Last time I needed a new hat I went to buy a Tilley, but was not impressed. The brims were too floppy and I was tired of paddling around with the brim pinned by the wind up against my forehead. I ended up buying a Sunny Day Charter hat.
I’ve been under that hat a few years now and it shows little sign of wear. The brim has never been pinned up against my forehead by the wind. One little extra this hat offers is the glasses-holder slots that do a really good job of holding my sunglasses when I need a place to put 'em. That is a handy feature I’ve added to my hat requirements.
This thread has been helpful to me. I bought an OR hat years ago; I guess it’s the Seattle Sombrero; and set it on a shelf because the brim was way too wimpy in the wind. After reading this thread I took a hat inventory and realized the hat may be lousy for paddling but still make a fine, dry land, birding hat. Both sides of the hat can be easily velcroed up and away from the ears… all the better to hear the birds. When the rain starts or the sun gets mean just un-velcro. Thanks for the inspiration, y’all.
@carldelo said:
I recommend the Riverz Delta straw hat (“techstraw” = polypropylene). It’s a C-crown fedora style, 3" brim holds up to wind well, good in the rain. Floats, washes clean (tar came off), has a chin strap, CoolMax sweatband, fairly well ventilated crown. Mine is 12 years old, might need to be replaced next year. Can be had in XXL, which is rare, has some style for a paddling hat, even more rare. There are a few other models, with up to a 5" brim: shop.sfhat.com/catalog/riverz-amphibious-hats
This is it on the left:
My go to hat(s) are many like the one on the right.
Always get them free, and they do a good , especially for swatting mosquitos and flys.
if I lose one or wear one out, I just grab a new one from some salesman.
When I am drinking “Pain Killers” with Grayhawk the night after paddling with him it is an absolute must that I wear my Pusser’s British Rum hat compliments of him.
I even have a camo one that I won in a canoe race. I guess I am supposed to wear that if I am paddling in enemy territory, but normally wear it out in the woods when I am using my chain saw. That way I can be one of the “Real Mountain men” !
But my absolute favorites are several of my Adirondack 90 miler hats. If i die of skin cancer I want to be buried or cremated with the blue one on
In the warmer seasons especially, I like this Academy Boonie hat. It’s cotton so I can dunk it and it stays wet for a while. The 3 inch brim (I don’t like less here in Texas) has foam inside, which makes it float and provides stiffness. If you button up the sides in the wind, the front brim gets even stiffer. I maschine washed mine before. And it’s only 20 bucks. Mine’s olive, a color I don’t see right now on their website:
Hey Overstreet, I hope you’re saying JACK is the man. He’s the real mountain man as far as I’m concerned. If I’m not mistaken he completed the Assault 17 times. A very appropriate paddling/pedaling hat to be buried in I think.
I was there three weeks ago. Plenty of climbing turns on a narrow hwy with the likes of me in my big truck loaded with sea kayaks, being passed by sporty cars that must go twice the speed limit. Brave if nothing else. But quite impressive.
I use two different hats. On calm days I use the Columbia Breezer Two. They don’t last as long as Tilleys but are cooler. The three inch brim is rather floppy.
I also have a Cabela’s flats cap. It is a long billed cap with a cape on the back. The oddly placed mesh panels actually work well and the cape is good for keeping the sun off of you ears and neck. The bill doesn’t fold down on windy days or in the fast boat. The cape can also roll up and store in a pocket in the hat, when not needed.
What hat depends on your paddling venue and water time. Tampa has a need for a larger amount of sun protection and coolness than most places.
Tilley needs to put the stiff brim in their regular hats OR keep the double strap in their paddling hat model. Why would they do something so stupid? They built their company on a hat that sailors could use with dual straps for windy conditions. Then they take their paddling hat, add the stiff brim that has been needed for years, and then REMOVE the double strap? Gawd.
I emailed them about this, they did not seem interested.
Timely discussion! I had been leaning towards a Tilley but was having problems finding one locally that was big enough (need size 8). Saw the comments about the floppy brim in the wind and decided to look at other options. Learned about the Shelta’s from this thread and found a local dealer so I could check them out. Ended up getting a Shelta Seahawk, no way that brim is going to get blown around and the XXL fits just right.
The reason I wear a Tilly is because a size 8 fits me and I couldn’t find an off the rack hat that did, except the Seattle Sombrero and it isn’t a summer hat.
The Sombreros come in a nylon lined version that works OK for summer (I have one of each, the nylon for warm weather and the fuzzy-lined for cooler,) So far they have been my favorited paddling hat but I must admit that Shelta Seahawk looks pretty good, especially the venting grommets. Though the 3" brim on the Shelta is an inch narrower than the 4" newer Sombreros (my first Sombrero, 8 years ago, was 3" and I prefer the wider one).
I recently purchased an Outdoor Research Sun Runner. Most expensive hat I’ve ever purchased, at about $CAD 40. Though it should cost less for what it is, I really like it. I just got back from paddling 5 days of open water hot sun. Wearing this hat I didn’t feel “baked” at day’s end.
and I can’t recommend it. The brim flops around and blows up in a headwind, and the chin-cord is annoying because it rubs my ears and won’t stay tight. I mostly wear it in the truck, to keep the sun out of my eyes. Great ventilation.
Actually, the only reason I got it was because Columbia gave me a big discount coupon for opening an account, and I couldn’t find anything else of theirs that I wanted. The hat cost me about five bucks.
I’ve worn wide brim hats in the past. What I like better about the cap/cape style is that they still provide ample protection of the neck, jaw, and cheeks when the sun is low in the sky.
Side note: I have rolled numerous times now with the Sun Runner and it stays on well without being so tight as to give me a headache. It only requires a slight adjustment and flipping the cape down the back.
@gstamer said:
The best no-flop, large brim sun hat that I have found is the Shelta. The brim is very stable, won’t budge in the wind. I like the Seahawk model, but they have a few models: https://www.sheltahats.com/ . Some people don’t like the “boonie” look, works for me.
I’m in Florida, so the hats need to not only be wind-stable, but not trap too much heat either. That’s the reason I usually don’t like sun-runners and other “neck cape hats”. My head bakes in them. I prefer a brim that allows you to feel a breeze,
Greg
A few months back Facebook was putting Shelta ads in my feed every 20 posts. After a few months they quit. I clicked on your link, and now the ads are back
