wide brimmed nylon sun hats in the hunting/fishing department.

[Brett Peugh]

I am in the same boat having tried out many hats. You can get good sun protection or good ventilation but not both. I have the Sundya Afternoon Adventure hat and wish it had much more ventilation as it creates a hot pocket of hair on the top of my head but for sun it is really good. I have tried the East Asian style cone hats and they do a similar thing.

I know I have seen the boonie style hats n all the big box stores you have mentioned at one time or another. Just check out their website or call if you don't want to drive and be disappointed.

[Mark Verber]

> I have these visions of the type of that French foriegn legion solders wear :-)

I have tried those hats as well… their veil blocks the wind t0o much. the nice thing about the sunday afternoon style is that the is far enough away from from your neck to let the wind cool your neck off. The side panels are coolmax mesh… but Brett is right… there isn't ventilation at the very top of the hat… but they do better at keeping be shaded and my head cool than any other hat I have tried

–Mark

[Jeff M.]

Is there any difference between the sunday afternoon sport and adventure hat besides the decorative strip on the front of the adventure hat? I'm interested in it. I currently use the OR Sun Runner cap, but I find the bill a little short and find the covering covers my vision a bit when used.

[Peter Griffith]

The Sport has a 5" neck drape, while the Adventure has a 7.5" neck drape. The neck drape on the Sport has the option to tuck into the hat crown, while the Adventure has a spot of velcro on the back of the neck drape to fix it to the back of the hat. The brim on the Adventure stops near the ears and turns into the neck drape, while the brim on the Sport tapers by the ears back to the hat and the neck drape is not an extension of the brim. It appears the Adventure sticks out more by the ears.

[Marc Eldridge]

Found this in the back of the truck when I got home from the GGG. Soaked it in bleach and am using it. Nice hat

[Mary D]

That's my Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat! Except that mine is gray-green and not lost! I hope you get lots of useful wear out of it!

[Steve B]

Kind of off topic, but to prolong the life of a hat (like my Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat, great hat), Oxyclean really gets those sweat stains out.

Steve

[Ken Thompson]

Glad you like the hat I picked up on my way out Marc.

[Raymond Estrella]

Another big vote for the Sunday Afternoons Adventure. I got my first one in 2003 and later tested a revised version which I replaced a year ago with the same thing.

http://tinyurl.com/44xqoa7

[Stephen M]

I must defintley get myself one of those hats :-)

[Paul Magnanti]

My boonie hat aka The Dorky sun hat from the military surplus store.

Nylon/cotton blend that repels rain, snow, sun and gives me that coveted dirtbagger look… :)

$10 or so. Durable and it works.

Been using one form or another for 10+ years.

[Mark Verber]

> Another big vote for the Sunday Afternoons Adventure. I got my first one in 2003

Funny… that's when I got my sunday afternoon adventure hat as well. It was claimed by ny wife a year or two later, and I purchased the sport version which has been on every trip where the temp was expected to be above freezing, It's still in very good condition, and I expect many more years of service from it. Just wish I didn't look like such a dork in it.

Alas, I know it's not the hat… it's me. My wife good nice in hers, especially after she decorated it, and my daughter is cute as a button in her brightly color kids sunday afternoon hat.

–mark

[Dale Wambaugh]

If you have a baseball cap and a bandanna, you can take a short piece of line and tie it to the corners of a bandanna and drape it over the bill of the cap so it can cover your neck and ears. Wetting it can help cool you when it is really hot. You can just put the bandanna on your head and put the cap on over it too. More space between your head and the top of the cap helps— that is where peaked hats like a Tilley help.

For a truly dorky look, a letter carrier's plastic sun helmet works great and makes a fantastic rain hat as well. There are plastic beekeeper's helmets wit more ventilation on the sides.

[Daryl and Daryl]

Sunday Afternoon Hat design is my favorite for sure.

Bought several at flea markets in Hawaii a number of years ago for about $8 each. Friend recently looked for them there and couldn't find them.

My wife said Home Depot had a bunch of them at the end of an aisle for about $20, They were gone by the time I got there.

[Richard Lyon]

Another enthusiastic vote for the SA Adventure Hat, which (as did Ray) I reviewed for BackpackGearTest.org. See http://tinyurl.com/77jeobc for some action photos.

Richard

[Jeffrey Windsor]

I was going to say that I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those dorky SA Adventure hats, but I wear a Tilley; obviously my judgement is severely compromised.

There's nothing UL about my Tilley: it's cotton and overpriced and, frankly, kinda dorky too. But I've had it for 20 years and worn it all over and it makes me smile every time I read the dopey tag inside the crown. It's 162 grams of luxury to me.

[Dale Wambaugh]

The nylon Tilley hats are light. I have a nylon T3 that is just 4.1oz. I'd love to get one on the new breathable synthetic hats with a larger brim like the T5, but with prices hovering around $75 I'll remain content with what I have!

They look less dorky if you are over 50 ;)

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