Boonie hats!

[collecter]

I know it's not the season to be thinking about boonie but who makes a good one and how are you supposed to wear them? Pictures would be fun.

Thanks,
Collecter

 

[eisman]

Mine are issue, so I really don't care who makes them. Usually worn with your head in the "bucket". There's a whole MOR on how not to wear them.

What we used to do (back before the Brass decided to micro-manage stuff like this) was to take a piece of thin welding rod and run it around the brim. Then you can block it any way you want.

 

[ROCK6]

Mine are issue, so I really don't care who makes them. Usually worn with your head in the "bucket". There's a whole MOR on how not to wear them.

What we used to do (back before the Brass decided to micro-manage stuff like this) was to take a piece of thin welding rod and run it around the brim. Then you can block it any way you want.

Yeah Eisman is correct...although I formed mine to look like an Aussie Outback hat...fortunately I had enough "brass" to get away with it In my younger days when I was down in South America, I would drive my senior brass nuts using the neck cord on top of the hat to fold both the sides up (and of course the cord would stick up like a top knot).

I did get a custom short brimmed one in Multicam; it also has an orange liner. I just wear it like a bucket hat. All my others are issued (older woodland camo and plenty of newer ACU versions).

Tis the season for wool hats and my Filson Packer hat now:thumbup:

ROCK6

 

[s7brad]

Ya, all of mine are mil spec anymore. I like the "propper" brand a lot. All run around $10-15 so you can mix and match. Plus no big deal if one gets messed up or lost.

 

[eisman]

of course the cord would stick up like a top knot

You were doing it wrong. For the "texas" fold you run the string up, but to the back of the head; then slide the excess down into one of the open spaces in the band.

When asked who told you to wear it like this the best reply is, "John Wayne does it this way. Don't you like John Wayne? Isn't he macho enough for you? You'd rather I wore it like Bill Murray in Caddyshack?" Usually they walk away...

 

[Les Snyder]

issue, OD, strap to back of head DI style

 

[hoopster]

I have military issue ones that work fine but really like one made by Columbia. (Second one on this page http://www.trailjournals.com/gear.cfm?trailname=4011 )It's lighter, has a wider brim and is more comfortable overall. Both styles I wear with the cord lock pulled up to the back of my neck/head as Les Snyder mentioned.

 

[fixer]

i have several, standard issue GI types, but really like my Tilley T3 best.

the Tilley is white, and not very "Rambo" looking, so it seems to be acceptable to most civilians.

the rim is wider than the GI versions. i'm in the SW, and a little more brim is better, but i don't like the T4 withthe extra wide brim.

i need to get another T3 in tan.

they have a dual cord system, one goes around behind your melon and hte other goes under your chin. makes it VERY resistant to blowing off. they were designed as sailing hats, so stopping to pick it up isn't the simplest thing.

you can also just tuck the cords under the hat and not use them, just eave them adjusted so you can use them.

the brass eyelets and snaps develop a nice patina. looks better and not so new once it does this. seems to help if you make some salt water and spray the brass with hat to force the patina.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Tilley T3 is tough to beat... best boonie I've had. It's Canadian military issue, too.

 

[tiguy7]

Ditto to Fixer and Ed. The only problem with the Tilley: it doesn't have the loopy band that you put little branches in to camoflage your head.

 

[SilverFoxKnows]

I've got two light weight boonies from Good Earth hemp wear and another Aussie style no namer I picked up at Target. I don't really have any complaints. They've held up to yard work, camping and holiday BBQs. The outback hat is much heavier, has the buttons/snaps, chin strap and little flat loops for sticking branches or your lighter or whatnot. The hemp hats don't have any of those. They're just basic buckets. I think they were all about $15, easily replaced if something were to happen to them.

Frank

 

[Mountainman38]

I started wearing boonie hats quite a few years ago while doing land surveying in the summer in southern California. No matter how much I worked outside, every time I wore a baseball cap out in the summer sun I could feel my neck burn by the end of the day. When I started wearing boonies this problem stopped, and I found that my eyes were less fatigued from squinting due to the shade from the sides.

My current hat is a Propper in desert camo. It's not too military looking, and it's pretty comfortable. The only issue is that when I sweat, it stays pretty wet. Other than that it works well -- much better than a baseball cap, since it shades me from the sides.

Since no one else honored your request, I'll throw in a picture or three.

Here's how the little guy wears one:

 

[59Bassman]

I had my first skin cancer removed in my mid 30's. Doc said to cut down on baseball cap use, especially when I'm out fishing or in the woods. I have a couple of Tilley's (including the T3 mentioned above) and really like them. However, I sometimes head well off the beaten path to chase small, pretty fishes in the mountains. It's well known that these fish will spook on a light colored hat or jacket. So I decided I needed something similar to a Tilley, but in more subdued colors:

It's a MARPAT procured from my local surplus store. The wrap around the band is 30' of paracord, just in case. My wife absolutely hates this hat. I love it.

 

[DNK]

Picked up a mil spec tan one on ebay because I don't like the three color desert camo (which also doesn't have a camo band). The maker is R&B, Inc. The brims on my other 3 boonies are all 2-2.5" but this one is 3". I wear it Texas style sometimes because it look cool. If you roll your boonie up side to side when you're storing it you'll get the sides down close to your ears with almost a bonnet look. If you roll it front to back you'll get sort of a plainsman look. Now, I mostly fold it in a pi shape - fold the brim in half (crease ear to ear), then bring the two fold edges of the brim to the center, fold one more time with a vertical crease in the front center. You end up with it in an easily tuckable pie wedge. When you wear it you look like Bill Murray, but that's what Uncle Sam likes.

 

[Guyon]

The cotton boonies are good for shade in the summer, but this time of year, I like something that repels water.