Felt hats in summer..

I have several furfelt outdoor hats that are for more casual and outdoor work time. My outdoors and go to non dress up hats are from my Akubra line up: a brown Campdraft, Moonstone Squatter and a brown Bushman. These tend to be not worn during yard work or outdoor work.

For outdoor work I use an old JC Penny Marathon furfelt that has the liner out which is how I bought it- as a beater. I do yard work at home and at church in this hat. (I love it.)

I do have 2 straws for casual time, I forgot about one!

I have an inexpensive Scala Panama that while it's not an open weave is far cooler in our NC heat and humidity than my best Panama. For that matter I've found almost anything cooler than a really tightly woven Panama.

For pure sun protection I prefer my Tilley, but it's strictly an informal knock around hat.

Continuing up the scale, light weight and light colored, e.g. Silverbelly, fur felt hats are bearable, but just barely around here. Plus they show sweat stains easily and are a bitch to clean after that.

I have a couple of Akubras that offer good sun protection, but they certainly aren't cool.

It would take a really formal occasion (like a funeral) for me to wear any of my better fur felt fedoras in this heat and humidity, and even then it's likely that I could get away with a Panama instead.

Bottom line, I'm most likely to be wearing that inexpensive Scala Panama in weather like we're having right now (96-100 degrees and high humidity).

I have hats similar to if not just like most of the ones that have been mentioned so far on this thread, so I decided to do a hot weather test on each of them.

But first, let me say that I perspire profusely, and currently the weather here in the Mid-South has seen temps consistently between 75 for an overnight low and 95 for the afternoon high, with humidity ranging between 80% in early mornings to 40% late afternoons.

Here's what I did: At 10:30 AM, when the temperature was about 85 and the relative humidity around 70%, the sky mostly sunny, and winds at 5 to 10 mph, I donned shorts, tee-shirt, and running shoes to head out for my usual one-hour power-walk (walking at a rapid 5+ mph with 3-lb Heavy Hands hand weights), taking the same route each morning. The only thing I changed each day was the hat.

The get a read on fur felt and the effect of hat color, I first compared two Akubras--my Lawson and Lightning Ridge. These hats are very similar, lined, with the thicker, denser Heritage grade of felt; the wider, softer reeded roan leather sweatband; and practically the same crown height and brim width.

They were both hot, but the dark fawn Lawson noticeably more than the sand Lightning Ridge. That Lawson is a chocolate brown while the LR is only a couple shades darker than white. So, a lighter color does make a considerable difference, yet the LR was still uncomfortably hot and sweaty. I would never choose to wear it in these conditions except for this experiment.

Next, I gave my old Aussie Military Slouch a go. Though this hat is British khaki in color--getting on towards a darker green--it is unlined, has ventilation holes, and is constructed of Akubra's lighter weight Superfine quality felt. Surprisingly, it was cooler than the LR, but still way too hot for me in the test conditions.

I put all three of my 2 1/2- X 3 1/2-inch-brimmed Tilleys to the test. Having the two big brass ventilation grommets on each side of the crown, and in the same khaki color, the traditional cotton duck one and hemp model are pretty much the same, and they were tolerable though not exactly comfortable. The Airflow was definitely the best. It's a lighter, "natural" color, in a very lightweght nylon material, with open mesh at the top of the crown, and a "Hydrofil" sweatband. The Airflow did a pretty darn good job of keeping the sun off, venting the hot air out, and soaking up the sweat. The green underbrim does a great job of reducing glare, too.

Next batters up were two unlined, approximately 3-inch-brimmed straws: a relatively cheapo Eddie Bauer Panama and my new Akubra Hemp Range. The tall, doofy-crowned EB is made of Toquilla fiber woven in what I'd estimate a grade 8 brisa pattern; has a thin, low-rent cotton hatband; and features a nifty sweatband that is both stretchy and absorbent. The great-looking Range has a very open weave section encircling the crown just over the black puggaree and a reeded roan sweat just like Akubra's standard-grade fur felt hats.

Due to its sweat, I expected the EB to be the cooler of the two, but the Range was clearly the winner, nearly as comfortable as the Tilley Airflow. I have an upper-mid-grade Featherweight Panama with a cotton sweat that I wear only for dress--seersucker suits, linen sport jackets, and such. It's quite cool, and weighs only 2 oz, but my salty sweat would most assuredly soak through and stain the black pug for all eternity, so, sorry, but I chose not to subject it to this test.

I also tested my two pith helmets.

One is an old one I got as a kid when I was going through my safari phase. In the style the French wore in Southeast Asia (later adopted by the American military), it's actually made out of some sort of molded plastic, covered in cotton khaki fabric on the outside, tinted dark green on the interior. I covered the bonded leather sweat inside that's somewhat deteriorated with a basketball sweatband, which soaks up sweat nicely and is quite comfortable. The sweat is mounted to the helmet with a sort of harness that keeps your head about an inch away from all parts of the inside except the sweat itself. That, plus the 13 holes in the crown, makes for an inherently cool design.

