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Outdoor Research Sahara Sombrero - Long Term Report

October 19, 2004

Thomas Vickers
36 years old
Male
5 feet 11 inches tall (1.8 meters)
170 lb  (77 kg)
redroach@pobox.com
Southeast Texas, Houston Area

Tester Background:
I grew up in the piney woods of Southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the mosquito-infested woods behind the house.  I started hiking in my college years and my style has evolved over the past 17 years - from my discovery, heavy gear period (internal frame packs, sleeping bags and tents) to - believe it or not - heavier, more expensive gear.  Over the last 3 or 4 years, I have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I still use sleeping bags and tents, just lighter versions) and I have rediscovered the pleasure that can be involved in being outdoors with my gear.  While I have flirted with lightweight hiking, I feel that I am more of a mid-weight hiker now. My philosophy is one of comfort, while carrying the lightest load possible.

Testing Location/Conditions:

The testing has taken place in three locations so far:

• Colorado (Flat Tops) - Altitudes of 9,500 - 11,500 feet (2,869 to 3,505 m).   Tons of sunshine and daylight temperatures from 40 degrees F to 80 degrees F (4 degrees C to 27 degrees C).
  
• Southeast Texas – Little or no altitude. Lots of sunshine and daylight temperatures from 75 degrees F to 100 degrees F (24 degrees C to 38 degrees C).
  
• Arkansas (Eagle Rock Loop Trail) – Altitudes of 500 – 2000 feet (152 to 610 meters). Lots of sun, with lots of forest cover. Daytime temperatures from 80 degrees F to 95 degrees F (27 degrees C to 35 degrees C).

I know that I have stated before that I am not too fond of wearing a hat.  Growing up, hats were just not part of my wardrobe.  As an adult I also did a lot of hiking without a hat, but after encountering weather that did not agree with me, I finally caved in and decided to give hats a try.  The Outdoor Research Sahara Sombrero is not my first hat in the big hat rodeo of life, but is has been a nice addition to my limited experiences.

Construction:
Of all the fun I have torturing gear, I haven't really applied my evil genius to abusing this hat.  It has been worn, carried in my pack, and strapped to my pack.  The Sahara Sombrero has been snagged, dragged, and baked, but no flaws in the construction have surfaced. It has held together despite rather heavy usage and exposure to a wide variety of weather conditions. 

Heat:
In my earlier reports I complained about how hot I always managed to get while engaging in activities with this hat on.  After my trip to Colorado, I think I finally have the overheating issue worked out.  On the Flat Tops, there was no shade, too much sun, and the temperatures were easily in the mid 80's F (27 C).  The Sahara Sombrero was not the head heating monster that it was at sea level, despite the high temperatures.  My conclusion is that the main culprit for me overheating in this hat is the humidity.   High temperatures and no humidity to speak of and the hat was comfortable. I would almost go as far as describing this experience  as sweet, desirable, and oh so pleasant.  High temperatures and high humidity and I was tempted to run my lawnmower over it a few times to add some ventilation.  From my point of view, I can't say that there is a better hat for me in low humidity environments.

Extreme Weather:
I thought getting rained on in Arkansas was going to be the high point of the Sahara Sombrero test, but I was wrong.  I spent over an hour huddled behind a large boulder in Colorado as it rained heavily.  Considering the fact that I was crouched over in near fetal position with one side of my body against the rock, it was not surprising that I never noticed that the rain had stopped. Instead of nice, cold rain, I was being pelted by nice, cold hail.  What clued me in to reality was when I felt water on my neck.   I first thought that the rain had run off the hat brim and gotten on me, which had never occurred before.  My mistake was soon realized when I reached back to adjust the rear portion of the brim and found it coated in a thick layer of ice.  The hail had hit the hat, built up a layer on the brim, and started melting.  

Of course this caused me to really be enthusiastic about being outdoors at that moment in time.  After the hail finally subsided, I took the hat off and shook the accumulated hail off of it.  I was amazed at the amount of hail that had built up on the brim without the brim buckling or giving out. It remained stiff and upright throughout the whole nasty ordeal.

During the entire hike back to camp that day, the Sahara Sombrero shielded me several more times from heavy rain and hail.   This hat really took a beating from the sun and hail and it never let me down during this entire trip.  If I had been energetic enough that afternoon, I probably would have let out a whooping "Hallelujah" when the weather was finally in a calmer state.  I really pitied those who were with me who didn't have a hat.   

Getting wet:
My editor on this test series and several of my hiking friends all suggested that I soak the Sahara Sombrero in water to alleviate the overheating problems I had encountered with the hat.  I am happy to report that the fabric of the crown got very wet, very fast. It even helped keep me cooler in those high humidity areas, but not for long.  In the direct summer sun in Texas, the crown of the Sahara Sombrero dried in about 20 minutes.  This was frustrating for me since I had to stop and rewet it to get any kind of relief. 

Of course, every cloud has a silver lining (unless it is a hat with a black one) and the quick drying properties of the hat were greatly welcomed after getting rained on.   Some of my hiking partners' hats never dried out and all I needed was  20 minutes or so without rain to get my hat back to a nice, dry, and warm state. 


Final Impressions:
My trip to Colorado really allowed me a chance to give the Sahara Sombrero a work out.  There was no cover from the intense sun, and this hat was a real life saver. I hate spreading sunscreen on my neck and face and due to the large brim of the Sahara Sombrero, I never had to in Colorado.  For me, this hat really gets the job done when it comes to protecting me from the sun and the weather.  It kept rain, hail, and sun off of me and I never had any reason to gripe about how well it protected my face and neck from the elements. Even my delicate ear lobes were happy with the performance of this hat.

What I do find disappointing is that the Sahara Sombrero is most comfortable in low humidity environments.  I really like this hat, but for my part of the world (South east Texas) humidity is a way of life. This means that it is not the hat for me when I am at home.  I will continue to carry this hat whenever I leave the state or at least find a drier, less humid part of it.

I also have one last concern that came up during my stay in Colorado.  Our basecamp was mosquito infested in the worst way.  After prolonged exposure/research, I noticed that those pesky blood suckers were attracted to dark colors, especially the black underside of the Sahara Sombrero.  I do not feel that this is a huge drawback for the hat, but is something to consider, especially if constantly waving skeeters away from a face is bothersome.

Overall I can honestly say that this is a good product. If keeping the sun off of delicate skin is the desired goal, the Outdoor Research Sahara Sombrero is the right product.    It kept the sun off of me all summer and I don't think my ears burned once.   

Reviews > Clothing > Hats > OR Sahara Sombrero > Thomas Vickers > Long Term Report