Hat type?

[JansportD2]

I use a Nike Dri-Fit Core Running Cap. It's a polyester ball cap that dries quickly. I soak mine in permethrin (I soak everything in permethrin).

[flemdawg1]

I use a visor, but I also have long hair so no need for protection for ears and back of neck for me.

[peakbagger]

If you time it right its a green tunnel down south but if you are early before the trees leaf out, its easy to get a lot of sun, some of the BRP and SNP is cut wide enough that they are in the sun. From the Whites North there are many days were you will be on exposed summits, not all the time but enough. I expect they are more appreciated as folks get farther down the trail.

The other reason for a hat is it makes deer files and moose flies somewhat more tolerable as they tend to swarm and land plus try to bite the highest part of your body. Some years they are annoying enough that some folks attached double backed stick tape on the top of their hats so when the flies land they get caught. They arent bad when you are moving but if you stop to pick some berries or take a break they will find you.

I use a LLbean nylon baseball type hat that has some additive in the fabric to increase SPF

[Pedaling Fool]

I'm not really a hat person, but I do like to wear a hat when walking into the sun; I use cycling caps, which are like baseball caps, but with a smaller profile. http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/2012/0...a-cycling-cap/

[Drybones]

I use a lightweight ball cap with some stretch in the band for comfort, I treat the bill with silicon so it sheds water when I wear it under a rain jacket.

[Feral Bill]

a few years ago I did a trip in Oregon with a light "runners" ball cap. A few days of being cooked in blazing sun at 8000+ feet convinced me to go with the Tilley Airflow. Now that's a great hat.

[MuddyWaters]

Depends on environment.
Ball cap style on the AT
Out west at higher elevations, bigger style with more shade.

[Carl Calson]

something that has a full brim (ear coverage) that is water repellent and vented.

[Another Kevin]

When I bring a hat along for a clueless weekend, it varies according to weather and my mood. From cold to hot:

1. Tuque or even balaclava + tuque.

2. Crushable felt fedora. The one I use these days came from Dorfman Pacific, and I've Scotchgard'ed the heck out of it. (I wore a crushable Western-style fedora before the Indiana Jones movies came out, and refuse to give it up just because Harrison Ford carries it off better than I do.)

3. Sun hat with a brim (and possibly a headnet in blackfly season).

4. Baseball cap (possibly with a bandana, French Foreign Legion fashion, if otherwise I'll sunburn the back of my neck and ears.)

5. Just a bandana, either pirate-fashion or tied around as a sweat band.

My last outing, I went with option 1, because it was a tad chilly out.

[rocketsocks]

My go to hat is always a ball cap, sometimes I grab the Nylon one, sometimes it's gortex...depends on the mood of the day, and conditions, and time of year.

[Tim Causa]

I wear a brooks brimmed running hat. It breathes well, keeps the sun and branches out of my eyes, dries quickly, and doesn't weigh much when it does get wet. I used to bring a normal baseball cap but it would get wet and stay wet and heavy the whole time.

[FarmerChef]

something that has a full brim (ear coverage) that is water repellent and vented.

This is why I prefer the sombrero. It's wide brim allows for complete protection, often my full body. Water gathered on the top of the brim during rain is already purified and, with the help of a simple flexible straw, ready to drink. At town stops, I can also store extra food or supplies up top when my pack is full. You must be careful to walk down the center of the trail as the expanded width can sometimes be a hindrance when branches reach down low.

In all seriousness, I just take an ATC vented ball cap. The venting can allow sunlight to reach my head when there aren't leaves on the trees yet or when I'm out in the open but that ventilation is sure nice when it's 80 or 90 degrees and humid out. It's also crucial to have a bill with a lightweight disposable poncho and so is a part of my rain system.

[Charlie Redwood]

Mil Spec Type II hat for sun, hot weather. USA made, vent holes, adjustable chin strap, comfortable on the cranium, and is very water resistant. I've had for for a decade and still performs.