Best Boonie Hats

**Team Sergeant** · 05-21-2011, 20:13

Who's making the best boonie hats these days?

Look at the hat....

alelks · 05-21-2011, 20:24

Not a Boonie but since I've had two skin cancer episodes I swear by the Tilly hats. I've had this one for over 9 years now and they have a lifetime warranty even for loss.

Website/Hat

adal · 05-21-2011, 21:47

Columbia Bora Bora Booney is one of my fav's. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___91215
I also have a North face one for work, but the Columbia is for my day to day.

adal

Dusty · 05-22-2011, 03:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Who's making the best boonie hats these days?

Look at the hat....

https://www.epropper.com/products/19...ie-Sun_Hat.htm

They've got 100% cotton, rip stop, and more patterns.

PedOncoDoc · 05-22-2011, 04:41

Both Mountain Hardware and Outdoor Research make durable, excellent headgear. Links go to their boonie-style hats. Additional similar hats can be found in the sun hat section of their websites.

**Pete** · 05-22-2011, 05:01

I would say it depends on use. Boonie vs Sun hat.

Out in the open subject to full sun you'd want a hat with a fairly stiff flat brim and good ventilation. Gives better protection to the whole neck area.

The above hat would still be good for well groomed trails.

The classic Boonie Hat is made for off trail use. Softer fabric and not as stiff. Less noise and allows you to go head down through thicker areas. The brim does wrinkle and allow sun to the back of the neck. In hard or long rains you can get the drowned puppy look.

Then you get into style vs function. Out in the full sun it's hard to beat the old straw hat. Garden work/riding mower there is the straw version of the old pith helmet.

JJ_BPK · 05-22-2011, 05:02

When fishing here in the Keys, we need protection from the reflection off the water as much as the sky. Most of us will now ware hats, gloves, long sleeves & long pants. I bet 1/2 my fishing neighbors have skin cancer. Go to a party and you see lots of white spots healing....

I ware one similar to this. It has a velcro tab'd skirt so you can take it of and almost look civil. The problem with boonie style is the wind is always trying to flip it off. Some of the skirt'd hats have Velcro tabs so you can wrap it around to the front. It looks real geekie,, but you need the protection..

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___91676

I also ware a Tula large brim straw for more social functions.. These are light, soft, and well made, from Mexico. One of the importers attended a PoonTangle and gave away 40 hats.. This is the one I snapped up..

http://www.altrec.com/tula-hats/latt...e-001b2166c2c0

Then there is my Safe Queen... As issued in the Spring of 1970, RVN..

Dusty · 05-22-2011, 05:13

Anybody who rolls the brim real tight and ties it down is disqualified...

JJ_BPK · 05-22-2011, 05:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty

Anybody who rolls the brim real tight and ties it down is disqualified...

Dusty, I would agree,, but the early boonies had soft brims,, and when wet they flopped down in you face. As far as I was concerned they were good for sleeping..

I was paranoid about not being able to see to the sides and hear every sound..

I wore a hat because we had to be covered at all times,, and they were spiffier than the B-ball copy..

A man has got to know his limits...

Buffalobob · 05-22-2011, 05:50

I am now mostly using a Cabelas boonie for hunting. It is not as heavy duty as most of them but it fits on my head better and is cooler than most when hunting in the early Fall. I like it so much that I have one with Goretex and one without. The Goretex is only in the crown, none is in the brim.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabel...h-All+Products

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cloth...53BBRprd750750

Dusty · 05-22-2011, 06:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

Dusty, I would agree,, but the early boonies had soft brims,, and when wet they flopped down in you face. As far as I was concerned they were good for sleeping..

I was paranoid about not being able to see to the sides and hear every sound..

I wore a hat because we had to be covered at all times,, and they were spiffier than the B-ball copy..

A man has got to know his limits...

My bad-my post didn't reference you at all, but to a certain 'operater' who came up a few months ago and whose status was questionable...

**Team Sergeant** · 05-22-2011, 08:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete

I would say it depends on use. Boonie vs Sun hat.
Out in the open subject to full sun you'd want a hat with a fairly stiff flat brim and good ventilation. Gives better protection to the whole neck area.

The above hat would still be good for well groomed trails.

The classic Boonie Hat is made for off trail use. Softer fabric and not as stiff. Less noise and allows you to go head down through thicker areas. The brim does wrinkle and allow sun to the back of the neck. In hard or long rains you can get the drowned puppy look.

Then you get into style vs function. Out in the full sun it's hard to beat the old straw hat. Garden work/riding mower there is the straw version of the old pith helmet.

Boonies, in my opinion suck up the sweat, sun hats don't, or at least the ones I've seen don't. Thanks for all the links, it's time for a new hat!

Papa Zero Three · 05-22-2011, 09:27

Saw this awhile back on soldier systems. This guys apparently makes them the way you want them and not just boonies. No experience with his stuff but thought I'd mention it.

http://kick-ass-caps/