Rain Hats

[Smyat]

The weather here in north-central California has been weird for several years (join the club!) and I'm reworking my winter gear a bit. We hardly ever get cold any more, when historically January-March is butt-freezin' cold (into the 20s in an area better built and set for more moderate temps). Now it rarely gets cold or frosty, but we get rain and wind a lot more - at least, over a longer part of the calendar - than we used to.

So my big leather Harley jacket is hardly ever suitable, I don't always like to wear my lighter shells that blow around and soak through, and I use an umbrella more than just about anyone here. As a change, I picked up a drover's coat from David Morgan, which should do me most of the cold and wet season.

But my poor head, although plentifully graced with hair, sticks out of the Driza-Bone and needs cover occasionally. The HJ can't take getting too wet. The Akubra is a dress hat, more or less, and I'd like it to say fresh. The Panama I'm idly shopping for... yeah, right.

So what's a good rain hat? I don't do anything like "cowboy" although I concede that a good working Stetson is made for rain. Help me with some suggestions for a good rain/wind hat that would go with a black drover's coat and not make me look like what we call here a "goat roper"... before I do something silly like find a Chinese coolie hat! lol

 

[Haversack]

What I use for my "bucketing-down" rain hat is Filson's Packer Hat. I have it in heavy wool, (not felt), for those now too few cold wet days, (and from living in Oregon), and in their Tin Cloth, an oiled cotton, for the now more common warm rains. Being true hats, they do a good job in shedding rain and keeping out of my face and neck. They are pretty indestructable too. You can see their line here:
http://www.filson.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2118241&cp=&view=all&fpricesort

Haversack.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Not long ago, it occured to me that rabbits, beaver, and even sheep (gasp) get caught in the rain. Since then, I wear whatever I want. So far, no adverse effects. However, if the hat gets really wet, I make sure to reshape it before it dries.

 

[Smyat]

Not long ago, it occured to me that rabbits, beaver, and even sheep (gasp) get caught in the rain. Since then, I wear whatever I want. So far, no adverse effects. However, if the hat gets really wet, I make sure to reshape it before it dries.

Oh, sure, felt CAN take weather without curling up and dying like a... well, like a wounded rabbit. But if one of my felt feddies got really wet, I'd have to spend time taking care of it, and blowing off and into muddy water or other gruck is always a possibility too.

Something that doesn't take any crap from rain or mild dirt, doesn't need any maintenance when it does get wet, gives decent rain and some wind protection and looks half as stylish as a good fedora... that's what I'm after.

 

[Smyat]

What I use for my "bucketing-down" rain hat is Filson's Packer Hat...

That's it. I knew I'd seen a fedora-ish weather hat around somewhere. Hurm. Do wish it came in other colors - I'd prefer dark, but the green just isn't my color. Packer in dark tan it is!

 

[carter]

I concede that a good working Stetson is made for rain.

A Stetson Bronco should meet you needs.

You might want to take a look at Tilly hats as well.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Tilley hats are good but they need Scotch guard touchups to keep it water proof good.
You can get a waxed cotton hat as well.
I would just use an Akubra myself. If it gets too soaked threw I would give it a scotch guard treatment/felt stiffener treatment. If you don't want to spend a lot of money just pick one up off of e-bay. You can usually find a snowy river virtually any size at any given time.
Johnny

 

[Smyat]

A Stetson Bronco should meet you needs.

Yeah, that's nice. I've ordered a Filson for now, seems to be a good match with the drover's coat but I would have preferred one in black rather than the dark tan - no setch animal in oilskin, as far I can tell.

I'll keep an eye out for a Bronco if I'm not happy with the Filson. We don't get that much rain here and one rain hat will be plenty. I think.

The problem with most good rain hats is that they're cowboy-ey, which is something to avoid where I live. I'm not even a little bit country, and there are two classes of those who dress like cowboys: the handful of real ranchers and horsemen who come this far into town, and lots of Ken dolls wearing their country stars' look. The latter are usuall a part of that class of people who live on five acres, have a horse or two goats and act like they're John Wayne - they aren't thought much of and I'll go a long ways to even momentarily look like a "goat roper."

 

[analogist]

Rain Hat

Our fellow lounger Besdor, (www.bencraft.com) has several fedora style rain hats in black, both oilskin, and water-repellant cloth. They are quite nice. Contact him and you'll get what you want.

analogist

 

[WideBrimm]

Filson for me . I've got the green model. I like that fact that it's heavy enough so it doesn't blow off so easily.

 

[Twitch]

Ya know there exist plastic rain cover for hats all the way up to wide brim State Trooper models. There are a zillion on Ebay for almost no money. I used "hat rain cover" to search and find them. That way you can use your nice hat anytime.

 

[Smyat]

Our fellow lounger Besdor, (www.bencraft.com) has several fedora style rain hats in black, both oilskin, and water-repellant cloth. They are quite nice. Contact him and you'll get what you want.

Very nice. I'll keep him in mind if the tan Filson doesn't look right.

One of the 'look' problems I have is that I have long, thick hair that clashes with classic styles unless I'm very fussy about the details. (Think "Fedora" from Indy 3, but longer and thicker...)

And Twitch, I know there are rain covers. I've always thought them a little, well, dorky, like slipcovers on furniture. I'll wear a dress hat when it's dressy and don't want it under a plastic wrap. What I'm looking for here is a reasonably stylish but utterly weatherproof and low-maintenance rain hat. I don't want to have to bag a good hat or fuss over reshaping and drying one, just slap it on and stay dry up top, then toss it on a hook for next time. Thanks for the suggestion, though - I might pick up a fedora wrap or two for those times I do want to wear a dress hat and not worry about the rain.

 

[WideBrimm]

And Twitch, I know there are rain covers. I've always thought them a little, well, dorky, like slipcovers on furniture. I'll wear a dress hat when it's dressy and don't want it under a plastic wrap. What I'm looking for here is a reasonably stylish but utterly weatherproof and low-maintenance rain hat. I don't want to have to bag a good hat or fuss over reshaping and drying one, just slap it on and stay dry up top, then toss it on a hook for next time. Thanks for the suggestion, though - I might pick up a fedora wrap or two for those times I do want to wear a dress hat and not worry about the rain.

Ditto

 

[Twitch]

I'm just saying for emergency if you are caught in a situation where you have to be out in the rain would you rather risk ruining your hat or look dorky? Kinda reminds me of when I was a kid. The "cool" guys would never consider being seen wearing a hat of any kind ever and would walk a mile in the pouring rain all the while looking cool.lol

 

[Smyat]

I'm just saying for emergency if you are caught in a situation where you have to be out in the rain would you rather risk ruining your hat or look dorky?

Good point. I tend to think California style, where you don't have to be in the rain any longer than you choose to - you can always climb in your car or toss your hat in there if need be. I can see getting caught on city streets with a need to ambulate in the rain... so keeping rain cover rolled up in a pocket would be sensible.

(Stuck in suburbia for now, aiming for Manhattan soon... that's me!)

 

[big kahuna]

I am not a western hat guy...

But I bought an Akubra Cattleman for such a purpose. I wore my fur DP INDY in torrential Florida rains and humidity for 8 days (heavilly scotchguarded), and it clearly shrunk. I figured that the Akubra does not look like most "American" cowboy hats and is reputed to hold up in incliment weather.