Women sun hats - what not to wear

[jrosado1]

I have a straw hat that I think will keep the sun off my face and neck and looks pretty stylish, though I am concerned that it doesn't have a strap for when it's windy.

Are there any kind of hats that you would recommend NOT to wear?

 

[jrosado1]

Ha! Yeah I'm super concerned about my out of control frizzy crazy-lady hair. I plan on wearing lots of bobby pins. Hence the concern for the look of the hat - to balance out the disaster that I expect my hair to be!

 

[Terrri]

I am not going for stylish at all but rather protection from the rain or sun. My concern is also how hats tend to keep the heat in since I am prone to sun stroke. Still considering an umbrella.

 

[ZacM]

Terri,
If you get a hat you could pour water in the hat and walk with it on your head while it is still wet. Have you thought about a hat with holes in it for your head to breathe more? You also could bring a rag to soak in water and put in along your neck/temples to keep cool. A few years ago I went hiking in Arizona without a hat (I gave mine to my girlfriend I had at the time) and it was one of the worst sun burns ever on my face, neck, and ears. Ever since then I refuse to go hiking without a hat.

I would think the umbrella would just get in the way. You may want something that is hands-free.

Buen Camino,

Zac

 

[freeflyer123]

Thanks for adding this topic. It's not something I had thought of before because we will be cycling and have bike helmets. But, as you can imagine, they can get very hot when the temperature gets too high. I wore mine last year in France in temperatures in the their low forties. I believe that it's the law in Spain to wear a bike helmet when riding, unless it's very hot. What do they construe as 'very hot'? I'm not fond of short hair, but always get it cut quite short when on holiday (invariably with the bike) as I find it much cooler. I love the tip of putting your hat on wet to keep your head cool, and I will definitely remember that. And the tip about a dark colored hat is very sound. I suspect it's the same as sitting in a black or dark blue car when it's hot outside - you bake!

 

[Kiwi-family]

shemagh? very easy to wet

 

[jrosado1]

What about baseball caps? Any cons?

 

[ZacM]

Re: Re: Women sun hats - what not to wear

What about baseball caps? Any cons?

I would say anything as long as it gets your ears and the back of your neck. I wear a baseball hat every day and it pains me not to wear one but you will be in the sun for a very long time. Sun burn is the one pain you actually can have a say in!

 

[cecelia]

Hi everybody,
I thought I'd put my two cents worth- hopefully it'll add at least that much value
I don't have the thick hair that you're talking about but I do find hats really hot and wear mine as little as possible. However- you definitely do need a hat with a brim. The downside about a baseball cap is that in the heat of the day the sun is usually on your front left and hits that side of your face. Then, as someone has already mentioned, there is the neck still hanging out. I'm currently on the camino and it's cold and sunny although it's been hot. I wear a hat with a brim that I got from a swim shop several years ago. It's made from some material that's been sun proofed. But it's still hot. Why not wear something a bit funky while you're at it just for fun? A couple of things I've noticed that other people wear....some wear big light cotton scarves around their heads to protect their hair. It seems to work well for the hair but I don't imagine it does much for facial protection. I've also seen a couple of women with a kind of girls' version of a baseball hat (only looser over the head) but with about a 4 inch hole in the top. I'm not sure how much it protects their hair and the top of their heads but it would help with the heat buildup problem.
In summary, I'd say get something light that protects your eyes and the back of your neck and take it off for a minute every chance you get. And you will likely need a string for when it's windy even though they look at bit dorky. You can hide it when it's not windy
Buen camino

 

[Niconish]

I have been concerned about this hat wearing versus no hat under the heat haha! I thought of bringing an umbrella...in that way, i will shade my head and not have to wear a hot, sticky sweaty hat....plus, it'll help with the rain and could function somewhat as a walking stick!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I laughed at the thought of an umbrella until last year when several of my Asian walkers used them quite successfully.

 

[annakappa]

I laughed at the thought of an umbrella until last year when several of my Asian walkers used them quite successfully.

Well, time back, we bought an umbrella in Leon, due to the fact that both our ponchos got ripped apart in the wind and it was raining very hard that day. Since then ,we have never looked back! An umbrella is so useful, both when raining and when it's very hot. We walk sharing one big one. In 2011 we walked all the way to Santiago without seeing one drop of rain, but the temperature the first 10 days or so was in the 30's. I can tell you, that umbrella made all the difference to comfortable walking!
I always use a thin large scarf around my neck and always use a number 50 sun protection cream. I hardly ever wear a hat ( I hate them), but when necessary, I use a gorra (cap) more to shade my eyes than anything else. Anne

 

[nidarosa]

One of the items I was happy to shed on my heatwave Camino was my sun hat. It was a medium wide brimmed one, but it kept knocking into the pack behind me or blowing off and was generally a pain. I do agree that you have to protect your neck, ears and face from the sun and that baseball caps don't really do that, but after getting rid of my hat I wet my scarf and wore it over my head and thrown (or tied) at the back of my neck. It provided shade and protection and was constantly re-soaked to keep cool on hot days. And if you are walking in non-heatwave conditions I would say definitely take a buff or a fleece hat, because the winds can be stinging and cold!

