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View Full Version : Have you tried wearing a rain hat?



jombo22
01-07-2010, 12:31
It seems that almost nobody brings one. I bought one 2 months ago and it's pretty much the best thing ever. For me, it is a much more pleasant experience than having the hood of my jacket up.

Lots of people wear baseball caps. Are wide brimmed hats just too geeky, even for a group of people who don't think twice when they pass a dude wearing tights?

Toolshed
01-07-2010, 12:34
Problem is my Seattle Sombrero keeps dumping water into the hood of my raincoat or down my back. 24 square inches of protection?? right!!!!!

Mags
01-07-2010, 12:36
Lots of people wear baseball caps. Are wide brimmed hats just too geeky, even for a group of people who don't think twice when they pass a dude wearing tights?

In Western hiking, wide brimmed hats are standard for sun and (sometimes) for rain. When I did the AT and Eastern hiking, I did not like hoods either and wore a wide brimmed hat for rain.

They are dorky..but they work. :)

Cabin Fever
01-07-2010, 12:36
I have the REI brand version of the Seattle Sombrero. I have the same problem - dumps water on other stuff.

WinterWarlock
01-07-2010, 12:37
Problem is my Seattle Sombrero keeps dumping water into the hood of my raincoat or down my back. 24 square inches of protection?? right!!!!!

Hmm...I love mine!

7703

Scott, soaked on Street

ChinMusic
01-07-2010, 12:39
I have a Tilley that I like but find myself going back to baseball caps. When I'm carrying large loads I hate the pack hitting my Tilley. I don't care for using the straps but with the Tilley it is a MUST if there is any wind.

jombo22
01-07-2010, 12:43
Problem is my Seattle Sombrero keeps dumping water into the hood of my raincoat or down my back. 24 square inches of protection?? right!!!!!

I have the Nimbus sombrero and don't have this problem. It has an extended back part (the back is 2 inches longer than front), maybe that is what saves me? Also, I roll up the hood of my rain jacket when I'm bringing the hat.


I have the same problem - dumps water on other stuff.

I use a pack cover. The hat channels the water back and onto the pack cover where it just slides off.

jombo22
01-07-2010, 12:47
In Western hiking, wide brimmed hats are standard for sun and (sometimes) for rain. When I did the AT and Eastern hiking, I did not like hoods either and wore a wide brimmed hat for rain.

They are dorky..but they work. :)

Frankly I feel pretty cool wearing mine :cool: I'll never go back to wearing a hood. The rain hat also provides a bit of extra protection so I can more comfortably wear my windshirt in a light rain. I just can't really see any advantage to wearing a baseball cap.

Toolshed
01-07-2010, 12:49
Hmm...I love mine!

7703

Scott, soaked on Street I tend to look up a lot and forget!!! wow. Check out those views off Street ;)

Ewker
01-07-2010, 12:50
I wear my Tilley hat rain or shine. I never leave home without it.

WinterWarlock
01-07-2010, 12:51
Frankly I feel pretty cool wearing mine :cool: I'll never go back to wearing a hood. The rain hat also provides a bit of extra protection so I can more comfortably wear my windshirt in a light rain. I just can't really see any advantage to wearing a baseball cap.

I only wear a baseball cap if it's under the hood of my rain jacket, but since I got the Sombrero, I really don't use the cap any longer. For me now, the baseball cap is only used for the drive home.

WinterWarlock
01-07-2010, 12:53
I tend to look up a lot and forget!!! wow. Check out those views off Street ;)

Nice, aren't they. You can see for never from there.
(that's why we did it on the rainy day!)

ki0eh
01-07-2010, 12:56
Problem is my Seattle Sombrero keeps dumping water into the hood of my raincoat or down my back. 24 square inches of protection?? right!!!!!

I wear one pretty much all the time and don't have this issue.

In fact I have an insulated one for the 38 degree rain one normally gets this time of year in PA.

Plus ventilated sun boonies - mild green for riding in the convertible, neon green if I'm at a jobsite by myself.

I have to force myself to keep ball caps in the truck and car for meeting clients. Guess I do feel the boonies are too dorky for that.