The newer helmet came from the only current source of real piths, Village Hat Shop, and is made in Vietnam of actual pith, which is, basically, cork. I got the British style like you see in the old Tarzan movies, khaki in color, with multiple vent holes. I was suprised at how nicely made this dirt-cheap helmet was. It's made with basically the same type of interior harness as my old one, but it adjusts easily for size with Velcro, and the sweat is covered in a Cool-Max type fabric, making it even more comfortable than my home-made rig. This real pith is, of course, lighter in weight, too.

Both helmets are quite comfortable, with the VHS taking the edge. I tried it both dry and dunked in water, which supposedly evaporates and makes the thing a measure cooler. I could not tell any difference. My test conditions were probably too humid for much if any evaporation to occur.

To be honest, what I usually wear on my power walks is a ball cap or visor, because I don't care if they get stained with salt and mildew, they keep the sun out of my eyes and rain off my glasses, and they stay on in the stiffest of winds, so I tested a few of those, as well.

The coolest cap of all is a white nylon mesh thing. Among others, light color was more effective in coolness than ventilation holes. However, all visors no matter what color were cooler than any cap, despite that they they leave my dark brown hair (OK, there's some gray in there) exposed to the sun. Of course, caps and visors do not shade the rest of your head and leave the neck particularly vulnerable, unless you get one with the "camel jockey" feature, so this category is not really comparable to hats with brims.

Based on these findings, the coolest hat for both hot and humid conditions is a pith helmet, but many consider such a hat to be over-the-top and unacceptable from a style/social acceptablitiy standpoint. And they will cause you to say things like, "Timba, ungowa!" and have people asking you, "Doctor Livingston, I presume?"

Next coolest was the Tilley Airflow. Speaking of style, well...

Close on the Tilleys' heals was the Akubra Hemp Range, followed by relatively loosely woven Panamas. Straws are undoubtedly the style leaders; however, if you get caught wearing one in a downpour, make sure money for a reblock is in the emergency fund and that you have a back-up until it is returned.

Finally, bringing up the rear were fur felts, the darker, denser, lined, unventilated one finishing dead last.

If you can comfortably wear a fur felt in hot and humid weather, you are a much cooler customer than I.

AlterEgo said:

Based on these findings, the coolest hat for both hot and humid conditions is a pith helmet, but many consider such a hat to be over-the-top and unacceptable from a style/social acceptablitiy standpoint. And they will cause you to say things like, "Timba, ungowa!" and have people asking you, "Doctor Livingston, I presume?"

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I have a VHS pith helmet as well and wear it for doing yard work like cutting the grass. I agree that it's the coolest of hats and offers great sun protection. Can't quite bring myself to wear it anywhere but my own yard, though :cool2:

JimWagner said:

I have a VHS pith helmet as well and wear it for doing yard work like cutting the grass. I agree that it's the coolest of hats and offers great sun protection. Can't quite bring myself to wear it anywhere but my own yard, though :cool2:

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Thank goodness.

JimWagner said:

I have a VHS pith helmet as well and wear it for doing yard work like cutting the grass. I agree that it's the coolest of hats and offers great sun protection. Can't quite bring myself to wear it anywhere but my own yard, though :cool2:

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Do you use ear protection? Or is your mower silent (electric or rotary)?

-Dave

David Conwill said:

Do you use ear protection? Or is your mower silent (electric or rotary)?

-Dave

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My riding mower isn't so loud that I typically wear ear protection. I do wear ear protection with either of my electric or gas leaf blowers though. Then I wear active shooter's ear muffs or in ear custom molded plugs depending on whether I can accommodate the head band with the hat I'm wearing at the time.

I do wear Sorbothane padded gloves with all my lawn power tools.

I tend to have the sweating problem in Summer and perspire equally whether I wear felt or straw. Since I began wearing my hair very very short I`ve discovered that urban invention called the "do rag" (or "wave rag"). Don`t laugh...yet. I find a plain colored one in a breathable material like cotton and affix the "rag" to my dome before doffing my lid and....ta-DAA! It works for me but I get some looks or rolling eyes sometimes. That`s ok because I like keeping my hats from getting sweat stains on them and....




...ok...it does make you feel just a bit gangsta,dawg! :eusa_doh:

HMH

Unca Dusty said:

The answer is: get a hat for every conceivable situation!

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In this, we are in complete concorde.

danofarlington said:

Maybe so weather-wise, but I think a felt is more fitting for a funeral. I view Panamas as kind of festive and carefree.

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I've worn a panama with black tie, but that was in the Summer, with an ivory, shawl collared jacket.... it did have a sort of raking appeal, but it's certainly not the most formal of hats. As funds allow, I plan to pick up a couple of Milano homburgs (one black, one 'natural') a la Poirot, for more formal occasions.