 

[hecate105]

I would recommend a Tilley hat. They come in several styles (wide or narrow brim, folding etc) several colours and different materials ( hemp - v light!) They have a chin strap to keep them on when windy or bike riding - put a small carabiner on the strap - then you can dangle it from your pack when not wearing it. It's got factor 50 against the sun, but warm and rainproof too. Best of all if another 'Tilley' owner spots you - they buy you a drink! What's not to like....
But make sure you use something - I neglected to wear my Tilley - or put on sunscreen one afternoon riding in Portugal - it was an overcast day so i didn't feel the need. BUT next morning I walked into the shower block and recoiled at the haggish, elephant woman I saw before me - my eyes had puffed up as had my face and it was SORE! I spent two days frightening small children until some semblance of normality returned....

 

[westernstar]

Straw does tend to fail in wet weather. Even if you do not wear it when it rains you would need to hook it to your pack and it seems like that would be more cumbersome under a poncho. My Headn' Home hat (with brim and vented) was perfect for all the Camino weather situations I encountered last year. I wore it every day and did wet it when hot. Buen Camino!

 

[dancingdreamer]

I have two hats that I wear backpacking and rafting. One is just a wide brim (50% paper) that velcros closed and rolls up-a damp scarf can be tucked underneath to cover the neck. The other is a wide brim lighter weight version of the Tilley that can be used under a hood in hard rain. It rolls up also and is washable. It has a cinch to keep it on in the wind, or hung from your pack.
Stay dry and unsunburned,
Corinne

 

[annelise]

I opted for only carrying a sunscreen kind of cap - do not know the proper English word - but it is a kind of baseball cap without the top on. - and even that would sometimes heat me up as it could block for the breeze to the face. (I heat up very easily).

I actually sometimes had some concerned pilgrims stopping and warning me about not covering the top of my head. But as I am rather blonde, I didn't feel that this should be the first of my concerns. My worry at the time was more in the direction that I needed to catch any breeze - however slight to cool me down. (and I did of course use sun cream - when I remembered - ha!)

But I love the look of those Tilley hats - might consider to get me one for future use - and if they even come with free drinks, so much the better! But I cannot quite figure out - when meeting another Tilley hat wearer - whether it will be me or the other pilgrim who will pay for the drink! - Well, it just might be two rounds then :wink:

 

[Anniesantiago]

Anne I'm looking for one if those very thin gauze carves. If it stops raining I will use it for sun. I can't wear sunscreen. I had a Tilley hat but didn't bring it this year. It's just too hot for me and I do have the one with the holes. It's just too hot. I bought a loose fitting hat for this year.

 

[wawpdx]

Have a look at this website:
http://www.sundayafternoons.com/
They make lightweight, sun protection hats with chinstraps and ventilation. I bought mine several years ago and my guess is that it is the Cruiser style.

Amazon also offers SunDay Afternoon hats but looking at the pictures, they seem to use a single product name for assorted styles. The actual SunDay Afternoon website says they have 70 different styles; they also have hundreds of reviews. I own the Adventure hat but like the Cruiser hat better. It isn't high fashion, and neither is the Camino, and I wouldn't leave home without it.

As the other posters said, people who are walking in the summer, need to think about protection for the back of the neck and ears, so that is a disadvantage of a baseball cap.

I find it irritating when rain is dripping off of the brim of my poncho hood and onto my face and glasses. I discovered that I could deflect the waterfall by wearing my Cruiser hat under the hood of my poncho. I can't picture a Panama hat fitting under a hood, so this seems to me to be another reason not to choose that option.

Nancy

 

[SYates]

I just found my new ideal Camino hat in a second hand store. I wasn't really looking for one, but there it was and I needed one as the old one had died of old age, tear and wear. The Camino provides even when you are not on the Camino ;-)
It is a basic, white wide-brim fabric / canvas hat with a chin strap - simply perfect. And yes, "watering" it and putting it on again also works, plus it has ventilation holes. So I am a happy peregrina ;-)

 

[following-the-arrows]

Whatever is comfortable, yet is also small and easy to put in the corner of a pack!! Lighter colours will keep your head cooler though, so worth bearing in mind. Wide brim keeps the sun off better than a peaked cap, but whatever you feel comfortable with

 

[WayWalker63]

I worn this one on my trip out to Utah several years ago. You don't get too much hotter or sunnier than Utah in August. It works well, rolls up pretty small and didn't seem too hot. Definitely better than exposing my head and dry, frizzy, wild hair to the Utah sun. My bf has one like it so it is gender neutral. I will be bringing this with me.


http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6kwAo ... 0_0440.jpg

 

[Jakenmarie]

Awesome pic WayWalker. I've been training for my November camino with the same hat and have come to realize that it does not preform well against the wind. I have decided to go with a regular ball cap and an old white shirt under it to protect my ears and neck.
Other than being stopped twice last week by a cop and unfriendly neighbor, it's working out well.

