What hat for the mountains?

[bulgron]

If you do go for an Akubra , consider one of the open crown models that you can apply a personal touch to (and some style as well ).

Maybe like the campdraft or the Federation IV (Similiar to Indies hat ).

On Akubra, I'm partial to the Snowy River or the Cattleman, but I've pretty much decided to not go in that direction. I would like to go that way, but I'm worried I'll wander into a 95 degree heatwave or something. As much as I sweat, that would be no fun in a rabbit felt hat.

Still debating the Tilleys. TH4 or TH5.

 

[22-rimfire]

I generally wear the medium large brimed base ball type caps that are sold by Bass Pro. The added brim length helps to keep rain or whatever out of my eyes. Sometimes I wear or have with me a fishing type cap with the long brim and part on the back that folds down to keep sun off my neck. Kayaking I wear a very bright safety type in either a baseball style or tilly. This is so other boaters can see me more easily. I sometimes wear a Tilly hat, but I am not fond of how I look in them.

 

[bulgron]

I generally wear the medium large brimed base ball type caps that are sold by Bass Pro. The added brim length helps to keep rain or whatever out of my eyes. Sometimes I wear or have with me a fishing type cap with the long brim and part on the back that folds down to keep sun off my neck. Kayaking I wear a very bright safety type in either a baseball style or tilly. This is so other boaters can see me more easily. I sometimes wear a Tilly hat, but I am not fond of how I look in them.

I want a broad brim all the way around to keep the sun off of me. At altitude, the sun is brutal and I'm of northern European descent, so sun protection is extremely important to me. I also like a brim all the way around for protection from the rain. I don't care how I look in the hat. My hiking partner is ugly anyway so that'll just make us even (), and I'm pretty sure the bears won't complain.

I was going to go with a Tilley TH4, but I've heard from multiple sources that the brim on those can be kind of floppy in the wind. I expect wind on this trip. Therefore, the TH5 might be the better choice.

This is proving to be a hard decision to make over the internet. I guess I should go find a store that sells Tilleys.

 

[RedbeAR15]

I think the Tilley would be great for warmer temps, but you may need a skull cap for the colder temps. I haven't found a hat yet that will keep me warm at 25 and cool at 95. Even at 80 I'm sweating in a Tilley though. As far as rain protection goes - what are you using to keep the rest of you dry? Poncho?

 

[tiguy7]

I like the white canvas Tilley. It reflects more heat than the other colors. It's machine washable. When the weather gets hot, you can soak the hat in water, shake the excess water off, and wear the hat to enjoy evaporative cooling. In cold weather add 180 ear muffs.

 

[hlee]

A stiff brim like a stetson has will catch wind like a sail. A somewhat floppier brim will allow the wind to go around your hat and keep it on your head...

 

[bulgron]

I think the Tilley would be great for warmer temps, but you may need a skull cap for the colder temps. I haven't found a hat yet that will keep me warm at 25 and cool at 95. Even at 80 I'm sweating in a Tilley though. As far as rain protection goes - what are you using to keep the rest of you dry? Poncho?

I hate ponchos. I've never found one that actually kept me dry. I'll be taking a goretex jacket and pants that I've had for many years now. The jacket is large enough to fit over a slim down jacket that I will also be bringing. (The temperature extremes I've been told to expect are sort of making me scratch my head. I've been in the mountains before, but I don't remember ever having to plan for everything from 25 to 85 degrees. It can even snow up there at the end of July, or so I've been told.)

As for head wear if it really does get down to 25, I'll be taking a bacalava. (Something like this.) Don't leave home without one.

 

[bulgron]

A stiff brim like a stetson has will catch wind like a sail. A somewhat floppier brim will allow the wind to go around your hat and keep it on your head...

In the winter time in the Sierra I usually wear a leather western hat with a chin strap. I've worn it in high winds while snowboarding and never lost the hat. The Tilleys also come with a chin strap. You can also get a chin strap with Akubra hats. In other words, I'm not overly concerned about losing my hat in the wind, because I'm used to wearing the strap when necessary.

All of that said, you make a good point.

I really need to get my hands on a TH4 so I can find out just how floppy they are. If they're too floppy, I'm worried that they would irritate me.

 

[foxx]

+1 on the Filson hats. Find the right one, and it will last forever.

 

[bigbadboom]

Well if some mountain gust of wind blows your hat off and away (heaven forbid) at least you have the Tilley insurance policy. Its kind of a bad time to buy an Akubra too with the current AU -US dollar conversion.

 

[neeman]

..........I usually wear a leather western hat with a chin strap. I've worn it in high winds while snowboarding and never lost the hat.....

Hate ask this question but........
What is wrong with this hat?

Too hot?
No hotter than a wool brimed hat?
Too cold?
Put you balaclava underneath it

 

[bulgron]

Hate ask this question but........
What is wrong with this hat?

Too hot?
No hotter than a wool brimed hat?
Too cold?
Put you balaclava underneath it

Way, WAY too hot. It also doesn't wick perspiration away at all. If I'm going to be active, I can wear it when the temperatures are under 40 degrees. If I'm just doing errands around town, then it's comfortable up to 75 degrees. But it's an awesome rain and snow hat, which is why I keep it around. If I was going to do some snowshoeing in the Sierra, I'd wear this hat. But for a summer time backpacking trip, it's just not the right hat.

I assume a Akubra rabbit felt hat would at least wick perspiration better than my leather hat. But as I said up-thread, I've given up on the Akubra for this trip because I believe it would ultimately prove to be too warm.

Something that I haven't mentioned here is that I'm thinking about getting the hat (whatever it ends up being) sized large enough to fit a Halo Bandana under it. I use Halos under my biking helmets, and they work insanely well for me. Seems like a Halo + a decent lid would be the perfect combination for the mountains.