It's amazing that in Texas I've been able to wear my FedIV Deluxe out since I got it two days ago. The weather here in Dallas is unseasonably cool due to overcast skies and occasional thunderstorms. Nice. Btw, it's interesting the way people look at me when I'm out and about with the Fed on my melon.

HosManHatter said:

I tend to have the sweating problem in Summer and perspire equally whether I wear felt or straw. Since I began wearing my hair very very short I`ve discovered that urban invention called the "do rag" (or "wave rag"). Don`t laugh...yet. I find a plain colored one in a breathable material like cotton and affix the "rag" to my dome before doffing my lid and....ta-DAA! It works for me but I get some looks or rolling eyes sometimes. That`s ok because I like keeping my hats from getting sweat stains on them and....




...ok...it does make you feel just a bit gangsta,dawg! :eusa_doh:

HMH

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I neatly fold a bandana into a narrow strip, tie it in a square knot behind my head, and, like you, wear it as a sweatband beneath my ball caps on my daily power-walk. In my pocket, I carry a matching one folded into a square to wipe my face. Always the fashionista, I have 40 pairs of bandanas in every conceivable color to coordinate with my work-out clothes and ball caps.

The ball caps are adjustable at the back with either Velcro or buckle closures, so it's not a problem fitting the bandana beneath. Of course, hats are not adjustable, so they won't fit over the bandana--unless I upsized them, then they'd be too big without it. I'm normally a 7 1/8, but, knowing I'd always wear a bandana beneath, I got my cotton duck and hemp Tilleys in 7 1/4. The newer Airflow has a "Hydrofil" sweatband that works great, obviating the need for a bandana, so there's no need to upsize it

HosManHatter, you may want to check out a newfangled type of "do-rag" I saw in a camping/hiking store recently. I cannot remember the name, but they are made out of a high-performance material which quickly wicks away sweat and evaporates fast, supposedly confering a cooling effect. But, brace yourself, they're around twenty bucks a pop.

jbucklin said:

It's amazing that in Texas I've been able to wear my FedIV Deluxe out since I got it two days ago. The weather here in Dallas is unseasonably cool due to overcast skies and occasional thunderstorms. Nice. Btw, it's interesting the way people look at me when I'm out and about with the Fed on my melon.

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Fedora in the summer harks back to the old days when men wore fedoras year round. So rather than pioneering new territory, you're really reviving an old tradition.

Based on the seemingly total absence of fur-felt fedoras here in Dallas (with the exception of mine)---regardless of the time of year---I guess I was starting to fancy myself a true pioneer.

jbucklin said:

Based on the seemingly total absence of fur-felt fedoras here in Dallas (with the exception of mine)---regardless of the time of year---I guess I was starting to fancy myself a true pioneer.

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We have all fancied ourselves to be pioneers at some point.

jbucklin said:

Based on the seemingly total absence of fur-felt fedoras here in Dallas (with the exception of mine)---regardless of the time of year---I guess I was starting to fancy myself a true pioneer.

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Well then it's sort of like Bob Dylan. He was pioneering new music, but did it by harking back to tradition.

Oh, now I will always welcome comparisons to Dylan. (Actually that's the first time it's ever happened).

jbucklin said:

Based on the seemingly total absence of fur-felt fedoras here in Dallas (with the exception of mine)---regardless of the time of year---I guess I was starting to fancy myself a true pioneer.

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Ah, but we have them in Fort Worth! Saw two in Central Market yesterday.

Sue

I'm not surprised. I bet Austin is brimming with them as well (no pun intended). Maybe life really is too short to live in Dallas! [huh]

Because it's just a movie? (sorry, hadda say it.)
Indy is based on older adventure film characters, so it's a reference to older director's decisions, whether logical or not.

Aside from that, I think there's a couple of reasons... one, his nemesis was Belloq, who represented corrupt continental elitism and ironic decadence with his sparkling white lid, a reversal of the white hat/black hat roles of the classic westerns.
His hat is suited to drinking punch in the sun while others work for you.
Belloq can wear delicate, easily stained materials (and keep them as clean as he does) because he's protected at every turn by guys with machine guns, and never has to lift a shovel himself or break a sweat.

Indy's hat, on the other hand, is supposed to look more ovbiously like working hat, designed to take abuse. It's the hat of a man who makes his own way in the world, by his own means, and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty in the process.

Indy is an American icon like the Cowboys. Cowboys loved their beaver boss-of-the-plains hats in brutal heat and punishing storms, and paid top dollar for them. They were built to take a beating, keep the sun off the head, and withstand being rolled into a pillow, trampled by hooves, filled with water in a pinch, and being used as a campfire fan on prairie nights.
Can't ask the same of a panama straw, at least not for the same length of time...

Not saying there's anything wrong with panamas (i love em!)
But I can see why Spielberg and Lucas chose a dark felt for indy.