Sunday Afternoons Sun
Tripper Cap
| Owner Review By Bob Dorenfeld November 16, 2013
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Tester Bio |
Name:
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Bob
Dorenfeld
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I'm
an active hiker, snowshoer, skier, backpacker, amateur geographer and
naturalist. Home base is the Southern Colorado Rockies, where I usually
journey from 7000 ft (2100 m) to above treeline, with occasional desert
trips to lower altitudes. Six to 12 miles (10 to 20 km) hiking in a day
is my norm, including elevation change of as much as 4000 ft (1200 m)
in a day. Most of my backpack trips are two or three nights, sometimes
longer. Often I hike off-trail on challenging talus, snowfields, or
willow brakes, with occasional bouldering.
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Email: |
geartest(at)sageandspruce(dot)net
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Age: |
55
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Location: |
Salida, Colorado, USA
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Gender: |
M
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Height: |
5' 6" (1.68 m) |
Weight: |
135 lb (61 kg) |
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Product Overview
Manufacturer: Sunday Afternoons
Website: www.sundayafternoons.com
Year of Manufacture: 2012
MSRP: US$26
Material: Nylon and polyester
Size: Men's Medium
(Also available in Men's Large, and Women's Medium and Large)
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Photo: Sunday Afternoons
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A
good hat is hard to come by...and I'm always looking for one to wear
while hiking. I've gone through a lot of hats over the
years! Some get lost, others worn out, and a few just don't work
for me. For most of my warmer-weather trail adventures I prefer
the versatile ball-cap style, which is what this Sunday Afternoons Sun
Tripper Cap is. Its nylon outer body with inside polyester mesh
is, according to Sunday Afternoons, UPF 50+ certified against the sun
and is water repellent and stain resistant. Other features
include slipstream mesh venting panels, internal wicking sweatband,
interior crown pocket, folding brim, and cord lock and bungee for
adjusting size. The body of the hat is sewn in two pieces to
allow a more generous fit over the head, and for attachment to the
inner mesh fabric. My cap is the "cream/gray" color as seen in
the photos; other colors are available.
As for sizing, if you're trying them on in the store, you'll discover
right away whether Medium or Large is right for you. If
purchasing via mail-order, I see that Sunday Afternoons has a nice
head-sizing chart on their website. I purchased mine in the
store, so haven't used the sizing chart yet.
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Field Performance
I have owned this hat since 2012, but started
wearing it regularly in the spring of 2013. Since then I've
doffed it for approximately 300 trail miles in temperatures from 40-90
F (4-32 C), in geography ranging from alpine mountains to high
desert. I estimated winds of as high as 50 mph (80 kph) at one
exposed site while in this cap.
This is a really comfortable hat - it fits well on my head and the
bottom of the rim comes down to just between my ears and my head, where
it sits snugly. I'm sure that the two-piece body has a lot to do
with that fit. The brim is neither too long nor too short and so
keeps the sun out but allows good range of sight. I can tip the
hat up or down slightly as needed, and it stays in place thanks to the
adjustable cord lock and elastic cord.
As
shown in this photo, taken recently after the summer and fall 2013
hiking season, there are some sweat stains on the brow, but the rest of
the hat is surprisingly clean. I wouldn't expect any hat to be
completely stain-free, but this one does well after a hand-wash in dish
soap and warm water every four weeks or so.
This
is my first cap with an interior mesh, and I was very nicely
surprised when I dipped it into the river to help cool off on a warm
sunny day, and found that it stayed wet for over an hour! Almost
all other hats I've owned dry out much more quickly than that in the
dry air typical of the Rocky Mountain region I hike in. Those
warm hiking days were in the 80s F (high 20s C), relative humidity
about 50%, with tree cover varying from none to park-like, to closed in
spruce forest. So, although I didn't do a controlled experiment
(just having a good time hiking!) I'd say the Sun Cap stayed wet or
moist through all these changing conditions. Very impressive.
Of course, after the hat dries out I don't want it to be too hot, and
the mesh also provides enough air flow to stay cooler than a
solid-material hat would enable.
Although I don't use it very much, the folding brim is convenient for
stuffing the hat into a jacket pocket or other small space. There
is also a small wallet-sized pocket (with hook-and-loop closure)
located under the top of the hat; not a feature useful to me, but a
nice addition for keeping small items that adds to the versatility of
the Sun Tripper Cap.
I already mentioned high winds, and I really like hats that stay
on! In that gale on a mountaintop I pulled the rear elastic very
tight, settled the hat low on my head, and even with the wind blowing
directly into my face and brim I was confident it wouldn't blow off and
away (well, almost confident - I did have to hold on to it for a couple
of gusts).
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Final Thoughts
An
excellent hat...it fits me well, the cord lock is easily adjustable at
the rear, it sheds some rain, and keeps its moisture a long time
on the trail after being soaked in cold water. I like the way it
fits snugly around my ears and stays on in high winds. The
wicking sweatband does its job, and although I see some permanent sweat
stains, they are expected in any hat; regular hand washing in mild soap
cleans up most trail dirt. A sturdy and lightweight hat, I expect
my Sun Tripper Cap to last me for many more seasons of hiking and
backpacking. I tried to find a downside, but really
couldn't. The price at US$26 initially seemed high to me for a
hat of this type, but if I can hold on to it for a couple more hiking
seasons I'll definitely be getting my money's worth.
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‹ Reviewed By ›
Bob
Dorenfeld
Central Colorado Mountains
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Read more reviews of Sunday Afternoons gear
Read more gear reviews by Bob Dorenfeld
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