But for hiking I don't feel I need to impress anyone. Boonies rule!

garlic08
01-07-2010, 15:45
I packed my wife's Seattle Sombrero last minute when I was leaving for my AT hike, and it was one of my favorite pieces of gear in the Spring rains (and snow, for that matter). I sent it home during the summer--way too hot and sweaty. It was a pretty simple matter to tuck in the hood to keep rain out of it (after the first time I dumped a load of rain water on my head). Out West here, I always wear a wide-brim ventilated sun hat. In addition to sun shade, it keeps my mosquito net off my face. So I don't need to carry sun screen or repellent.

BrianLe
01-07-2010, 16:02
I've not hiked on the AT, but out west at least it's not *all* people who wear wide brimmed hats. Since I only carry one hat, my problem with rain hats (Seattle Sombrero type) is that I find them too hot on warm summer days. I use an OR Sunrunner hat with detachable back flap (think French Foreign Legion or Ferengi, depending on your background and bent). It's a great sun hat, the backflap helps some in wind too, and the associated flap strap keeps it on in high wind. My poncho hood goes over it easily when it's raining quite a bit, and I'm generally happy with just the hat when it's not raining hard. And I can take the flap off when I go into town to look like less of a hiker geek.

OTOH, I hiked quite a bit with a fellow who wore a Seattle Sombrero all the time and he liked it --- each to their own!

bigcranky
01-07-2010, 16:32
For our '04 section hike in late June-July, we carried Seattle Sombreros as our only rain gear. Worked great.

Mrs Baggins
01-07-2010, 16:34
I had the Seattle Sombrero from Outdoor Research. But my pack was too tall and was constantly shoving it back over my face or just making me very uncomfortable at my neck. I finally left it in a box at a shelter and a young guy picked it up. He saw me the next day and thanked me profusely for leaving it! I was very happy to see him use and enjoy it. Just used a baseball cap after that and still do.

Tinker
01-07-2010, 16:38
Baseball cap or hunting cap for me, though I have used a wide brimmed hat a few times, but for sun and not for rain. I wear my hood (jacket or poncho) over a ball cap when it's cold enough to warrant any rain protection. In the summer I opt to get wet, mostly.

Big Dawg
01-07-2010, 16:51
It seems that almost nobody brings one. I bought one 2 months ago and it's pretty much the best thing ever. For me, it is a much more pleasant experience than having the hood of my jacket up.

Lots of people wear baseball caps. Are wide brimmed hats just too geeky, even for a group of people who don't think twice when they pass a dude wearing tights?

I hate wearing the rain jacket hood also. That's the reason I have a wide brim OP rain hat. I don't give a f' what others think, so goofy or not, I wear it in the rain while hiking. Although, I have to say, I think I look quite cool w/ my OP hat & frogg toggs... both black. :cool:

trippclark
01-07-2010, 16:53
It seems that almost nobody brings one. I bought one 2 months ago and it's pretty much the best thing ever. For me, it is a much more pleasant experience than having the hood of my jacket up.

Lots of people wear baseball caps. Are wide brimmed hats just too geeky, even for a group of people who don't think twice when they pass a dude wearing tights?

Yeah, I could not stand the "tunnel" sound/feel of a hood and bought and used an OR rain hat for two or three trips. I found this an improvement. Then I "discovered" an umbrella for hiking and this was - for me - a perfect solution. I no longer use the rain hat.

Cookerhiker
01-07-2010, 17:59
It seems that almost nobody brings one. I bought one 2 months ago and it's pretty much the best thing ever. For me, it is a much more pleasant experience than having the hood of my jacket up.

Lots of people wear baseball caps. Are wide brimmed hats just too geeky, even for a group of people who don't think twice when they pass a dude wearing tights?

I bring a rain hat and yes, it looks geeky. I probably don't need it since my hood covers me very well, really too well cutting off my peripheral vision. Which is why I wear the rain hat.

Rain Man
01-07-2010, 19:02
I think it's kinda funny (in a good way!) that you're asking the fashion police for permission to wear something on the AT!
:D
I have half a dozen different kinds of headwear, and wear them all at one time or the other. Some I even wear at the same time! I do like a hood in a strong winter wind or ducking under lots of limbs covered in snow. But otherwise in a regular rain, I prefer a rain hat with a brim. I just roll my jacket hood up (as it's supposed to be!) or fold in in rather than out of my jacket.

