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saltysack
01-21-2014, 22:07
Can't find a quality beanie that feels good and warm...have a patagonia fleece beanie I like but doesn't cover my ears. Any users of down beanies have feedback?? I thought that down beanies would be too hot to wear while hiking. Would like one to hike and sleep in when temps warrant.


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Likeapuma
01-21-2014, 22:09
A down beanie would be fine for sleeping, but between the heat & sweat, you might just want a fleece beanie while walking. I got a light fleece been in, EMS brand, on sale for cheap. Has worked great down below zero, as long as you're moving.

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10-K
01-21-2014, 22:12
This is what I wear - hiking and sleeping. A USN wool watch cap. Even works when it gets wet, and cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/Rothco-Genuine-U-S-N-Watch-Black/dp/B000LK1VYS

Meriadoc
01-21-2014, 22:30
I wouldn't wear down for hiking. For sleeping there are some that the folks over on hammockforums swear by. The name is escaping me at the moment. Wait, I think it is Black Rock. I have no experience with down hats. For camp in very cold weather my down jacket has a down hood.

Shoveling, hiking, and sleeping I like this hat made from windproof fabric:
http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/accessories/hats/wintertrek-hat-6.html
Otherwise, a wool watch cap is perfect and cheap and usually stretchy!

aficion
01-21-2014, 22:35
Poly or wool toboggan. Fits in pocket, can be pulled over ears or not, wicks away moisture, warm when wet,
can be worn under hood of rain jacket, poncho, insulated jacket, or sleeping bag. Perfect.

Alligator
01-21-2014, 22:37
Does your current hat have any kind of windblocker layer?

Also, if your head is cold while hiking you may need layers elsewhere. Neck gaiter might be helpful too, or a balaclava.

LIhikers
01-21-2014, 22:41
Can't find a quality beanie that feels good and warm...have a patagonia fleece beanie I like but doesn't cover my ears.

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Consider wearing a stretch hat over a headband.

Mags
01-21-2014, 22:49
Any wool, fleece or even acrylic beanie should be fine. I personally don't like wind block garments of any sort, but that's just me. A wool watch cap like 10k uses is less than $10, the newer fleece version is also less than $10 and truck stops/gas stations/grocery stores also often sell acrylic hats for less than $10 as well this time of the year. (Probably not it in Fla though. :) )

If you really want full on weather protection, consider getting a polypro balaclava in addition to the beanie. Light, inexpensive and versatile. It is a piece of gear I use in all four seasons.

Feral Bill
01-21-2014, 23:20
Classic wool balaclava. Used for serious winter weather for many decades.

leaftye
01-21-2014, 23:29
Blackrock Gear makes a down beanie with silnylon on the inside.

My favorite was a Rayway bomber hat. I don't need it while hiking, but it'd get put on as soon as I stopped for any reason.

bert304
01-22-2014, 09:32
Go on Amazon and look up Turtle Fur. The hats are long enough to cover your ears. They are made of fleece

tolowo80
01-22-2014, 11:02
My suggestion would be wool.. Smart Wool cuffed beanie or Wigwam wool watch cap.. the smart wool is new school and streamline the wigwam is an old school army style hat but works. But are under $30

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RockDoc
01-22-2014, 20:52
If it's cold we use icebreaker merino wool balaclavas for hiking, camping, or sleeping. End of problem.

booney_1
01-22-2014, 23:51
Ear bands + wool/fleece cap. My ears are pretty sensitive and if it's windy, I really like extra coverage. You also have flexibility. For real cold you wear earband + cap, if you start to get warm (like on a climb), remove cap, but keep ear band. My favorite hat has windstopper built in. (wore it today while running around sunset, it was nippy around 28 deg and windy, but I felt fine)

4eyedbuzzard
01-23-2014, 03:36
Mountain Hardware Dome Perignon windblock fleece. Carry during colder weather and year round above timberline.
Also carry a very lightweight poly balaclava all the time that can be rolled up as a watch cap / sleeping cap in the summer.

Chubbs4U
01-23-2014, 04:28
http://www.blackrockgear.com/hat_splash.html

How can you go wrong?

Tipi Walter
01-23-2014, 09:41
Go on Amazon and look up Turtle Fur. The hats are long enough to cover your ears. They are made of fleece

My current tuque or toboggan of choice is a Turtle Fur hat and they make several sizes of fleece hats.


If it's cold we use icebreaker merino wool balaclavas for hiking, camping, or sleeping. End of problem.

Yup, my go-to balaclava for winter is the Icebreaker midweight although it fits a little snug.

