PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Rick Allnutt
51 Year old male
183 cm (6' 0'') in height
90 kg (198 lbs) in weight
Head circumference: 22.75 in (58 cm)
Email address: rick (at) BackpackGearTest (dot) org
Homepage:  Risk's Ultralight Hiking Page
Trailname: "Risk"
I live in Dayton, Ohio

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Over the last several years, I have become an ultralight camper with a three-season base pack weight of about 17 lb (8 kg) and skin out weight of 25 lb (11 kg). I have completed many section hikes on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in all four seasons, with a total mileage of about 770 miles (1240 km). I am a gearhead, a hammock camper, and I make much of my own equipment.

PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Tilley Endurables
Year Manufactured: 2005
Manufacturer's Link: http://www.tilley.com
MSRP: US$69.00
Listed Weight: 5.6 oz (159 g)
Measured Weight (size 7-1/4): 5.6 oz (159 g)

FIELD CONDITIONS

During March I tested the ability of the hat to keep me reasonably dry in hours-long rain and cold weather during several Ohio day hikes. Temperatures were between 15 F (-10 C) and 50 F (10 C).  All this walking was about 1000 ft (300 m) above sea level. In April, I walked two weeks on the AT. During this hike, I walked in the mountains, and in the forest.  I experienced cold, heat, snow, rain, sun, and buggy conditions. Temperatures  ranged from 25 F (-4 C) to 80 F (27 C).

REVIEW

During my day hikes, the hat kept me warm and dry on several days with misting and sprinkling rain showers. I used the hat in conjunction with a home-made rain coat which had no hood. This arrangement kept my head dry and allowed me to hear much more clearly than I have been able to while wearing a waterproof hood in the rain.

During the AT hike, I frequently used the hat as a sitting pad. It worked well to keep my clothing dry when sitting on wet rocks, and mossy logs. I have also used the Velcro strap in the crown to hold my sunglasses or my regular glasses.  This works quite securely and is a good place to hold the glasses I am not wearing.

The Tilley hat worked great as a sun hat. With its wide brim, my face and ears were well protected from the sun during many long days of cloudless conditions. The spring season was still young and there were no buds or leaves on the trees.  Even in deep woods, the sun was often strong and burning.  I found that I did not need to use any sun screen protection on my face.  The hat was enough protection to allow me to be outdoors in the bright sun all day long with no other protection.

During the nights, I frequently used the hat as a layer of insulation in my hammock.  It kept my face warm and added about an eighth of an inch of insulation between my face and the thin material of the hammock.  This really helped me to sleep warmer on cold nights. 

In rain, the hat was better than I had imagined it would be.  In almost every case, the hat kept my head warm and dry during rain that lasted all day.  As mentioned in the instruction booklet, the hat's brim tends to become more stiff when it becomes wet.  This helps the hat to retain its shape even when wet.  There was no tendency of the hat to become floppy and hang around my face when it was wet. 

The hat did fail me on one wet instance.  While hiking through the heavy downpour and winds of a thunderstorm, enough water poured through the brass grommets into the hat, that water began to drip from the brim onto my face.  This condition lasted about 15 minutes - until the wind driven heavy rain abated.  I began to wonder if it might be possible to include four rubber stoppers which would fit in the brass grommet holes and block rain from entering these holes.  The stoppers could be stored in the hat's pocket and be popped into place in a few moments if the conditions warranted.  I had decided that if I needed to walk in more heavy thundershowers, I would take four pieces of duct tape and cover the holes.  However, the conditions did not come about again. 

After spending two weeks sitting on the hat, sleeping on it, and wearing it; it had become dirty several times over.  I washed it in a stream several times and in a sink with soap twice.  Each cleaning removed the worst of the dirt and gave the hat more character.  After returning from the trail, I threw the hat into the washing machine with my other hiking clothes.  Per instructions, I did not use any bleach.  The hat cleaned up quite nicely.  The picture at the top of this report shows the absence of stains and the rugged good looks of the hat. 

I am liking the hat more and more every day.  On my first day hike with a local hiking friend, he asked me about my new hat.  I had the opportunity of using one of the brag tags.  It worked.  Michael bought me a great cup of coffee after I shared the tag with him. 

TEST RESULTS FROM THE LIST OF QUESTIONS FROM INITIAL REPORT:

My immediate concerns will be the comfort and usefulness in rain of the Hemp Hat.  It works well in rain, except in heavy downpours with wind. In these conditions, water pours through the brass grommets and leaks onto my face.

I want to know how long it takes to dry after a good soaking.  In general, the hat takes a number of hours to dry thoroughly when it becomes completely soaked. The last portion to dry is the cotton strap which I store in the crown of the hat.

Does the hat keep me warm on cool and rainy days?  Absolutely.  It is one of the first things I put on when the weather is cool in the morning.

I am also interested in the hat's performance in the heat. It keeps the sun off my face and keeps me cool. It also wicks sweat away from my forehead and cools me this way.

Does it allow evaporative cooling of my head on a hot day, soaking in a stream, wringing out, and wearing? Yes.

How well does the ventilation work to keep my head cool on warm days, especially in the sun?  Good performance up to the temperatures I have tested it thus far.

Does mildew affect the threads of the hat or the fabric? Not yet.
 
How easy is it to wash the hat in field conditions?  Simple as pie.

How do people who ask about the hat respond to the 'brag tags?'  I have bagged one cup of high quality coffee as a result.

Does it make sense to keep anything in the 'security pocket?'  Other than the brag tags I have not put anything else in the pocket.  I tried putting my folded up rain coat, but that was too bulky.

How well does the hat work as a sitting pad on a wet log or rock?  As well as anything I have used, which is to say it works well.

How does it work as a pillow in my hammock?  Yes.


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