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Coolibar Trail Hat
Long Term Report
5 December 2006
Tester Bio
Name – Anthony (TJ) Smith
Age – 31
Gender – Male
Height – 5’ 10 (1.78 m)
Weight – 175 lb (79 kg)
Head Circumference – 22 in (56 cm)
Email Address – tjsmith1946@gmail.com
City, State, Country – Pensacola, Florida USA
Backpacking Background
I have been camping for a little over 5 years now, mostly car camping. I have
recently begun backpacking, and I am constantly adding new gear to my “collection”
in an effort to get my gear list tailored more towards backpacking. My current
pack weight is around 15-20 lb (7-9 kg) without food and water, depending on
if I'm solo camping or taking my son along, as I have to carry some of his gear.
I am a dedicated hammock camper and have tailored my personal gear to that aspect
of camping.
Product Information
 Year of Manufacture –
2006
Manufacturer URL – www.coolibar.com
Stated Weight – N/A
Weight as Delivered – 4.25 oz (120 g)
Size Tested – Small/Medium
Color Tested - Moss Green
MSRP – $29.95 USD
From Coolibar's Website: The Coolibar Trail Hat is a men's sun hat designed
for easygoing everyday use, with side snaps to create a lean profile, and a
3" brim to shelter your face and neck from midday sun. A toggle cord keeps
it securely in place; attractive styling and durable details make it the choice
of fishing hats and hiking hats. Made of 100% brushed cotton; rated to block
98% UV.
One hang tag included with the product (the list of hang tags can be found
under my initial observations) gives a little information about the protection
factor of this hat. The tag states the hat has a UPF 50+, and the fabric was
independently tested using three different tests and that the tag complies with
labeling for sun protective clothing.
Initial Information/Observations
The Coolibar upon receipt met most of my expectations. For full details on
my initial observations, please see my Initial
Report and Field
Report.
Field Information
Date: October 21, 2006
Location: Garcon Point Trail, Avalon, Florida
Weather: Temperatures began at 55 F (13 C) reached a high of 75 F (24 C) during
the day. No precipitation was experienced during this trip.
This trip was a dayhike through a local nature preserve. Elevations for the
entire hike ranged from 5 ft (1.5 m) above sea level to 15 ft (4.5 m) above
sea level. The trail at several points has brush that narrowed the trail to
less than 2 ft (61 cm) wide, which causes the brush to rub against whatever
clothing is being worn.
Date: November 10-12, 2006
Location: Hurricane Lake Campground, Munson, Florida
Weather: Temperatures reached a high of 70 F (21 C) during the day and dropped
to 40 F (21 C) the first night and 30 F (-1 C) the second night. During the
day on the second of the three days, we experienced pretty significant rainfall
(about 2 in (5 cm) in less than 2 hours).
This was a two-night trip in a local state forest campground. While this is
an organized campground, the camping area I was in is a primitive camping area.
Date: November 25, 2006
Location: Big Lagoon State Park, Pensacola, Florida
Weather: Temperatures ranged from 45 F (7 C) at the beginning of the hike to
a high of 60 F (16 C) at midday. This was a very sunny day, with no discernable
cloud cover at all.
There are several nature trails in Big Lagoon State Park, and on this trip I
hiked two of them, for a total of 6 mi (9.6 km). There are several areas that
are open to full sun for extended periods of time, and in a few locations the
trail narrows somewhat with brush. Elevations ranged from 5 ft (1.5 m) above
sea level to 15 ft (4.5 m) above sea level.
The following items have been addressed from my test plan:
Durability
- How well has the Trail Hat held up to regular use? Have the edges begun
to look tattered? Has the “toggle cord” broken loose? Has the
fabric around the snaps begun to pull loose?
The Trail Hat has held up well to regular use, not showing any
tattered edges or any problems with the "toggle cord." The fabric
around the snaps has held well, even given frequent changes to the hat (snapping
the sides up, dropping them down, wearing with one side up at a time.)
Comfort
- How comfortable has the hat been? Has it allowed for adequate ventilation?
Has it fit well when worn with sunglasses? (Some hats I have sit low and interfere
with the arms of my sunglasses.) How much problem have I had with the hat
retaining heat, given the apparent lack of ventilation? Did I notice heat
building up, or did the material let the hat "breathe?"
I have found the Coolibar Trail Hat to be very comfortable. Given
the lack of obvious ventilation, the Trail Hat allows my head to "breathe"
quite well. I have not experienced my head becoming too hot while wearing
the hat, and it has also absorbed my sweat quite well. I have not noticed
any fit issues when wearing the hat with my sunglasses, and have not experienced
any discomfort from the hat pressing the arms of the sunglasses into my temples.
I have experienced some cooler temperatures during the Long Term Phase, and
the hat has actually helped keep my head warm.
- Has the fit and comfort been affected by wearing the Trail Hat with the
sides up? Or has the hat retained its same level of comfort as with the sides
down?
I have found the hat to be quite comfortable worn both with
the sides up and the sides down. It is just as comfortable in either position.
Function
- How well has the Trail Hat actually shielded me from the sun? Has it provided
adequate coverage, or have I still needed something over the back of my neck?
The trail hat appears to shield me from the sun quite adequately.
It has provided what I feel is ample coverage, and I have not needed to cover
the back of my neck with anything more than my shirt collar, which was there
anyway.
- How well has the “toggle cord” actually worked to keep the hat
on my head? Is it really functional, or more decorative?
I have not actually used the "toggle cord" to hold the
hat onto my head during the testing. I tend to put the hat on with the cord
around the back of my head, to keep it out of my way. This does cause a bit
of an annoyance from time to time, as the cord does brush against the back
of my neck (and one of my phobias is large bugs crawling on me.) I have not
had any conditions that dictated needing the strap to hold the hat on, even
wearing the hat in sustained winds up to 30 mph (48 kph).
- How well have the side snaps worked to hold the sides up? Have the snaps
worn out quickly or do they seem well constructed?
The side snaps have worked quite well to hold the sides up, even
with several adjustments to the configuration of the hat during use. The snaps
have not shown any signs of wearing, and seem to be quite well constructed
and mounted on the hat.
Care/Cleaning
- Has the hat started to show excessive sweat marks, especially given the
heat and humidity I've been using it in?
I have had the hat show very minimal sweat marks during my testing.
There is a slight darkening developing around the band on the inside of the
hat, but nothing more than I had expected to develop. I have not had a need
to launder the hat throughout the testing, even with almost daily wearing
beyond the testing detailed above.
- How easy has the Trail Hat been to clean? Has it held dirt?
I have not had a need to clean the Trail Hat throughout the testing.
It has not shown much in the way of dirt stains. I have dropped it numerous
times, and simply brush off the surface dirt without any problems.
The Good and The Bad
Pros
- Fit - stays in place without a need for the neck cord
- Comfort - very comfortable both with fit and in a wide temperature range
- Flexibility - ability to wear with sides up or down
Cons
- Neck cord is a distraction to me
My thanks to Coolibar and BackpackGearTest for allowing me to test this item.
Read more reviews of Coolibar gear
Read more gear reviews by Anthony Smith
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