foldable leather hat

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I looking for a foldable leather hat.
I'm deciding between BC (Bill Conner) hats and Barmah hats, two Australian brands.

For BC the models Hat n The Pouch, Bush Walker and Bac Pac Traveller are foldable
For Barmah the Squashy and foldaway are foldable (I don't know the difference between the two)

Does anyone own one or both brands, which one has the better quality?
I'm leaning slightly towards the BC Hat n The Pouch because I like a wider brim.

I have also been looking at oilskin hats
But I think the leather ones are much better (?)
 
If you want a good all-terrain hat, look at fur felt. Waterproof, breathes, brim as broad as you like. Warm in the winter. Warm in the summer.
 
I don't know of those specific brands, however I do know that leather hats of that style are fairly popular around here. I would think they would be fairly comparable, the BC might be a bit better, but hard to know. Oil skin for a hat doesn't make sense to me. it sheds water, but is not water proof, so it will soak through eventually, they are also harder to wash. Also as they age, they look pretty gross, so if you want something that looks urban and civilized go leather. If you don't care, and want an ugly hat, get a real-deal.
 
gadgetgeek said:
I don't know of those specific brands, however I do know that leather hats of that style are fairly popular around here. I would think they would be fairly comparable, the BC might be a bit better, but hard to know. Oil skin for a hat doesn't make sense to me. it sheds water, but is not water proof, so it will soak through eventually, they are also harder to wash. Also as they age, they look pretty gross, so if you want something that looks urban and civilized go leather. If you don't care, and want an ugly hat, get a real-deal.
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Oil skin jackets do not breath. They are no better than a waterproof rain-suit. I doubt that an oil skin hat will be much better.
 
I had a Barmah Squashy. Excellent quality but so bloody hot I couldn't wear it for very long, so I ended up selling it. Sorry I can't say anything about the other brand.
 
I agree with you about Tilly hats. I would also like to recommend a North Face Hyvent Hiker Hat. You'd have to add waterproofing to a leather hat and it would still be very uncomfortable when it's wet.

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Raymond1000 said:
Tilly hats Rule.
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Mossyhorn said:
I agree with you about Tilly hats. I would also like to recommend a North Face Hyvent Hiker Hat. You'd have to add waterproofing to a leather hat and it would still be very uncomfortable when it's wet.

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I live in the Pacific Northwest. A Tilly hat, as is, works fine for me.
 
I like wool. Warm or cool. Comfortable. Google "Lite felt" I've got a couple. Red Head and Wind River.

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Are you a hat wearer now? If so, you will be fine with the so-called "warmer" hats. I wear a wide-brimmed fur felt hat almost all year round (a very old rabbit fur hat made by Akubra in 1985 for the now-long-gone original Banana Republic, when they were a safari outfitter, before being bought by Gap). It's been with me on more adventures and fishing trips and hunts and trail rides than I can count. It's been indestructible. I've worn waxed cotton, too, in all sorts of weather, hot, cold, and everything in between. It's really about what your tolerance is for having something on your head. Some folks can't abide a straw hat in even the hottest weather. Others can't get by in the cold without something over their ears.

I would say stay away from wool felt if you're going to be getting quite wet. Damp, OK, you can do wool, but don't get them too warm in the drying process or you'll be giving it away to a small child to wear. If you need crushable, stay away from fur felt as they are usually blocked pretty stiff (but get softer with age). I like the look of the Barmah hats I've seen. You might also look at the wool hats at L.L. Bean. They have some nice wool felt crushers that look pretty durable and will, of course, carry the L.L. Bean no-questions-asked guarantee.

Zieg
 
Worn them for years on Vancouver Island. They shed water and dry up pretty quick. I've crushed them in saddle bags and they retain their shape. It rains sometimes on the coast. Just my experience.
 
We got the Smokey The Bear hat pattern from our invasion of the Philippines. It was the best design for shedding water.

A wool hat in the tropics strikes me as insane. But what do I know?

For warm weather rain, you can do a lot worse than a genuine pith helmet.
 
I have Waxed Cotton Filson (great for cold, rainy days), wool hats such as Stormy Kromer (great for cold, dry days), and Tilley hats for everything. They are not particularly warm such as a winter hat is but they do great in the sun and rain. I like the hemp version as it's a bit looser of a weave but the cotton version is pretty cool in that simply the way the fabric is sewn makes it quite stiff. The courtroom version is great for windy days. I highly recommend a Tilley!
 
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kinda late t the party but anyway

Thought Id throw my hat into the ring

I have been using a "jackaroo" brand leather hat for the last couple decades or so , this is my new one , its about 5 year old .
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It folds up , kinda twists over itself into a small circle package , comes with a cutesy cotton bag to carry it that the Mrs took off with real fast .. then she took off .. oh well ..
It isnt water proof .. after quite a few hours in the rain , it will get kinda wet in the stitching .. but by that times , EVERYTHING is kinda wet anyway .. water shooting out the bootlace holes in jets every step kinda wet .. working in a monsoon will do that ..
Its kinda heavy compared to a rabbitfelt acubra hat .. but its half the price and takes a lot more of a beating than one of them does . Horses goats and sheep dont chew on it like they do straw hats either ..

Got no magic synthetic head warming lining either .. just a leather hat .. keeps the sun off , and most the rain a man is likely to be in under normal circumstance .

I found I sweat in it some in extreme heat , when I have a hair cut , it fits kinda loose , but it hast blown off my head yet regardless how hard the wind blows .. maybe thats got to do with being used to wearing a hat for a while tho .

Just a fwiw :)
 
The Barmah Squashy and Foldaway are very popular here, in the very hot summer
Has a 50 rating for sun shade

I wear the cotton and mesh for a shade hat
Wears well and keps cool
 
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