Help me find a hat to wear in the desert.
September 13, 2010 3:50 PM Subscribe
What makes a practical desert hat? Is the one I've found impractical, or just right?
I've spent plenty of time out of doors in Canada, but have never ventured into the desert before. I've recently moved to Austin, Texas, and have the opportunity to spend some time in Terlingua (and environs) this coming week.
I think I have most all of the gear I'll need, given that I'll be staying in hotels/motels. I've got decent shoes, sunscreen, a pack, lots of water, sunglasses, shorts, and cotton t-shirts.
The only hat I have, though, is a ballcap, and I'm thinking I might want something with a brim all the way around.
I've owned Tilley (and reproduction) hats before, but being where I am, I'm sort of tempted to get something with a bit more 'flavour'.
I walked into REI and saw this hat in chocolate brown, and I'd like to think that it looks both practical and fun. I'm not actually sure though that I want to go wearing a wool felt hat into the desert, particularly a hat of that shade.
I'd love to get something in this price range (or maybe a *little* bit more) before Friday, and I'd like it to work well to keep the sun off, and also be somewhat 'southwestern fashionable' if that means anything.
The question I guess is twofold :
1 - is that hat a practical thing to bring for day hikes into the Terlingua/Big Bend area?
2 - if not, what is?
Bonus points if I can get something local to Austin rather than order online.
Thanks!
I've spent plenty of time out of doors in Canada, but have never ventured into the desert before. I've recently moved to Austin, Texas, and have the opportunity to spend some time in Terlingua (and environs) this coming week.
I think I have most all of the gear I'll need, given that I'll be staying in hotels/motels. I've got decent shoes, sunscreen, a pack, lots of water, sunglasses, shorts, and cotton t-shirts.
The only hat I have, though, is a ballcap, and I'm thinking I might want something with a brim all the way around.
I've owned Tilley (and reproduction) hats before, but being where I am, I'm sort of tempted to get something with a bit more 'flavour'.
I walked into REI and saw this hat in chocolate brown, and I'd like to think that it looks both practical and fun. I'm not actually sure though that I want to go wearing a wool felt hat into the desert, particularly a hat of that shade.
I'd love to get something in this price range (or maybe a *little* bit more) before Friday, and I'd like it to work well to keep the sun off, and also be somewhat 'southwestern fashionable' if that means anything.
The question I guess is twofold :
1 - is that hat a practical thing to bring for day hikes into the Terlingua/Big Bend area?
2 - if not, what is?
Bonus points if I can get something local to Austin rather than order online.
Thanks!
I don't have any specific suggestions, but make sure that you go see what Whole Earth Provision Co. has in stock as well.
posted by donajo at 3:59 PM on September 13, 2010
posted by donajo at 3:59 PM on September 13, 2010
Wait! Wait! I know this one!!
We looked for ages for just the right thing for Mr. Jbenben... it looks a lot like the Scala hat you linked to, but the top will be opaque (fabric/canvas) and the part encircling the head between the brim and the top will be MESH.
I'll hunt around and post a link if I can find one. We eventually found one like that w/ the right size and shape at a tourist shop in the desert in SoCal.
Good luck.
posted by jbenben at 4:02 PM on September 13, 2010
We looked for ages for just the right thing for Mr. Jbenben... it looks a lot like the Scala hat you linked to, but the top will be opaque (fabric/canvas) and the part encircling the head between the brim and the top will be MESH.
I'll hunt around and post a link if I can find one. We eventually found one like that w/ the right size and shape at a tourist shop in the desert in SoCal.
Good luck.
posted by jbenben at 4:02 PM on September 13, 2010
I have to say, I read your question as "What makes a practical dessert hat?" and was like "...I really can not imagine such a thing. Is this a trend that somehow became common parlance that I have totally missed out on? Do people have cupcakes and tiramisu shading their brows?"
Um, anyway.
I'd suggest a boonie cap. I don't have any specific brand recommendations, you're just looking for light fabric that's ventilated around the rim. Easy to pack, roll it up and stick it in your pocket if it's overcast, whatever. And hey, they've got MOLLE attachment loops on them, so you can like... attach a bayonet sheath to your hat or something if you wanted?
posted by kavasa at 4:08 PM on September 13, 2010
Um, anyway.