I use a three hat system in the winter---the balaclava first, then the Turtle Fur on top, and in extreme conditions have a down hood to my parka which can be used unsnapped and used separately if things get strange.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2009/3-Georgia-Boys-and-a-Big-Black/i-kkxhvwt/0/M/TRIP%2091%20140-M.jpg
Here's the Icebreaker balaclava in action---oh and it matches the Icebreaker tops.

saltysack
01-23-2014, 10:18
Thx all just ordered turtle fur $16 free 2 day shipping...blaze orange...like the BRG down Bernie's but $85 too steep for me


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Shonryu
01-24-2014, 03:31
I always carry a bandanna so I consider it as an additional option of I need to keep warm. But I usually use a Mont Bell balaclava, Mount Hardwear Micro Dome Fleece, and a Black Rock limited edition something with the silnylon inside. If I need more warmth I'll add my bandanna. Every minus the bandanna is under 3oz if I remember correctly. I will also some time carry my Mountain Hardwear Rappel if needed.

saltysack
01-24-2014, 22:10
Tipi
Used my new turtle fur on a run in 35 deg and strong wind tonight on a beach run...wow can't believe how worm and comfortable..thx for rec I see campmor has them for under $10 now...going to order a few more!


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Dogwood
01-25-2014, 00:02
I usually make due with a merino/Alpaca beanie(it pulls/stretches down partly over my ears ) and bandanna wrapped and pulled down over my ears. The bandanna tightened around my ears that way also help keep the beanie stretched down tightly. I like Turtle Fir and Patagonia merino beanies but also have ones made by TNF(100% merino). I also have the hood on my shell/rain jacket to throw into the head warmth mix. I have different wt/warmth beanies that I mix and match w /other apparel set ups. I always think about everything working together that I might have for keeping my head/ears/face warm and the rest of me warm for both in camp and while on the move. For hardcore winter hiking I like a balaclava/sherpa like hat and carry a shell w/ a hood. If doing really short mileage less strenuous winter days and where I'm likely to spend more time in camp than usual I like those BlackRock down beanies. Shug was wearing two of them in MN lately in his vid. From what I saw what he was doing on that trip that worked well for him. I don't particularly like wearing down on my head though when on the move.

gwb
01-25-2014, 14:36
I like Golite's fleece beanie. It covers my ears. I also carry a neck gaiter. Sometimes the neck gaiter makes a good hat as it leaves the top of your head open for ventilation. I tried a Montbell down baseball cap and found it way to warm for anything other that a casual stroll.

trippclark
01-25-2014, 14:57
Go on Amazon and look up Turtle Fur. The hats are long enough to cover your ears. They are made of fleece

+1 for Turtle Fur. I bought mine 12 years ago from Campmor and it is still my winter hat of choice.

Dogwood
01-25-2014, 15:32
As I said I like my Alpaca Turtle Fur Beanies but be careful you don't shrink them up on high heat in the dryer.

saltysack
01-25-2014, 21:51
$10 turtle fur rocks.... Campmor


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mudsocks
01-26-2014, 00:44
For hiking I prefer my Mountain Goat wool (http://www.outdoortrailgear.com/cottage-industries/mountaingoatgear/mountain-goat-hats/), for sleeping I like my Black Rock down (http://www.blackrockgear.com/buy.html). Two hats is probably lame and ridiculous but it works for me. I find wool to less sweaty and more breathable and the down hat warmer and itch free when sleeping. I'm thin and shaved head and find sleeping in the Black Rock comfortable down into the mid teens. Below that I use both.

rocketsocks
01-26-2014, 05:01
I use a merino wool beanie, and a fleece lined acrylic hat as the outer shell. it wicks, breathes and keeps me warm.

saltysack
01-26-2014, 10:05
For hiking I prefer my Mountain Goat wool (http://www.outdoortrailgear.com/cottage-industries/mountaingoatgear/mountain-goat-hats/), for sleeping I like my Black Rock down (http://www.blackrockgear.com/buy.html). Two hats is probably lame and ridiculous but it works for me. I find wool to less sweaty and more breathable and the down hat warmer and itch free when sleeping. I'm thin and shaved head and find sleeping in the Black Rock comfortable down into the mid teens. Below that I use both.

Thx BRG down looks good but can't justify $85 for hat to sleep in. I only get to winter hike about 2-3 times a year. Living in north Florida can't really justify. I just ordered capilene 4 expedition wt hoodie for $80. Between that and my montbell ul down parka should be good w $10 turtle fur Beenie.



