Tilley TTC2 'Tec-Cork' Hat
Test Series by David Wyman
(image from tilley.com)
Initial Report - January 1, 2014
Long Term Report - June 2, 2014
Tester Information
| NAME | David Wyman |
| wyman(AT)wymanhq(DOT)com | |
| AGE | 35 |
| LOCATION | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| GENDER | Male |
| HEIGHT | 5' 10" (1.78 m) |
| WEIGHT | 175 lb (80 kg) |
I've been backpacking for some time now and have grown to enjoy the solitude you find in the wilderness. I have stopped using a tent and exclusively hammock camp and am working at getting my winter gear list as nailed down as my summer list. I prefer backpacking solo but do quite a lot of day hiking with my wife and kids. I'm not a fast hiker as I think the journey is more important than the destination. Also, nothing beats a hot cup of coffee on a cold morning!
Initial Report - January 1, 2014
| Product Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Tilley Endurables | |
| Website | http://www.tilley.com/ | |
| Product | TTC2 'Tec-Cork' Hat | |
| Year of manufacture | 2013 | |
| MSRP | US $105 | |
| Color | Black/Grey Check | |
| Size | 7 1/2 - also available in 6 7/8 through 8+ | |
| Listed features |
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| Listed: | Measured: | |
| Weight | 4.8 oz (136 g) | 4.7 oz (133 g) |
Initial Impressions
This is my first Tilley hat and I was very curious to see if it lived up to the hype. The hat comes in a black and grey checked pattern and looks surprisingly nice. It looks very similar to a fedora but with a flat, rather than pinched/creased, crown and the brim curves down in the front and back. The exterior fabric is a wool blend which covers a thin interior cork laminate.
Inside the crown is a sizing band that can help make minor adjustments. Also inside is a fold-up earwarmer - a piece of fabric that can fold down to cover the ears. The earwarmer extends around the entire rear half of the hat and is made with fabric that is a bit elastic which allows it to snug up against your ears and neck to keep the wind out. Inside the secret pocket is a piece of foam that is slightly stiff and seems to help the top of the crown hold its shape.
To clean the hat, Tilley recommends wiping with a damp cloth. If further cleaning is needed, the hat is marked as dry clean only.
Trying It Out
I took the hat out for a short hike in a local park. Hiked close to 2 miles (a bit more than 3 km) on a very clear but cold day. We had some decent snowfall the night before and the temperature was down around 15 F (-10 C) which encouraged a brisk pace!
The hat fit very snug on my head - I had followed the sizing instructions on the tilley.com website and the resulting size seemed appropriate. It was a little windy so I had the earwarmer down over my ears. It was very comfortable and did a fair job keeping the wind out and the warmth up. However, I would have liked it to be just a bit thicker to provide a little more insulation.
The crown of the hat, however, did a good job of retaining heat. Even with the cold temperature, I never felt my head getting cold.
The trail I was hiking had quite a bit of tree cover overhead and several of the trees were shedding the snow they had accumulated overnight. The hat did a great job of deflecting the snow away from my face and neck. The fabric also did an adequate job of repelling moisture as the snow melted. Beads of water could be seen forming and then sliding off to the front and back.
Overall, the hat seems like it will make a good addition to my cold weather gear. I'll be interested to see if it's truly "crushable and packable" - I'm really hoping it is as it's too nice of a hat to ruin!
Long Term Report - June 2, 2014
Trips TakenNumerous day hikes in the local parks and forests around Pittsburgh - weather conditions from falling snow in the mid-20s F (-5C) to rainy 50F (10C) to light breezes at 70F (20C).
Two night backpacking trip in March with unseasonably warm weather - no rain or snow and temps between 50F and 65F (10C to 18C)
Overnight car camping trip in May with mid-day sun, heavy rain showers, and a heavy hail storm for 15 minutes while out on a hike and temps during the day in the 60sF (close to 20C)
Thoughts and Impressions
I really like this hat. I don't usually spend a lot of money on hats but if I lost this one, I'd spend the money to replace it. It saw quite a variety of conditions, including falling snow, blowing rain, and hail, and handled them all very well. It did all of that while also looking like a very nice hat.
There are a few things about it that did bother me:
- While the ear flaps are large enough to cover the ears, they don't seal tightly against my neck which means cold air gets in fairly easily, especially when it's windy.
- Too thin or too thick. It's too thin to really work well in the winter when I'm not hiking. After I reach camp, I need to wear something different. However, when it's warm enough to work as a camp hat, it's too warm to wear while hiking. I would like it to try to fit one of those two scenarios a little bit better rather than just being tolerable for both.
- Not really mashable. Ok, it is mashable and after unpacking it, it does work. However, it takes a long time for it to return to its original good looking state. Until it does, it looks fairly ratty. A hat this nice is too nice to stuff in a pack despite its claims.
Summary
| Likes | |
| Very nice looking hat. Something I'd be fine wearing around town. | |
| Tilley's sizing guide resulted in a hat that fit very well | |
| Handles snow and moisture very well (so far) | |
| Dislikes | |
| Earwarmer is little thinner than I'd like and doesn't seal tightly against my neck | |
| Stuffing it in a pack causes it too look very rumpled and not nearly as nice | |
Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Tilley for this opportunity.