summer sun hat

[squeezebox]

What do you use for a summer sun hat? I plan on using a head bug net when useful. I wish I could use my mesh beekeepers helmet. Light, good coverage, good ventilation, but it gets soggy and won't stand up to heavy rain. Any issues with a baseball cap? What works for you?

[Uriah]

I go with the ubiquitous baseball cap and a large cotton bandana, covering the ears and neck with the bandana. In town I can remove the bandana and look somewhat respectable. A bug net fits over it all, if need be. A wide-brim hat keeps a bug net farther from the ears, so the vampires can't drill into your ears, but I've not had any trouble using the ball cap and bug net. My football helmet was simply too heavy.

[Feral Bill]

Tilley Airflo
From our neighbors to the north. Wide brim, sturdy, light, vents well. http://www.tilley.com/us_en/men/hats/ltm5-airflor.html

[squeezebox]

Maybe I'll just put a few coats of varnish on my bee keepers hat and hope it works, then adjust.

[Hangfire]

I used a Bonnie cap then wrapped a cowboy bandana around my neck to keep my neck covered. Once spring roles around you will be in the shade of trees most of the time anyways...welcome to the green tunnel!

[Hangfire]

Oh yeah also consider your hat piece may well influence your trail name as well. Just ask the guy that wore the Indian Jones hat on the trail last year!

[Traveler]

For what its worth, for a sun hat I use an old EMS "campaign" type hat with a wide brim. I use a waterproofing spray on this hat to make it water repellent for days where water is clinging to brush or nuisance rain/mist, but overall its primary use is for sun. The wide brim provides ample shade for the back of my neck, ears, and face. Its also perfect for head bug nets, the brim provides the space that allows the net to work and keeps it from chafing your neck and face.

EMS unfortunately no longer has this store brand hat, the closest thing they carry is the Outdoor Research Helios Sun Hat, which is no where near the quality and has annoying features like plastic clips for the chinstrap placed inside the brim at the hair line (who thinks this is a good idea needs to actually wear a hat occasionally).

[Walkintom]

Check out the OR Bug Bucket. It's a bucket hat with a bug screen built in. You can tuck the screen away if not needed and just wear it like a hat. Or you can stuff the whole hat away - it crushes down inside out into built in pouch.

Doesn't have as much brim as some sun hats but it's multipurpose.

[LoneStranger]

I've used various things over the years but my favorite was a Headsweats shortie chef cap under a wide brimmed straw hat. Wringing out the cap once in a while kept the sweat off my face while the straw let air flow through cooling the top of the head. The brim made for nice shade and shielded the eyes from rain. Only problem is constant exposure to sweat and rain takes a toll on straw so you might need a series of hats over the course of a thru

[HeartFire]

Sunday afternoon hats (http://www.sundayafternoons.com/men.html) lightweight, packable, fantastic

[StubbleJumper]

For hiking in the east? Well, I either use a baseball cap or no hat at all. There's generally plenty of shade and a shortage of direct sunshine because the tree canopy is so thick, so I don't even go to the trouble of bringing my sunglasses.

Out west? Well out west I definitely wears a pair of shades, and my wide brimmed boonie hat.

As a word to the wise, irrespective of which type of hat you eventually choose, a really nice characteristic is if the hat can just be thrown into the washing machine with your other filthy clothes when you are in town. So, something that is synthetic and resistant enough to throw into the wash is great because over the course of a week, your hat soaks up gallons of sweat....

[August W.]

I work and play outside year-round have tried countless many sun hats over the years. My all-time favorite is the Orvis Lochs River straw hat. It sheds rain well and holds it's form. It has one of the widest brims you will find and the holes on the sides allow for excellent air flow. I have worn mine for four years and it still shows no sign of wearing. Only issue I have had with it is when wearing a big fully loaded pack the rear portion of the brim hits the pack when I look way up. This is the most expensive hat I have ever owned but it is worth every penny.

[ChrisJackson]

I like Kavu hats... I have this one:

http://www.kavu.com/Product/176-04-/Fishermans_Chillba-Pyrite.aspx

[Halloween]

Army surplus jungle hat.

[bigcranky]

I got the OR Sunrunner cap last year. It's a nylon ball cap with a detachable cape that covers the neck and ears. The cape does double duty at keeping the bugs from flying into my ears when they are bad. :)

In my mind the cape gives me more protection for my neck than a wide brimmed hat.