Do you wear a hat in summer?

[carole]

I have normally avoided wearing hats (even in winter until I’m stopping) because I am a hot hiker and felt a hat would make it worse (hold heat in). But I also have a thick head of hair that can keep me warm, that is, until it’s wet which doesn’t take long for me. And then the ‘vanity’ kicks in when my wild, wet hair is all over the place in the wind and creates interesting ‘do’s’. I have used sweatbands and bandanas to some success but the hair is still wet and wild. So in my never ending search of controlling the sweat and the hair I have experimented with a hat (ball-cap style). The two I have are a quick drying material with an inner sweatband that I can pull my hair (like a ponytail) through the adjustable back loop.

Interestingly in even the recent hot weather my hair stays drier under the hat and I have been able to wear one all day without a problem and I don’t find I feel hotter.

 

[sp1936]

My favorite hiking hat is my big fat Stetson . I find that the shade it affords and the air space at the top of the head, neither of which you get from a ballcap, can actually make me feel cooler. Unfortunately, the wind wants it, so it doesn't get out all that often.

I don't have much hair, so that's not an issue for me, but my wife has LOTS of long brown hair. She often wears a ballcap as you describe when hiking.

Steve

 

[alpinista]

I have normally avoided wearing hats (even in winter until I’m stopping) because I am a hot hiker and felt a hat would make it worse (hold heat in). But I also have a thick head of hair that can keep me warm, that is, until it’s wet which doesn’t take long for me. And then the ‘vanity’ kicks in when my wild, wet hair is all over the place in the wind and creates interesting ‘do’s’. I have used sweatbands and bandanas to some success but the hair is still wet and wild. So in my never ending search of controlling the sweat and the hair I have experimented with a hat (ball-cap style). The two I have are a quick drying material with an inner sweatband that I can pull my hair (like a ponytail) through the adjustable back loop.

Interestingly in even the recent hot weather my hair stays drier under the hat and I have been able to wear one all day without a problem and I don’t find I feel hotter.

Carole -- as you saw in my post on the Saddleback/Horn trip, the hat doesn't seem to work well for me. I used to hike all the time wearing a bandanna, and I think I'm going to go back to that. I don't know why I don't tend to overheat wearing a bandanna versus a hat -- since both, you'd think, would keep in the heat, but apparently that's just how my body reacts.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I always wear a hat or bandanna even though I'd rather not. 8 summers as a lifeguard back in the 70s gave me enough sun to last a lifetime, and since I don't have as much hair as I did then I cover up religiously. The sun seems nice, but it's a killer.

 

[poison ivy]

I generally don't wear hats for three-season hiking because I overheat really easily. I think letting the heat escape from my head is more important for me. I do occaisionally wear a bandana, particularly in buggy areas to keep the skeeters and black flies out of my hair.

I have on occaision worn a hat on hikes with long ridge walks -- more to keep the sun out of my eyes than everything else. Lately though, I've been remembering to bring sunglasses instead.

- Ivy

 

[Double Bow]

After many years of bandana wearing, I now wear the same ballcap on most of my warm weather hikes. I clipper my hair short, so that isn't an issue and I find that the hat shields my eyes well and that the bill sometimes keeps me from bumping my head into things plus, it's sort of my trademark. With a ballcap, you can yank it on good and tight when the wind picks up and hoods fit over it.

 

[DougPaul]

If I am in the sun, I almost always wear a hat (typically a baseball cap) to keep the sun off my noggin and glare out of my eyes. Only take it off in the shade.
Add/substitute a fleece/wool watch cap/balaclava if conditions warrent.

I'm experimenting with a Tilley hat (has a full brim) in summer to add protection for the sides of my face and back of the neck. It's definitely going with me on my next visit to the desert.

Another trick is a bandanna tucked under a baseball cap to protect the sides of your face and back of your neck. I've used this in the desert--works well and since breezes blow under the bandanna, nice and cool.

Doug

 

[MichaelJ]

If I'm in the sun, I wear a light nylon with vented mesh sides baseball cap. It keeps the sun off my head (since I keep my hair short) and the glare out of my eyes.

If I'm in the shade, I don't wear a hat and feel a lot cooler and more comfortable. I'll wear a bandanna if it's cool and my sweaty head is getting chilled.

 

[Gris]

Tilley in the heat. Light fleece in winter. Tilley has a foam pocket on top of head into which you can put spring water - stays real cool for a while after that! Just make sure you get the canvas Tilley and not the nylon one!