I'd suggest a boonie cap. I don't have any specific brand recommendations, you're just looking for light fabric that's ventilated around the rim. Easy to pack, roll it up and stick it in your pocket if it's overcast, whatever. And hey, they've got MOLLE attachment loops on them, so you can like... attach a bayonet sheath to your hat or something if you wanted?
posted by kavasa at 4:08 PM on September 13, 2010
Go to an army surplus store and get yourself a boonie hat for under $20.
posted by bgrebs at 4:09 PM on September 13, 2010
posted by bgrebs at 4:09 PM on September 13, 2010
Ah. Found it!
Heneschel Hat Company, model 5310-59.
Link Here.
There are loads of suitable variations on that theme (wide brim, solid top, mesh sides) on this site. Very stylish.
The chin strap is VERY important. Lots of wind in the desert.
Enjoy.
posted by jbenben at 4:10 PM on September 13, 2010
Heneschel Hat Company, model 5310-59.
Link Here.
There are loads of suitable variations on that theme (wide brim, solid top, mesh sides) on this site. Very stylish.
The chin strap is VERY important. Lots of wind in the desert.
Enjoy.
posted by jbenben at 4:10 PM on September 13, 2010
You want something like dolface posted. That is standard fare desert hiking in the southwest. The boonie hats are nice, but you need full neck coverage in real desert conditions.
posted by ShootTheMoon at 4:11 PM on September 13, 2010
posted by ShootTheMoon at 4:11 PM on September 13, 2010
The Real Deal Recycled Tarp Hat is my favorite head covering ever, great for sun protection on outdoor excursions. Each hat is handmade in a remote small town in rural Brazil from recycled canvas tarps that once stretched across the beds of cross-country cargo trucks hauling open freight. It has a nice, wide brim that you can bend and shape into a variety of styles -- great when you need more shade on your neck or face. It also travels well - just flatten it and throw it in your luggage.
posted by prinado at 4:33 PM on September 13, 2010
posted by prinado at 4:33 PM on September 13, 2010
dolface or jbenben have the right idea.
Having spent some time in the Grand Canyon with a leather hat similar to the one you posted, I can tell you this: You want something much more breathable. (BTW- I now just wear a baseball cap with a bandana under it to cover my ears and the back of my neck.)
posted by coolguymichael at 4:35 PM on September 13, 2010
Having spent some time in the Grand Canyon with a leather hat similar to the one you posted, I can tell you this: You want something much more breathable. (BTW- I now just wear a baseball cap with a bandana under it to cover my ears and the back of my neck.)
posted by coolguymichael at 4:35 PM on September 13, 2010
Whoops, forgot to mention that if you buy a Tarp Hat, you'll want to also pick up a hat hanger - it secures your hat in place in windy conditions.
posted by prinado at 4:38 PM on September 13, 2010
posted by prinado at 4:38 PM on September 13, 2010
The hat you linked to is made of felt and will be too warm for west Texas unless you're there in the dead of winter. I spend a lot of time in the desert, am very fair-skinned and heat sensitive. I wear a wide-brimmed cotton* hat with mesh around the brim. It has a strap to keep it from blowing off (you cannot overestimate the wind in the desert). *I can throw it in the washing machine when it gets dirty.
My favorite piece of desert gear is my REI desert gaiters, which keep sand and gravel out of my boots.
posted by neuron at 4:39 PM on September 13, 2010
My favorite piece of desert gear is my REI desert gaiters, which keep sand and gravel out of my boots.
posted by neuron at 4:39 PM on September 13, 2010
Thirding a boonie hat -- it's what I wear in Big Bend.
posted by Houstonian at 4:48 PM on September 13, 2010
posted by Houstonian at 4:48 PM on September 13, 2010
Barmah Drover Cooler Hat. Spent a month in the desert under that hat. Lots of shade, mesh for cooling, chin strap. Works great.
posted by Chef Flamboyardee at 5:04 PM on September 13, 2010
posted by Chef Flamboyardee at 5:04 PM on September 13, 2010
nth-ing the boonie hat. Get one in a light color (tan or OD green). I would get one in 100% cotton rather than the cotton/nylon but that is mostly an intuitive piece of advice rather than first hand experience.
