Just wanted to give a shout out for my favorite hiking ball cap, the Headsweats Racehat, which I have successfully used for a year now.
At first I though a ball cap wouldn’t provide enough sun protection, but I simply tie two corners of a hanky in a knot, center it on my head and put the hat over it with the hanky in back like a cape. Looks a little strange, but it’s effective. In this configuration I believe a ball cap gives more sun protection, especially on the back of the neck, than some full brimmed hiking hats. I’ve seen expensive hats like this with dedicated nylon capes, but I think they may be a little hot in warm weather(over 90F,) or at least hotter than a hanky cape. Since a hanky is so thin, a little sun sometimes gets through, so you should use sunblock on your neck even when using the hanky cape if your skin is sensitive.
This is a good way to multi task a hanky, which I always carry anyway. A ball cap also multi tasks under a hood, keeping rain off the face and preventing the hood from flopping down.
This hat has no neckstrap, but may not need one, since it has stayed on my head in 50 mph winds, as measured with my Brunton ADC Summit instrument. It has an effective adjusting buckle in back which allows a person to cinch it down when the wind picks up.
Anyway, if you like ball caps for hiking, consider this one–in conjuntion with a hanky. Weights 2 ozs, mostly Coolmax, machine washable, stiff bill that will not deform in the wind, comes in several colors and the hat is just very comfortable overall. It kind of looks cool too.
Its costs $20 and is sold by REI or see http://www.headsweats.com and click on Racehat.
p.s. I don’t work for REI or Headsweats, I just appreciate effective hiking gear!
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