Hats - cool, durable, maximum sun protection

[pharmvet]

Hats make me hot, however I have very fair skin and sunburn very easily. I have become very sun conscious over the past 5 years and routinly werr long sleeved shirts, cotton gloves and large brimmed hats while mowing or general tractor / farm work. I have a straw (cowboy) hat that I like pretty well, but it a bit heavy and somewhat hot. I once had a plastic "bee keeper" type hat that was very lightwt, cool and comfortable to wear, but I lost it. What is your favorite hat to wear that meets these criteria:

1) Cool and lightweight
2) Durable
3) Maximum sun protection


Thanks

 

[MikeInEburg]

I have an official US Postal Service "pith helmet" type that I really like. Vented with adequate sun shade.
Mike

 

[EddieWalker]

I buy the cheap, $20, soft straw hats that are sold at Atwoods. I like them flexibile and lightweight. I buy a new one every spring and toss the old one into the burn pile at the end of the year. While wearing it all year long, it gets kind of nasty, but they hold up fine. For whatever reason, not wearing it during the winter seams to do all the damage to them. Now I just burn it and start all over again with a new one.

Eddie

 

[scott_vt]

I buy the cheap, $20, soft straw hats that are sold at Atwoods. I like them flexibile and lightweight. I buy a new one every spring and toss the old one into the burn pile at the end of the year.
Eddie

Good Afternoon Pharmvet,
Im with Eddie, I think the cheap straw hats offer the most amount of protection for the money !

I have a straw hat, do I wear it... no most of the time, I usually just wear one of my tractor ball caps etc.

Unfortunately, two weeks ago I was diagnosed with a mild form of skin cancer on my chest ! I think they call it basil cell carcinoma sp ?

Anyway thats from me being out in the sun too much without protection. I love being outdoors, probablly because I have spent the best part of my adult working carreer inside. I will need to be a bit more careful in the future.

Im getting this spot on my chest evaluated this week, and hopefully removed within the next couple.

I allways chuckled when I would see some guys all bundled up in long sleeve shirts and big hats, Im not laughing anymore ! I would rather ride my tractors a few more years, than appear macho by riding around with no shirt or a tee shirt !

 

[scgargoyle]

I wear a Tilley canvas hat, with the widest brim they make. Regular hats don't fit my oversized melon (size 8) so I have to order expensive hats like the Tilley.

 

[Egon]

I just rely on a hardhat. Had to wear them most of my life so it's just a continued habit. Beside it's got the muffs mounted on it.

 

[wushaw]

I wear a do rag, a head sweat band and sunglasses/safteyglasses in summer, sweat is too much for any kind of ball cap or straw hat. I have my favorite colors, Lone star flag, confederate flag...standard redneck stuff.

 

[LBrown59]

Didn't we just go through all this in another thread.?

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

Didn't we just go through all this in another thread.?

Thanks for the info Sherlock....

 

[txdon]

straw pith helmet

like this

Straw Pith Helmet

 

[rox]

I wear a do rag, a head sweat band and sunglasses/safteyglasses in summer, sweat is too much for any kind of ball cap or straw hat. I have my favorite colors, Lone star flag, confederate flag...standard redneck stuff.

Me too, I wear a do rag every day and over here they make them for the ladies. They have a piece of elastic in the back and go very nicely from your forehead to just under the hairline at the back of your head. I have many different colors, right now I am wearing a green one. I like them because it keeps the dust off of my hair and in summers it is very dry and dusty here. Plus it absorbs the sweat and being fair skinned I sweat quite a bit. Of course it is nice girly sweat, not stinking boy type sweat

 

[scott_vt]

Of course it is nice girly sweat, not stinking boy type sweat

Good Evenin Rox,
Thanks that line made my day !

BTW good to hear you on again !

 

[jinman]

I like the broadbrim course staw hats, but only if they have a chin strap. I can't keep one on in the wind unless it has that chin strap. My favorite hat is a ballcap I bought at Academy Sports a few years ago by Columbia Outdoors. I can't find this cap made by them anymore, but here is one made by Patagonia.

Patagonia Sun Protection Ballcap

 

[rvaitor]

I wear a Tilley canvas hat, with the widest brim they make. Regular hats don't fit my oversized melon (size 8) so I have to order expensive hats like the Tilley.

My wife bought me a Tilley before going to Oshkosh in 1992 - still haven't worn it out and like the brim coverage as well.

 

[marimus]

Me too, I wear a do rag every day and over here they make them for the ladies. They have a piece of elastic in the back and go very nicely from your forehead to just under the hairline at the back of your head. I have many different colors, right now I am wearing a green one. I like them because it keeps the dust off of my hair and in summers it is very dry and dusty here. Plus it absorbs the sweat and being fair skinned I sweat quite a bit. Of course it is nice girly sweat, not stinking boy type sweat

OK I give up, what is a "do rag" ??

 

[jinman]

Short for "Hair-do Rag."

 

[Chuck52]

I wear what I think was called a booney hat from the local army surplus store, which has very little actual surplus stuff. It's the floppy green military style hat with a decent brim and a chin strap. Problem is it has no sweat band incorporated in it and I can't find one big enough to let me wear a sweat band under the hat. I sweat so much I can't see through my glasses sometimes. I also have a couple of straw hats, but again they don't let me wear a sweat band under them. If I could find a size 8 it might work. I might have to try a do rag, but I bet it wouldn't even start to absorb all the sweat. I usually have to wring out a sweat band every few minutes if I'm working much, and it doesn't even have to be particularly hot.

Chuck

 

[txdon]

The do rag looks like minimal sun protection for the face and neck, but good to keep the dust from girly hair or bugs out when on a motorcycle, and not those stinky France bugs, the sweet Texas bugs.

 

[rox]

The do rag looks like minimal sun protection for the face and neck, but good to keep the dust from girly hair or bugs out when on a motorcycle, and not those stinky France bugs, the sweet Texas bugs.

Ha ha ha. Even the bugs are sweeter in Texas huh?

 

[rox]

Chuck, I'm wondering if a chamois cut in a strip might make a good seat band for you? Also thought of another way off the wall feminin product that would be relatively thin and super aborbant. Don't know of any men who would try that one though.