I have one of these myself. I'm in Minnesota and I wore it on a sunny 100 degree F day and it worked great. It soaked up plenty of sweat (we get heat AND humidity in the summer) but still felt comfortable and helped keep the rest of me cooler with the shade from the brim and my wife thinks it looks pretty good on me.
In general you want a hat that is light both in weight and in color, a wide brim, some kind of vent, and a chin strap of some sort.
@Kavasa: I'm nearly certain that the loops are specifically to insert foliage for camouflage. The military spec hats date back to the Vietnam war for US forces and pre-dates MOLLE.
posted by VTX at 5:26 PM on September 13, 2010
I have one of these myself. I'm in Minnesota and I wore it on a sunny 100 degree F day and it worked great. It soaked up plenty of sweat (we get heat AND humidity in the summer) but still felt comfortable and helped keep the rest of me cooler with the shade from the brim and my wife thinks it looks pretty good on me.
In general you want a hat that is light both in weight and in color, a wide brim, some kind of vent, and a chin strap of some sort.
@Kavasa: I'm nearly certain that the loops are specifically to insert foliage for camouflage. The military spec hats date back to the Vietnam war for US forces and pre-dates MOLLE.
posted by VTX at 5:26 PM on September 13, 2010
I was amazed to find in that in Egypt, Zahi Hawass, the Egyptian chief if antiquities, wears a felt hat much like the one in your link. (You can see him on tv these days, I think on the History channel--"Show me the mummy!") So did the American archaeologist I was there to visit. I've seen the same thing in deserts in Peru and Morocco and Mali, to mention a few. Felt hats.
I've always worn something more lightweight, like the cotton boonie hats pictured, and found them satisfactory. But there must be a reason those pros wear felt hats in the desert, and I'm ashamed to admit I didn't get around to asking what it was. Maybe someone here can enlighten us?
On the same principle, somebody once told me thick dog hair insulates against heat as well as cold. But this was in Florida, and he was trying to sell me a Siberian husky.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 5:27 PM on September 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've always worn something more lightweight, like the cotton boonie hats pictured, and found them satisfactory. But there must be a reason those pros wear felt hats in the desert, and I'm ashamed to admit I didn't get around to asking what it was. Maybe someone here can enlighten us?
On the same principle, somebody once told me thick dog hair insulates against heat as well as cold. But this was in Florida, and he was trying to sell me a Siberian husky.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 5:27 PM on September 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Cloth boonie hat! The chin strap is key for high winds, and you can just throw it in the wash when it gets grubby.
posted by emd3737 at 6:26 PM on September 13, 2010
posted by emd3737 at 6:26 PM on September 13, 2010
you want something light in colour - chocolate brown will roast your head - also, you want to be able to dunk it in water without ruining it - as it dries on your head, it will be like personal air conditioning
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 7:27 PM on September 13, 2010
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 7:27 PM on September 13, 2010
Light colored, vents are nice, a brim that shades your entire face, and a chin strap for when the wind comes up. If you want something to cover your neck, you can bring a light colored bandanna (you can tie it or tuck it under your hat if it is large enough). I don't like hats with big neck coverage because they block wind, but other people do. This is what you look for in a desert hat.
posted by oneirodynia at 8:24 PM on September 13, 2010
posted by oneirodynia at 8:24 PM on September 13, 2010
Maybe someone here can enlighten us?
Wool can absorb up to 1/3rd it's weight in water. If humidity is low, that water evaporates, cooling your head. It's a very good temperature regulator for that reason, better than most synthetics. You can continue to wear wool hats in the desert after the sun goes down, and stay warm.
Bedouin wear woolen clothes in the desert.
posted by oneirodynia at 8:31 PM on September 13, 2010
Wool can absorb up to 1/3rd it's weight in water. If humidity is low, that water evaporates, cooling your head. It's a very good temperature regulator for that reason, better than most synthetics. You can continue to wear wool hats in the desert after the sun goes down, and stay warm.
Bedouin wear woolen clothes in the desert.
posted by oneirodynia at 8:31 PM on September 13, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
It's not as stylish as the Scala you linked too, but it's light and easy to pack and pretty inexpensive.
posted by dolface at 3:54 PM on September 13, 2010