 

[backpack45]

I recommend one of the hats from Saturday Afternoons. I've had the Adventure and really liked it. Only had to replace it because I lost it! This time around I got the I finally settled on one that has a visor that folds (Traveler) because I was always stuffing it in my backpack and getting a fold anyway. Their hats are light, protect the back of your neck, and have a drawstring. I often wear it under the hood of my rainjacket or Packa because it keeps the rain out of my eyes; in a light mist, your hair will stay dry because they are water-resistant. It's also wonderful for sitting on or setting lunch snacks on when you are in the field. The Saturday Afternoons hats are not inexpensive, but they are less so than the Airflo Tilley. Ralph has the Tilley and finds it too hot. Buen Camino!
Backpack45

 

[Brigitte Klaib]

What do you think about a cowboy hat On a lady? Being from Colorado we use these a lot. But it may be weird on the Camino.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Camino de Santiago Forum mobile app

 

[WayWalker63]

My concerns about a cowboy hat are: 1) where are you going to put it when you aren't wearing it? It certainly won't roll up in your backpack. 2) the brims are pretty stiff so if/when it rains is it going to be compatible with your rain gear? 3) would it be hot?

It would keep the sun and rain off your neck and ears, and out of your eyes so in that respect it would be good. It is made to be out in all weather.

I wouldn't choose it but it wouldn't be the worse option you could choose either.

 

[Magnara]

Hi Waywalker
I wear an Australian cowboy hat - the sort every man and lots of women wear in outback Australia, whether a cowboy or a farmer or whatever. Because of the fabric (felted rabbit fur) they are comfortable temperature in any weather, as they breathe. And they are great in sun, rain or snow. (If it is sunny it shades you, in rain or snow you don't need any head covering, no rainjacket hood or umbrella). They are indestructible. We just put them on in the morning and take them off at night when we are walking - we have done caminos in Spain and Itlay and lots of bushwalking in Australia. People pick us for Aussies because of the style - we love that. If you are an American, I think a cowboy hat would be great. I'm a woman and I wear mine with pleasure always when I'm walking - but I'm not weird about it, I wouldn't wear it in my normal city life. Highly recommended for a camino.
Maggie Ramsay
"The Italian Camino" (Amazon)

 

[William Marques]

Cowboy hat thread
el-camino-frances/topic18045.html

 

[Brigitte Klaib]

Thank you for the replies. My cowboy hat is very pliable so it does roll up and fits in the bag. I feel better about wearing it on the Camino as I have always worn cowboy hats in the Colorado sun and it will allow me to bring a bit of home with me.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Camino de Santiago Forum mobile app

 

[oursonpolaire]

One of my cousins, who wore a baseball cap during his entire farming life, now goes about the Ottawa Valley for the Canadian Cancer Society, telling 4H clubs and farmers not to wear them. He cheerfully shows them his ears, which have had little bits of cancer taken out of them. Baseball and truckers' caps do not protect the ears and the relatively delicate skin is in danger unless you are one of that very small population who applies sunblock to them.

 

[Espero]

One of my cousins, who wore a baseball cap during his entire farming life, now goes about the Ottawa Valley for the Canadian Cancer Society, telling 4H clubs and farmers not to wear them. He cheerfully shows them his ears, which have had little bits of cancer taken out of them. Baseball and truckers' caps do not protect the ears and the relatively delicate skin is in danger unless you are one of that very small population who applies sunblock to them.

I wear a ball cap because it fits under the hood of my rain jacket and the bill keeps the rain off my face. You're right about the risk of cancer on the ears. I've seen it many times on golfers and avid baseball players. I use a cap flap (available here http://www.ebay.com/itm/CLIP-ON-Cap...433063115?pt=US_Hats&var=&hash=item3f32abdacb ), so I can still wear my favorite cap. However, I sewed a couple of buttons on the outside of the cap instead of using the clips. It works great. Of course, you can make your own or just use a bandana. Buen Camino!

 

[Gretel Schuck]

I have a straw hat that I think will keep the sun off my face and neck and looks pretty stylish, though I am concerned that it doesn't have a strap for when it's windy.

Are there any kind of hats that you would recommend NOT to wear?

I hiked part of Francigena with a wide brim, with a looose straw weave, allowing a breeze

wire rim allowing for change in sun glare and wraprd a folded scarf to keep had when windy.
Perfect

 

[Gretel Schuck]

I hiked part of Francigena with a wide brim, with a looose straw weave, allowing a breeze

wire rim allowing for change in sun glare and wraprd a folded scarf to keep had when windy.
Perfect

PS. It also folds beautify and fits in a pocket
On my backpack. Not sure who makes it but I got it online. Best hat for hiking ever!!!