winter hiking hat

[Brian Kelly]

I am curious what you guys are using for a winter hiking hat. I was going to get the north face windstopper high point but the largest size i can find is a large which is to just a little to small for my fat head.

[Mike M]

I use a mountain hardwear ruinart beanie- it's light ~ 1.5 oz, but does a good job of block wind while still letting the hat breathe- I've found several hats that do a good job of blocking wind, but you sweat too much in them on the move

the ruinart also comes down a little to cover your ears, most beanies stop at the top of the ears- if I'm too warm I simply push the hat up

I have a small head (7), but it comes in two sizes regular and large, so the large might be an option for you????

[Raquel Rascal]

Check out these Discovery Expedition hats on Sierra Trading Post. Good prices and good quality. I just bought the microfiber ear flap cap and it's great. Benefit is having a brim to block the sun from your face. Trapper hat looks interesting too..

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/discovery-expedition~b~3598/

[Paul Magnanti]

Light wool beanie with a polypro balaclava if need be.

The balaclava works as a scarf, additional protection for the face and so on. Very versatile.

Floating around 0F in this photo on a ski tour when this photo was taken (in the trees…the wind was fierce outside of the trees)

Love how wool repels snow, breathes and well, a Nordic pattern wool beanie just looks cool for backcountry skiing ;)

[Brett Peugh]

Personally I use the Wind Pro Balaclava from OR matched with with a Wind Pro hat that they also produce that has a ear and neck flap that is mainly made for the military. Works great in that it dries fast, stops most of the wind but still breathes so my head doesn't overheat.

[Anonymous]

Second vote for the Ruinart. The large size beanie is great for my big melon. Very comfortable winter hat. Looks like they've redesigned it to drop lower over the ears, though, so you'll want to double-check the fit.

[Brian Kelly]

I looked at the ruinart and it is still just to small. I need a XL hat my head size is about 7 3/4 the larges all go to 7 5/8. I could try one but chance are it will just give me a head ache if worn for extended period of time. Paul I like wool for winter or wet times also. I love wool gloves when I am steelhead fishing. Id like to find a smart wool or something like that for a hat that fits well and doesnt give me a head ache

[Jeff J]

I have a large melon too, and have a similar issue. The Arc'teryx Waldo beanie is the only bit of Arc gear I have, and it's pretty awesome. Made of acrylic so it's warm when wet and dries fast. Stretchy so it fits totally over my ears, and I can wear it over a thin balaclava as well. The best is the design, though; the fabric is doubled up for about 2.5" around the edge so it's warmer where it needs to be, and breathes really well on top.

-Jeff

[Brian Kelly]

Thanks jeff ill have to give it a try

[Ken Bennett]

I hike in a Microdome from Mountain Hardwear. It's a thin microfleece beanie. Just right in all but the coldest weather. For camp I bring a homemade tube hat made from 200-wt fleece. Oh, and I have a hood on my down jacket.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

The Everest Designs "Peruvian style" knit wool hat is my choice.

1. heavy knit outer hat made by a women's co-op in Nepal (nice gray & black patterns too)
2. light fleece liner sewn in in the US. (no itching forehead from wool)

Absolutely warm!

** If you rub Nik Wax or Sno Seal shoe wax on your hands and then into the wool outer you will have a VERY water resistant hat. A hair drier set on "warm" and used all over the outer will help the wax soak into the fibers.

[Ken Thompson]

Hand made hat gifted to me by BPL member, and good friend Kat at Mountain Goat

http://www.mountaingoathatsandgoods.com/

Get it sized and colored for your noggin.

[Mark Verber]

I haven't really every settled on one hat. There is an anti-choice though, which is nothing that is 100% windproof unless facing super cold, in which case it's not a hat, it's a high loft insulated hood or baklava. I often end up layering my hats. The base layer is one of three hats:

Cloudveil Four Shadow Beanie… may favorite hat in the winter when highly active. Made from Dryskin. Repells snow better than most other materials while not interfering too much with hearing. Wind resistant enough to to keep my ears from hurting from the cold, but lets enough air to circulate that I don't overheat / start sweating. Not typically brought if I am wearing my R1 hoody.

The hood from my R1 hoody with or without my shell's hood… because I can flip it up or down and not lose it. R1 fairly insulating if wind is blocked but just takes the edge off it wind is blowing and not blocked. Gives me a large comfort range.

Mountain Hardware Flex Baklava if it's really cold to protect skin on face.

The "insulated" hat I typically layer over the "base" hat when it's *really* cold and/or I am just sitting rather than working hard. I use either a GoLite Snow Cap (long since discontinued… think hunters cap shape but made with light weight nylon and primaloft insulation) or a downworks insulated baklava.

I almost always have have a PolarBuff which is sometimes used as a neck gaiter, sometimes sort of a baklava, and sometimes a beanie depending on conditions and what other headgear is on the trip.

–Mark

[Stephan Doyle]

Black Rock Down Beanie.

[Seth Brewer]

I'd look at the Mountain Hardwear Dome Perignon in XL – an excellent hat at a great price (currently on clearance for $15 I believe at EMS). Windstopper fleece with a nice added lower section that covers the ears.

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