Question about headgear or cover...

[Loose Nut]

Just curious what sort of hats y'all wear? Not when you're driving, but when you're where you want to be, in a campground or in the field in a remote wilderness area? Moi, I'm partial to Henschel hats, not only because they're durable and stylish, but they're also made in the U.S.A.---probably the last thing made in this country, lol. I used to have a wide-brimmed camo Henschel hat which served me well for years... I bought it on a whim at an Orscheln Farm & Home store outside Kansas City, and that hat was the best hat I ever owned. I'm no shill for Henschel either, any item of gear I possess has to stand up to serious abuse in the field, that's all there is to it. And as an ex-Infantry soldier, when I say "serious abuse" I MEAN serious abuse, lol. That Henschel hat was TOUGH and survived many outdoor adventures with me...

I owned that hat for many years, until I lost it one day while sailing in gusty conditions on North Bay (San Diego). Wind was howlin'---usually I wear a ballcap under such conditions, but I had embarked upon this particular voyage hours earlier when the winds weren't so bad. I'm a lifelong small craft sailor too, nobody else was out on that day due to the rough conditions which developed. Anyway, a severe gust whipped the hat from my head, goon cord (chinstrap) and all, and by the time I maneuvered my beloved Laser #2069 back through heller surface chop to the spot where the hat was lost, the hat was already gone, under the waves and out of sight. I patrolled the area for awhile, boxing the compass and searching for my hat, but it was lost forever. To this day, I tell folks:

"POSEIDON STOLE MY HENSCHEL HAT!!!"

I reckon I'll buy another Henschel hat here soon, they are the bomb! Bulletproof in the field! That gust which stripped the hat from my head was severe, that's all... anybody looking for exceptional cover in the field, I highly recommend Henschel hats, one look at their website will tell you why. They're very well-made, and their styles cover a lot of ground, there's something for everyone, lol. I always wanted a 'Confederate Cavalry Officer's Hat' to replace my lost wide-brimmed camo number, but I guess they quit making those for PC reasons, pfffffft. Say, did y'all know that the phrase "politically correct" originated in the Communist Party? And who would've THUNK it? Lol. But this is NOT a political post, I'm just curious what sort of headgear alla youse highway hee-roes are wearing... CHEERS!!!

Henschel Hat Company

 

[Larry N.]

I sometimes wear a baseball hat, generally with sunscreen these days (dermatologist says so), but on cooler days I like a felt hat that looks something like a cowboy hat but with a flat brim and not rigid as all too many cowboy hats are these days, something very much like this: Saint Martin - Crushable Wool Felt Outback Hat

Sometimes, on hotter days, I like a straw hat, perhaps something like: https://www.swimoutlet.com/p/wet-pr...04838&utm_content=Everything Else: Beach Gear

 

[Oldgator73]

Usually a baseball style hat. I have one given to me by a club called Healing Waters a fly fishing club for disabled veterans. Both my son and I are disabled vets. Sometimes I wear a hat from The University of Florida, one of my college alumni. The other schools don’t have cool mascots (University of Maryland, Widener University).

 

[Old_Crow]

I prefer what we referred to in the service as a "boonie hat".
I have decorated the branch loops with pins from all the places my wife and I have traveled to since our retirement.

 

[Oldgator73]

I prefer what we referred to in the service as a "boonie hat".
I have decorated the branch loops with pins from all the places my wife and I have traveled to since our retirement.

I’m afraid my hat would be too heavy if I adorned it with pins from everywhere we have traveled.

 

[UTTransplant]

I frequently wear a really dorky desert hat when out west. It has a fairly stiff wide brim and a flap that covers my neck. Amazingly ridiculous, but it stays on and protects me from the sun. I also have a super wide brim “pretty” hat, but the brim blows up in a wind.

 

[Oldgator73]

We were at our place in VA last month and I misplaced my hat. It happened to be a pretty sunny day. That evening I was really sorry I did have a hat on during the day. I couldn’t even touch my hair challenged pate.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I had a soft leather Henchel-style hat for many years and it progressed from stylish to well-broken-in to down-right ratty. A buddy called it my "go-to-Hell hat. Eventually I replaced it with a similar leather brim hat with a perforated (vented) crown that was more comfortable in hot weather, but it didn't have the cachet of my old one. [sigh]

 

[Old_Crow]

I’m afraid my hat would be too heavy if I adorned it with pins from everywhere we have traveled.

I've only been retired since '16, and we actually started camp hosting the same year, so we didn't travel as much as some. Still, I have the entire circumference of that hat full and it's mostly National Parks and other touristy stuff(Patton Museum, Royal Gorge, etc).
I've been considering another hat, since my wife passed away for the places I'll travel solo. Still managing campgrounds, though, so that one might fill slowly.

 

[Oldgator73]

I've only been retired since '16, and we actually started camp hosting the same year, so we didn't travel as much as some. Still, I have the entire circumference of that hat full and it's mostly National Parks and other touristy stuff(Patton Museum, Royal Gorge, etc).
I've been considering another hat, since my wife passed away for the places I'll travel solo. Still managing campgrounds, though, so that one might fill slowly.

I retired 2015 but we moved on average every 3 years for 36 years.

 

[Loose Nut]

Hey, when ya get older, that cover becomes important if the sun is blazing... especially at elevation in the high desert or mountains. I have a straw Justin cowboy hat that I wear sometimes when I'm under the hot sun, it's lightweight and fairly cool due to the straw weave. I like those leather Henschel hats, those are nice, though a little pricey. I like most of the Australian model hats offered by Henschel, I'll probably wind up buying one of those when I get around to it. Maybe one of those with the mesh for keeping cool in summer, and a sturdier leather hat for winter. That'd be nice, having the option for different seasons... right now, my options are a ballcap or the Justin cowboy hat.

That hand who mentioned the flap, I can remember when kepis came back into fashion as beach attire in the late '70s... and why not? It's actually a pretty cool design, and your neck doesn't get fried in the sun. But I like a wider brim now that I'm older, especially for activities like sailing where I know I'm gonna be in the hot sun for hours on end. Otherwise, it's 'Sunscreen City' and hope for the best with a ballcap, lol. My pop was a submarine commander (one of my seven brothers followed in his footsteps and became a CDR, USN Submarine Service), and many sailors from that earlier era developed malignant melanoma because folks weren't as aware of the damage the sun can do.

As a younger man, I spent a lot of time in the field, hiking, climbing, remote camping, etc., but I'm not as active as I was in those days... happens to the best of us. However, I like getting out to the Stronghold and hiking around a bit when the weather is pleasant... not too hot, like it's getting to be as summer approaches. I've done some very nice hikes out there, and there's even shade to be found along the way, for when I want to take a water break. Last time I went to the Stronghold (West Side), I hiked to the Sheepshead to check it out, returned to my car, drove a little farther north along the base of the Dragoons, and found a primo outcrop on which to have a picnic lunch. Nice views out there...

"HEY, THERE'S TOMBSTONE!!!"