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Over the past couple of months I have worn this hat on 3 day hikes and one 4 day car camping trip. I have also worn it on numerous trips to the store and walking the dog. Basically the only time it is not on my head is when it is too cold.

Testing locations and conditions:

Day Hikes: All of my hikes are in the surrounding foothills near my home. Elevations average between 5000 to 7500 ft (1524 to 2286 m) Temperatures have run between 30 and 65° F (-1 and 18° C) Most hikes I start of in the mornings when temperatures are cooler. Since the Tilley does not cover my ears, some mornings I started off with a stocking cap and only switched to the Tilley once temperatures warmed up a bit which was usually later in the afternoon.

Car Camping: We drove up to Lefthand Reservoir for a glorious 4 day, 3 night trip. One of my favorite spots on the planet. The elevation where we camped was approx. 9500 ft (2896 m) and the temperatures were between 50 and 65° F (10° and 18° C) during the day and at night we saw temperatures between 30 and 40° F (-1 and 4° C). Over the course of the trip the temperatures got progressively cooler. Both during the day and at night. I wore the hat pretty much my entire waking hours. The only time I didn't have it on was in the early morning hours when it was near freezing and my ears were cold.

Performance:

The Tilley is very comfortable and after wearing it for 30 minutes or so I really forget I have it on. It rides really well and there is no flopping around or slipping while I am active. I have used the wind cords and they work really well. The wind was only blowing about 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 kph) and the cords held the hat to my head really well. I never got the sensation that the hat was going airborne.

Temperature wise the hat works well over a wide range. Since the hat does not cover my ears they tend to start getting cold around 40° F (4° C) and I need to switch to a stocking cap. I have tried wearing a thin micro fleece hat underneath the Tilley but it was just too restricting on my head. In warmer temperatures and bright sunshine the Tilley does a good job of keeping my head cool. The darker color of the hat does absorb more heat than a lighter color would but I never felt hot. The mesh vents at the top do a wonderful job of letting out excess heat and moisture. The sweat band that runs around the inside edge has done an excellent job of wicking away sweat and keeping it out of my eyes.

During a very light rain fall the Tilley did a great job of keeping the rain off my head. The rain just beaded up and rolled off. The crown does not have a indent in it like some hats do so no rain collected in a puddle on top. The rain only lasted about 20 minutes and at no time did the nylon fabric appear to wet out or become saturated. After it stopped raining I just took it off, gave it a good shake and all the water was gone.

After 2 months of use the Tilley appears to be in excellent shape. I gave it a quick sniff test to see if any odors have started to accumulate and so far so good. I have not washed the hat yet but may need to in the near future.

Likes:

• Everything in my Initial Report
• Shields my face from the sun reasonably well
• Workmanship and construction is impeccable
  

Dislikes:

• Wind cords can sometimes create a lump on top of my head if not situated off to the side
• I wish the brim was just a bit wider
  

Over the past couple of months I have carried this hat on 3 additional day hikes. Because the temperatures have been cold, I brought the hat with me but rarely used it. Only when the temperatures were above freezing and the sun was shining did I wear the hat. It does an excellent job of keeping the sun off my head and neck but is not so good at keeping it warm. With the large mesh vents at the top the heat just escapes too quickly.

Testing locations and conditions:

Day Hikes: All of my hikes are in the surrounding foothills near my home. Elevations average between 5000 to 7500 ft (1524 to 2286 m). I start most of my day hikes in the morning and the temperatures have been between 0 and 25° F (-18 and -4° C) and on occasion warming up to near 40° F (4° C).

I did find a very thin poly/wool blend balaclava that I wore under the Tilley and it extended the range about 10° but when it is cold I find that I really need a thick stocking cap on my head to keep it warm. Anything thicker than the balaclava made the hat uncomfortable because of the additional circumference and the Tilley would begin to feel too tight and I would remove it.

Conclusion:

I really like this hat. It fits better than any hat I have ever worn, looks pretty cool and is extremely well made and durable. Being made of nylon versus cotton this hat just might out live me. I have cotton ball caps that last maybe 2 seasons. After 4 months of use this hat looks basically brand new. I still haven't washed it and it still does not have any funky odors. Being so cold has had an effect on my sweat level and come summer it will need to be washed.

As the temperatures warm up I will continue to use it as my main go-to hat. It will do and excellent job of keeping may head covered and cool. As a summer hat it could use a slightly wider brim, but as is this is a major upgrade from my typical ball cap. This hat is a winner and if it ever wears out, or I loose it, I will replace it with one in a lighter color and one with a wider brim.