And yes, insulated or "lined" rain hats are far too hot for summer hiking. That's when plain baseball caps or thin/cotton/straw brimmed hats are good.

Did I mention scarves, "Buffs", bandannas, and other forms of headwear yet?!

HYOH and Wear You Own Headware. You have my permission to wear whatever, or nothing at all! :)

Rain:sunMan

.

johnnybgood
01-07-2010, 19:19
I have worn a poncho with a hood for days where the rain was pretty much non stop. I have also worn a silly looking rain hat from wallys world which looked about as stupid as once carrying an umbrella on the AT .

I also have the pro action froggtogg rainsuit w/hood as part of my arsenal that has replaced the dollar store poncho which lasted about as long as my previous one...:-? ... not long.

Connie
01-07-2010, 23:56
The best rain hat I ever had was the yellow "southeaster" hat for foul weather gear, for sailing. The lining helped, because it was the same material as the foul weather gear.

One part of the brim was narrow, one part exceptionally long.

I wore it backwards, the long part in front.

The hat had a tie down under my chin.

Not UL, but not a heavyweight either.

I saw a poncho pattern on White Blaze forum I am thinking of modifying, making an extended "bill" on the hood interlined for stiffness.

Mags
01-08-2010, 01:37
Don't think the hat looks dorky? Check it out....

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2766/215/82/563440020/n563440020_2833680_8048726.jpg


http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs258.snc1/10518_170047285020_563440020_4071937_2512449_n.jpg

OK..maybe the wearer of the hat is dorky ????:o

(It's just a simply boonie style hat. Nylon-cotton blend. Works for all kinds of conditions for me anyway).

SassyWindsor
01-08-2010, 01:51
In cooler weather I always hike with my oiled Akubra.

Big Dawg
01-08-2010, 09:15
I hate wearing the rain jacket hood also. That's the reason I have a wide brim OP rain hat. I don't give a f' what others think, so goofy or not, I wear it in the rain while hiking. Although, I have to say, I think I look quite cool w/ my OP hat & frogg toggs... both black. :cool:


no goofiness here....

JAK
01-08-2010, 10:03
I think a hat is something that can show some real character, and still be functional.
As with many things, most things, you can gain alot by looking at traditional headgear.

Of course there is also the tradition of no hat, depending on the climate and season.

Personally, I've grown very fond of my peruvian style alpaca wool hat.
It is 100% wool, no fleece inner, and not too thick. I carry it even in summer.

Along with that I like to make sure either my wind shell or rain shell has a hood. If they don't, then I might bring my tilly type hat, but I like straw hats also. On a related subject, I like wool neck tubes. Very versatile, and integrate well with wool sweaters and my peruvian hat. They are easy to knit yourself, as you can just knit a rectangle and sew it together into a tube. Good first knitting project.

Red Hat
01-08-2010, 11:20
Of course I have a red rain hat! I bought it at the Outfitter in Hot Springs back in 05. sometimes I wear it, sometimes I don't depends upon my mood...

Doooglas
01-09-2010, 01:56
I wear the Seattle Sombrero on day guiding trips.I killed the velcro.
I wear this with my big pack.
http://www.rei.com/product/790907

sasquatch2014
01-09-2010, 08:17
I have worn a Baseball cap upon occasion but mostly just a bandanna. If I am worried about the water I just put and extra good buff with some turtle wax on the old dome and I am good to go.

I have thought about getting a hat for the rain mainly to help keep the rain off the glasses. I had an old stetson that I loved and wore for years it had seen many a hard mile. I also thought about one of the hats that they use in the rice fields but no easy way to pack it when not in use.

As you can tell I am not really concerned about the dork factor. I learned years ago that I can't out run it so now I revel in it. I celebrate my inner dorkness all the time ask anyone who has met me and is still willing to admit that.

Doooglas
01-10-2010, 14:03
I wear the Seattle Sombrero too.
When there isn't rain I put on a ventilated Panama hat.