 

[keepin' on]

I like to wear a bandana in all seasons. I made one out of a wick-dri shirt that had seen better days! It keeps me a bit cooler than a cotton bandana. I always have a fleece "beanie" for the summits as well.

 

[bbluee]

I don't really like hats for the same reasons mentioned by others. Keeps me too warm. I've found that this hat solves that problem. I carry it with me always. It's ultra light, has lots of venting to allow heat to escape. It can be wadded up and stuffed into my pack and come out looking fine. I can scoop water into it and dump it on my head when I'm really hot. So I'm actually cooler wearing it than not. It blocks UV's completely. Has a extra wide brim and tail. Tail can be velcroed up so it doesn't drag on your pack making annoying scratching sounds, or down when your pack free. Check it out at:

http://www.sundayafternoons.com/index.cgi?id=682524414210&sp=adventure

 

[^MtnMike^]

I've never really been a hat person, but now that I'm losing my hair I've started to get really bad burns. I bought a nylon EMS cap at the start of summer; it's one of those foreign legion style caps with the material that hangs down around your neck and ears. I really like it. I've also found that the long bill perfectly shades my digital camera screen when I'm in bright sunlight!
My only complaint would be that the bill cuts off my peripheral vision of the trail ahead (when I hike I tend to look down at the trail)

^MtnMike^

 

[ADK Rick]

While I'd like to wear a hat for sun purposes, I find that I can't...just too hot. Even though my hair is thinning up top I dont seem to get burned too much. I just wear a bandana headband to keep the copious perspiration out of my eyes (witness my avatar).

ADK Rick

 

[Brownie]

Hats are "cool"

I have always worn some kind of hat, baseball cap style, mostly because I own really "cool" fasionable tourist "been there" types, you know, Yosemite, Mt Washington, Madison Hut, ect, ect..

But for real performance, I wear my OR Sunrunner, nylon, SPF 30, cool-max band, with mesh panels and removable "Foreign Legion" curtain.
This saved my neck out west earlier this year when I trekked many days in total exposed sun and 80 degree dry heat.
I would dip the hat in water and wear it cool all day!


Jeff

 

[BorealChickadee]

long hot hair too. I usually ponytail it up for three seasons. Every once in a while I shake it out to let the heat escape that's been trapped under the hair of the ponytail. By the time I summit I usually look pretty interesting with this wet hair plastered around my face. Good thing I'm behind the camera. this year I tried leaving it loose and thenputting it briefly up to cool off my neck every once in a while. That worked too and I didn't look quite as bad at the end. So I guess it's a choice between hot head or hot neck and whick one to give cooling off periods.

Ballcap whaen it's raing to keep the rain off my glasses.

Hat in the winter when it gets really cold.

 

[Shewolf]

I am a "hotbox" with long thick curly hair and I sweat like crazy in the heat.(lovely mental picture, I know) I do the ponytail thing with no hat unless it's 0 degrees and windy at the summit. I get too overheated with anything covering my head, even a bandanna. If they ever come out with a battery powered hat with air conditioning, I'll be the first in line...

 

[onrhodes]

Just check out my avatar. I'm bald on top and I shave my head about once a week with clippers.
That being said, I don't wear a hat for hiking unless it is cold. For the sun and ridges, I'm a beleiver in just SPF 35 (or higher). I thought I was a sweater until I started hiking with my friend Andy. He's just a total mess and needs a hat to keep sweat from dropping in his eyes.
I like to have my noggin out in the air.

 

[DougPaul]

However, I just bought this hat http://www.ems.com/products/product...avigation/subcategory.jsp&bmUID=1122912085530
at EMS just before our Bonds in a day trip Saturday. It was great and it's less than 1/2 the price of a Tilley.

The trick was to find a Tilley of the right size at the REI garage sale, $17, IIRC.

REI also has a Tilley-like hat (REI Explorer Hat). Along with a number of other suppliers...

Doug

 

[newjeep123]

Ditto on the Tilley being good in the hot - used one last summer in 100 degree heat in Nevada - definitely helped keep me cool. i wear it all the time kayaking.

 

[Stan]

I find a hat messes up my dreadlocks.

However, I do wear a Tilley while paddling, mon, but not while hiking. At worse, I wear a bandana while in heat.

In winter, I wear a fleece headband but even then I tend to overheat so I'll do without that if possible. When it's really frigid or I'm not generating enough heat I have a really warm genuine Navy wool watch cap ... over a bacalava if necessary.