Are WPB caps a good idea?

I wear a Sunday Afternoons sun visor under by hood in the rain. It handles rain fine, and doesn't make my head hot(ter) under the hood. Also it has a bigger brim than most ball caps.

Works as a sun shade too. :) I usually wear it over a buff in the sun.

I've been through enough hats to buy a high end rain jacket, and that is my preferred combination. Its utterly superior at handling sweat to everything else, and pretty light.

Hats seem to work better than caps. I have an OR Goretex baseball type cap and it doesn't breathe well and I just use it around town. The hats like the Seattle Sombrero have a wicking liner and much more room in the crown and are dryer to wear. I think a looser fit and wicking liner are the things that help. A plain nylon baseball style cap with a good DWR treatment may be the best way to go, particularly if you are using a hood anyway.

Sunday Afternoons makes rain hats too. I have the Cloudburst model but haven't given it the full tilt test yet. It has a 6" cape on the back, so it gives neck coverage without banging into my pack, which I like.

http://www.sundayafternoons.com/men/winter-hats/rain-hats/oregon-cloudburst-rain-hat.html

I use this:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/outdoor-research-revel-convertible-hat-upf-15-for-men-and-women~p~5114f/?r=m

It's $16 if you got a 35% off coupon, I got one you can use if you want. Plus free shipping if you use their mobile App to buy.

It's very thin, wicking material for the inside, UPF fabric, and it has a pull out 2.5 Pertex Shield membrane fabric for when it starts to rain that tucks into the bill.

I like it because I can just use the hat with membrane for when it's a sprinkle, or the hat without a membrane with hood of rain jacket for when it rains a lot. Great hat for running as well, especially in Seattle.

I have an Exoficio bucket hat with a narrow brim. I cut the cotton lining out of it. Although the lining was a good bit of weight, I cut it mainly to make it less hot. I got this for sun. Also, it is easier to store than a hat with a brim I don't want to crush. Not a lot of sun coverage and no water resistance/repellancy. I think I will spray it with water repellant and see what happens.

I have a heavy knit wool cap.

Those two are what I am taking. When are you going ?

PS – off topic and so just 'for what it is worth': depending on where you end up, you might want to be sure you are comfortable with your outer/shell wear and windy conditions.

I had a Marmot Ether ripped open by the wind. It isn't always windy and the declothing was partially my fault. I let the jacket billow and the light zipper gave way. I learned a lesson. If it weren't flapping like a loose sail, I would have been okay – light zipper or not.

I just bought a running cap from the north face called the better than naked hat – very light, should dry super fast and looks ok. We'll see how the DWR goes… Brim will definitely block some sun and rain, and is quite flexible so shouldn't deform if I'm halfway careful.

To answer your other questions Tanner, I'll be wearing a merino buff and will see how I feel on the ground and may buy a merino beanie from 66* North (part practical, part souvenir) on the way through Reykjavik.

I'm going mid July for 3 weeks, hiking from Asbyrgi to Myvatn, Fjallabak trails,Laugavegur, up that volcano and some day hikes around skaftafell, with some bus journeys in the middle. Since I'm not camping in the highlands I hope to avoid the worst wind/storms… I'm sure my cuben duomid would survive a lot, I'm mainly concerned about pitching it in those conditions… My hardshell is a kind of midweight affair from Patagonia, with substantial enough zips, but I'll be mindful of your advice when zipping and unzipping my Houdini…

I have the OR Rando Cap (Gore Tex) and my usual hiking partner has the REI eVent hat. They are great when it is drizzly but not pouring so you can keep your hard shell's hood off, or only wear your wind shell if it is hot enough, and are always awesome in combo with a hard shell hood.

I don't think breathability is too bad, but when you are really working hard you will sweat, hat or not, and it can get a bit sweaty in there. I like it though, and I feel a WPB hat is a top notch add-on for cooler climes and a decent one in hotter.

I do wish the stupid flaps tucked under the hat, and not over it, though.