I just ordered this to try out when I have my larger pack on.
http://www.rei.com/product/790907

SunnyWalker
02-11-2010, 21:31
I wear a blaclava under my hood when it rains cold. The protection of a hood has no equals. Otherwise I wear my sunbody hat-made of palm leaves. Wide brim and it IS waterproof too! I have air holes in the side and string 'round brim to tuck under chin for windy conditions.

verber
02-11-2010, 23:39
I have had good luck with Seattle Sombrero + Rainshield O2 cycling jacket... e.g. no problem dumping water into a hood because there was no hood. The only problem I had was when the wind was blowing really hard my I didn't have as much protection as I would have liked because the brim would deform. I don't recall rain running down my neck... but I did get spray in my face.

--Mark

Mountain Wildman
02-11-2010, 23:49
I have the Tilley Winter hat,
http://www.tilley.com/images/styles/high/TW2-15.jpg
Wear it all the time!
And I have the Tilley Waterproof hat, Wear that rain or shine!!
Tilley is the best. Guaranteed for life.

http://www.tilley.com/images/styles/high/TWP1-4.jpg

lunchbx
02-12-2010, 03:49
military issue boonie, hot weather for me all the time cant beat its versatility if u ask me

GeneralLee10
02-12-2010, 10:07
What about Filson Hats? Do any of you use them? I have seen a person with one and it seemed to working.

Phreak
02-12-2010, 10:51
In Western hiking, wide brimmed hats are standard for sun and (sometimes) for rain. When I did the AT and Eastern hiking, I did not like hoods either and wore a wide brimmed hat for rain.

They are dorky..but they work. :)
I agree.. I hate the hood on my rain jacket. A wide brimmed hat is the way to go for me.

Rain Man
02-12-2010, 11:13
Pic of me last weekend in my Marmot rain hat, taking a photo with my Stickpic. The Marmot hat is smaller than my Seattle Sombrero, thus doesn't hit my pack, yet is still large enough to keep rain off my head, face, ears, neck, etc.

Photo at Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area near Chattanooga, TN. I'm the one in the middle!

I agree that rain hats are often too hot!

Rain:sunMan



.

flemdawg1
02-12-2010, 14:37
Use a MH sombero-style sun hat, works good enough for rain too.

Chics dig the cowboy look too.

kombiguy
02-12-2010, 14:50
I'm leaving on or about 15 April. I'll be the guy wearing the black porkpie hat!

NorthCountryWoods
02-15-2010, 11:51
military issue boonie, hot weather for me all the time cant beat its versatility if u ask me

And cheap! Paid $6 for mine at mil-surplus store and they have colors other than camo. Great for keeping the deer flies off too.

Odd Man Out
02-17-2010, 13:54
I always wear a wide brimmed had. My profile picture is me in my Tilly hat.
I have also used straw panama hats and felt fedoras. My most recent acquisition is an crushablel kangaroo-hide leather hat from Australia (Barmah brand).

I find these hats are the remedy for almost anything. It keeps you cool in the sun, warm when it's cold. It keep bugs off your head and makes a good flyswatter. It prevents sunburn and keeps the sun out of your eyes. Fill it with water and use it as a wash basin. It's like wearing an umbrella on your head when it's raining. At night, I put all the contents of my pockets and my wristwatch in my hat so I don't loose anything in the tent.

And for the record, they are not dorky. I look AMAZING in any of them! ;-)

Press
02-17-2010, 20:29
I used to wear a baseball cap mainly to keep sweat out of my eyes and avoid sunburn on bald spot. Started wearing a Tilley hat last year in effort to keep sun off my face and neck after minor skin cancer thing. Turns out it is awesome in the rain, like wearing an umbrella on your head.

Medic!
02-21-2010, 02:05
Pic of me last weekend in my Marmot rain hat, taking a photo with my Stickpic. The Marmot hat is smaller than my Seattle Sombrero, thus doesn't hit my pack, yet is still large enough to keep rain off my head, face, ears, neck, etc.
.


I too use the Marmot hat along with The Packa, keeping the hood rolled down due to the fact that the impaired hearing with the hood up drives me crazy(er). Haven't had a problem with water dumping down the back either.

I wouldn't use the hat for hot weather though, not enough ventilation hence too hot.