Great Hat Idea

[Vegan Packer]

If you want to buy a cap that is comfortable ,have a look at these:

http://www.amazon.com/adidas-5127660.../dp/B00TGVYUZK

I have been using one of these for a long time. They are the most comfortable cap I have ever had. light and cool. they are stretchy polyester and after a year of use it still is almost like a new cap.

What I am planning to use in my PCT thru hike is similar to this OR cap:

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Sun-Ha...Sun-Runner-Cap

but mine is from a different company.

I looked at the Adidas web site, and it does state that the hat provides UPF protection, but it doesn't say how much. The OR Swift provides 50+, even with the mesh. Many hats that have mesh provide very low protection through the mesh, even if the rest of the hat is great.

I have the Sunday Afternoons Sun Guide Cap, which is very similar to the OR Sun Runner, but with a longer brim in the front. It works, but it can still get warm under the cape. It's not super hot, but it would certainly be better to have open ventilation there, if I can still get enough sun protection from Da Brim. I will find out soon whether my new idea will provide that protection or not, because my Da Brim should arrive any day.

[lemon b]

I've settled on either an old school wool hat in cold weather or an old school drive on rag in the summer.

[shakey_snake]

Well, having lived in the valley of the sun, I can tell you that sunburned scalp is a real concern.

[Vegan Packer]

Well, having lived in the valley of the sun, I can tell you that sunburned scalp is a real concern.

The OR Swift provides 50+ UPF to the scalp and face. My hope is the Da Brim will provide good coverage for everywhere else.

I have already placed my orders. I expect to have both by early next week. More to come...

[bikebum1975]

That's a neat idea. I prefer a ball cap especially when working on cars and such some days it's not enough when cutting the lawn or whatever. I have a Filson hat but damn the thing gets hot

[Vegan Packer]

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Da Brim arrived. I finally had a chance to test it out a bit. So far, so good.

Mine weighed in at 2.6 ounces. Unfortunately, I was only able to test it out in the late afternoon, so I can't fully comment on its sun blocking ability. (Every hat that I have tried can't do very much about blocking the rays of the sun when it is so low on the horizon. On the other hand, the sun rays are so much weaker then that I don't worry about it so much.) From its looks, I think that it will do a great job of protecting the back of my neck and my ears, and it is great at keeping the areas that got hot from my previous hat's cape from getting hot.

It fits securely over my new Outdoor Research Swift Cap, which itself is amazing at how well it breathes. With the elastic plus the rear cinch cord holding Da Brim in place over my cap (I didn't even have to tighten the cinch cord to get a secure fit), I may end out cutting off the cord for the chin strap, but I won't try that until after going out in strong winds enough to fully test Da Brim's limits.

Because I only had a camera phone, the pictures are not the greatest, but they give you an idea of the coverage. One thing to note from the pictures is that the elastic and fabric that goes around the rear of the head will partially cover the venting of the Swift, when deployed as far upwards as it will go. Another picture shows what it looks like if you tuck this down when you put it over your cap. This worked well, and it did not change the comfort level, at all. However, depending on the type of cap that you wear, or how much hair you have at the back of your head, sliding the elastic all the way down will leave a small area of the lower crown of your head exposed to the sun. Personally, I found that sliding the elastic up enough to cover this small opening did not affect the excellent breathability of the Swift one bit, even if the picture makes it look like it would. The temperature at the time of testing was about 87F, and the humidity was the usual Florida summer extreme.

[Kulliman]

Another idea might be an Helion ultralight wide brim hat. I bought one of these to work with my mosquito head net. It is very light and has netting in back so it is very cool. I have only used it kayaking so far with out the mosquito net and it works great for that purpose. Folds up small and weighs only 49 grams folded up in its pouch. It might be hard to find though. I think I may have bought mine on eBay.

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[Kulliman]

Another idea might be an Helion ultralight wide brim hat. I bought one of these to work with my mosquito head net. It is very light and has netting in back so it is very cool. I have only used it kayaking so far with out the mosquito net and it works great for that purpose. Folds up small and weighs only 49 grams folded up in its pouch. It might be hard to find though. I think I may have bought mine on eBay.
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