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verysimple
01-26-2014, 11:59
Thx BRG down looks good but can't justify $85 for hat to sleep in. I only get to winter hike about 2-3 times a year. Living in north Florida can't really justify. I just ordered capilene 4 expedition wt hoodie for $80. Between that and my montbell ul down parka should be good w $10 turtle fur Beenie.



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Where is cap4 hoody sale?

I wear xgo level 4 cap..

saltysack
01-26-2014, 12:01
Steepplanet.com and backcountry.com


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George
01-26-2014, 13:21
OR windstopper péruvien mountain hat

Snowleopard
01-26-2014, 13:39
OR windstopper péruvien mountain hat
http://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Research-Peruvian-Black-Small/dp/B003P8QMF6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390757666&sr=8-2&keywords=outdoor+research+peruvian+hat
This is my favorite winter hat, warm for its weight. I live in a windy place; the chin strap keeps it from blowing away.

George
01-26-2014, 15:54
seems pricey, but they will last for years of daily use

Oslohiker
01-26-2014, 16:48
The best beanie by far I have tested are from a brand not sold in the US. It is called Brynje (Norwegian). In the wintertime I actually mostly use the headband from the the same brand for the most, but switch to the hat when it gets really cold and when I stop for camp or a break. There are two versions, one all polypropylene and one with a polypropylene mesh with a merino wool outer shell. If anyone are going to Europe it is worth checking it out. Check out these reviews:

http://www.kitreviews.com/clothing/26-other-clothing/185-review-brynje-of-norway-arctic-double-hat

Del Q
01-26-2014, 18:24
Balaclava is the only way to go, my hats kept falling off years ago, met TREK, puts a balaclava on as soon as he gets settled in, works for me.

Bati
01-26-2014, 21:37
I also recommend a balaclava. I used my expedition weight one extensively from Georgia till Mt. Rogers. Oddly enough, it's the one piece of clothing that I didn't change into a "dry" one when I stopped hiking, but I was able to control the sweating easily. You can raise the face mask part to cool your neck or if you get really warm, make a "head band" by folding the face part on itself again, and position the eye hole so that the wind blows onto your head. Sure it looks really stupid, but it works. I used a good gore-tex jacket with a hood to stop the wind; I was lucky to have one with neoprene lace stoppers so that my face wasn't cut on the windy days.

Sarcasm the elf
01-26-2014, 21:46
For most of my winter hiking I use a thin fleece hat and a relatively thin balaclava, depending on the conditions I wear one or the other or both. That combination works well for me when I'm hiking in temperatures that are down to the low teens. I have a much thicker hat that I wear when it gets seriously cold.

Another Kevin
01-28-2014, 22:15
Similar arrangement to Elf's. Carhartt beanie. (I have a fleece one, but keep coming back to a knit one.) Thin polypro balaclava for sleeping, or to layer under the beanie when I need more around my neck. Pull up the hood on my jacket if that pair isn't enough. Neoprene facemask and Army land ops goggles if the wind and temperature are insane.

Once upon a time, I had a shapka-ushanka made of fisher fur, which is as warm as sable. But one summer the silverfish got to it, and I haven't been able justify the extremely high cost of replacing it. I don't know what happened, but in recent years the price of fisher fur went through the roof.

Weather-man
01-30-2014, 22:55
I've looked at the Black Rock down beanies but for the life of me can't justify buying one. I just can't figure out where I would wear it....

In movement I would sweat it out and soak the down. I suppose one could wear it in camp but I normally wear my "walking hat" in camp so as to allow body heat to dry it out. I see down beanies as a single purpose item and hence would leave it home.

My current hat of choice for winter hikes is a Mountain Hardware fleece beanie with wind stopper fabric. Great hat, breathes well and efficiently blocks most wind. I have an old issue wool beanie that I can add for extra insulation as well as pull up my dry-clime hood if things get frisky. I sleep with either or both on.

I also carry a neck gaiter that I was given in Norway. Neck gaiters go a long way to keeping you from losing core heat.

Wise Old Owl
01-31-2014, 01:52
Hmmm, polyester micro fleece is microns smaller than wool so it traps more air.. so turtle fur is a clear choice.. here is the rub. The inventor of Polartec did not patent the product and created this tiny monofilament of plastic. The smaller the filiment which is smaller than wool or hair will trap more heat.. hey stop shaving if you don't believe me. The thicker the fleece - 300 weight.. the better.

I am a huge fan of Balaclava.

Honuben
01-31-2014, 02:07
For my warm weather hat I went with an "Elsa Wool" cap. it's very warm and they have multiple styles. I'm very happy with mine.