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Gear Reviews
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Coolibar Trail Hat
Long Term Report - December, 2006
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 250 lb (113 kg)
Email address: chuck_kime AT yahoo DOT com
City, State, Country: Upper Darby (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Additional Information applicable to this test
Hat size: 7 to 7½, depending on haircut
Backpacking Background [return to top]
My family started car/trailer camping when I was about 5. After 17 years in the Army Reserve fine-tuning my packing methodology I was down to a fairly respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load in my ALICE pack. Advancing age, arthritic knees and injuries have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices, experiment with tarps and hammocks, make some of my own gear, and look closer at my ‘toys’ with an eye for multi-use and light weight. I now have a sub-30 lb (14 kg) 3-season load, and should be able to reduce it well under 20 lb (9 kg) – before food, fuel and water – without much more effort.
Additional Information applicable to this test
I wear a hat year-round when outdoors, both for sun and rain protection. I am relatively light sensitive, and can’t stand the light glaring thru my (rather thick) glasses. I have looked for hats that are lightweight and/or well-ventilated and found few to my liking. I also dislike rain on my glasses.
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: Coolibar
Model: Trail Hat
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: http://www.coolibar.com
Listed weight: None
Measured weight (size S/M): 4.0 oz (113 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
Color: Moss Green
Other color available: Tan
MSRP: $29.95 US
Features/claims (from web site) [return to top]
- 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.
Description [return to top]
The Trail Hat is 100% cotton. The stitched-through brim is about 3 in (8 cm) wide all the way around. The crown is a rounded 3-panel design with the Coolibar logo embroidered on the front. The brim has a brass (?) snap on each side to allow snapping the brim to the crown. The inner headband is elastic, and is sewn to the hat only along its bottom edge.
For a much more detailed description, please see my Initial Report.
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Field Testing [return to top]
Our Boy Scout troop camps monthly, generally in the wooded areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and the Pocono Mountains. Almost all of these outings included a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures from lows around 28 ºF (-3 ºC) to highs around 105 ºF (41 ºC) with fairly high humidity creating a heat index of 115 °F (46 °C) during the 4-month test period. Elevations ranged from sea level to approximately 1,500’ (457 m).
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Since my Field Report, I took some hikes around the Valley Forge and Gettysburg battlefields, as well as spending a weekend on/around the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey, all in generally wooded areas with elevations as noted above. The hat served me well, being comfortable in the temperatures listed above.
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I also have been wearing the Trail Hat almost daily, during my commute to work, plus additional time to and from evening responsibilities. It gets thrown on my desk at work and gets tossed in a closet at home.
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Things I was looking for:
- Fit. Does it fit me? Do the sizing instructions on the web site result in a comfortable hat? Does it stay on well in windy conditions?
- Fabric. Is the fabric durable? Does it stretch? Does it fade? Is it windproof? Waterproof? Does it pill, pull, or snag readily?
- Rain. Does the hat protect me (and my glasses) from rain, or does it get floppy and sag down along my head? I will keep in mind that this is a sun hat, not a rain hat.
- Warmth/cooling. How warm can it get out and still keep me cool? Does it ventilate well? How cool can it get out and still keep me warm?
- Comfort. Am I constantly aware of the hat, or does it just seem to disappear on my head? Does the headband effectively keep sweat out of my eyes? Can I wear it comfortably while sleeping?
- Washability. Are there special instructions? Are they easy to follow? Does it dry well? Does it hold much dirt in the first place?
- Backpacking. Does the rear of the brim interfere with any of my packs?
- Acceptability. I work in the business world. Do I get odd stares from co-workers or fellow commuters (not that I care, but some might)? Is my wife willing to be seen with me in public while wearing the hat, something which has not been the case for other hats I have worn/tested?
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My findings:
- Fit. A bit snug, but only a problem if I have a headache. It stays put on my head.
- Fabric. After 4 months of almost daily wear, the hat looks nearly new.
- Rain. I experienced a 30-minute deluge while wearing the hat. I felt the wetness of the fabric on my forehead, but experienced no water running from the headband. This was a good thing. This is not meant to be a rain hat, but works well enough for short periods.
- Warmth/cooling. The hat helped me keep cool in a heat index of 115 °F (46 °C). Impressive. I have worn it down to near freezing without feeling the cold on my head. Also impressive, especially for a sun hat.
- Comfort. My eyes are dry and shaded. No complaints.
- Washability. After 4 months of almost daily wear, some of it in very hot and humid conditions, there was a slight but noticeable darkening in the forehead area. I put the hat through the washing machine with my cotton pants and let it air dry. The discoloration is gone, but it took more than overnight for the hat to dry. By the next evening (18-20 hours) it had dried completely.
- Backpacking. With the sides snapped up, the rear of the hat stays above my packs. With the sides down, the brim is flexible enough to bend out of the way.
- Acceptability. My wife doesn’t actually like it, but she doesn’t make me change it before we go out. Other comments have been positive.
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Things I like [return to top]
- Elastic headband.
- Snap-up sides.
- Long drawcord.
Things I don't like [return to top]
- I would like a larger (wider) brim, but it’s a minor issue.
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Summary [return to top]
The Trail Hat does what it was designed to do – keep the sun off of the wearer. It does it comfortably (elastic headband), securely (adjustable chin cord), and fashionably (snaps on both sides let the brim be folded up). It handled water admirably (pun intended), especially for a sun hat, when I was caught in a warm autumn deluge. I can certainly recommend this hat, and the company in general, based on my experiences.
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Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
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