Where I'm from in Canada, a toboggan is a type of winter sled. It's basically a series of planks of wood attached together with a curved section at the front where kids hide their feet when going down a snowy hill.
Akubras are outstanding quality and practical too. Most of them have a leather sweatband which means it doesn't blow off on horseback or quads etc, the only ones with a fabric one are the traveller ones which are soft and fold up in a bag, not really a workhat 😊
I work outdoors as an inspector for a state agency. I'm out in all kinds of weather and favor an oil skin brimmed hat from outback trading company. It keeps the sun and rain off my head. I like it, it works, so I wear it.
I’m an avid outdoorsman and fisherman. For All my life. And I’m also a big fan of Indians jones hat style. So I had a custom hatter make me an Indy hat in cowboy weight felt and this thing will take a beating. It’s been soaked COUNTLESS times. Never lost its shape and my head never got wet. Idk how practical it is for other people but I like it and makes me happy 🙂
Brother, tell us about this hat maker and we’ll deluge him with orders. I admire a stylish hat, but what I admire even more is a stylish hat that can survive the real outdoors.
@@practicalwoodsman no problem man. The company is Breadliner. I got their Adventurer model, which is a tall crown Indy hat. But they have another called the Arkologist. Both are made with heavy weight felt. They’re On Etsy and have a website! Now I’m not trying to mislead anyone, I’m just saying I’ve had this hat for a while now, and as a fisherman, that sells fish, I’m on the river every day. Rain or shine. I live in Alabama so rain comes at anytime randomly. One day I know of, it got soaked three times. Im not talking about, a light drizzle, I mean these rain drops were fat as crap lol head never got wet. It dried on my head twice that day between rains and the third rain I just let it dry while hanging by my fan that night expecting some shape change but nope. Still the same. Now will it stay like this forever? I have no idea. But they do reblocking services for a reason. So this is just MY personal experience with it. Breadliner is a great company and they have amazing customer service 🙂
Great video. You definitely checked all the boxes. Yes, straw for the summer. I’m a huge Akubra fan and they can take an absolute beating. Something that today’s Stetson won’t do as well.
Great discussion! As a regional thing, there’s a hat people in New England used to use (probably from the 1880s to the 1950s) for hunting and general tramping around in the woods that meets your description pretty well. They were usually of beaver felt, a little fuzzier than a ‘dress’ hat, and didn’t have a lining. The ones I’ve found (and my granddad’s, which for me set the standard) are different than you describe, though, having a fairly small brim, but turned up all around like a homburg or a Porkpie, and with a woven band, usually made of either leather or of the fur felt of the same color and texture as the body of the hat. Completely crushable and flexible, and almost waterproof. I’ve heard them called ‘gun club hats,’ ‘shooting hats,’ ‘sportsman’s hats’ and such, and usually by makers in New England, Minnesota or Canada. Not exactly the hat you describe, but also definitely not a ‘town’ hat. I have a couple I wear with sweaters or wool shirts for walking outdoors. Great series. Keep it up!
Oh if you’ve got a hat like that from your grandpa’s time I imagine it’s very, very well made. I’m envious. I do intend to invest in a beaver fur felt fedora here in the not-too-distant future. Those old cowboy and frontiersmen hats made out of beaver were sometimes a year’s worth of wages for people of the time, but were lifetime investments - meaning the hat would endure all of the weather and abuse in the world for a man’s lifetime. I’ve been researching to see who is still making hats of that quality and I think I’ve found a place out west (USA) who I can get such a hat from. Now it’s just a matter of saving up my nickels and dimes.
To be clear, I don’t have my granddad’s: I got my two (one black, by Stetson, and one brown, by Biltmore) via eBay, both for under $50 and in great condition. The original was given to me to sew up into a tricorne for the upcoming bicentennial, I suspect because it had candlewax on the brim. I should also say that while the two I wear nearly daily have weathered like troopers, they don’t have to endure REALLY serious trips past the treeline, being used mainly for daily walks and the occasional day-hike. Still, they’ve survived much better than you’d think. They look kinda fancy, but a decent brushing has put them back in order after encounters with the inevitable overhanging foliage or birds. On the other hand, the worse beating they got was at the hands of some @$$ who decided to “try it on” when he found it on the coatrack at a government conference and split the inside leather band, but that was repairable. I haven’t made a diligent search, but I expect you’re right about the cost, but who knows? Some upcoming craftsman with a respect for quality might surprise us both! ;)
I am a wilderness survival instructor on Vancouver Island. I have used my Outdoor Research Gore-Tex hat for over five years in the bush, especially in the rainy weather that characterizes 80% of our winters. I have abused it extensively, and it is still in perfect condition. I don’t think any fur felt hat could survive that test. It doesn’t look that cool, but I don’t care because I wear it for functionality. It is almost an umbrella, and it keeps my head and shoulders dry. In cold weather, I wear a merino wool buff underneath the hat. It works great.
Outdoor Research makes some good products. To each their own, but if I have my druthers, I do not want to just wear any ol hat or hat style. Possibilities exist for finding hats that actually look handsome and can also withstand abuse. I’m not saying your hat doesn’t look handsome - I don’t know if it does or not. But there’s no reason to forego all sense of style completely.
@practicalwoodsman Fashion is the last thing that I am care about in the wilderness. Functionality and practicality are priorities. Even your channel's name reflects that. However, everyone has a right to make their own choices. Best of luck!
Yes… there are four possibilities as I see it: 1. Not wearing a hat 2. Wearing a hat that works but looks ridiculous 3. Wearing a hat that does not work but looks great 4. Wearing a hat that both works and looks great It seems to me that you are dead set on insisting that Option 2 is the best form of reasoning, while I’m certain Option 4 is clearly the superior form of reasoning.
@practicalwoodsman Not every hat looks ridiculous or great; some look okay or fine. It is not white and black. As a result, there are significantly more options.
I wear a beaver felt hat. Never had a problem with it, it always bounces back. It’s the reason cowboys made the boss of the plains hat popular a hundred fifty years ago. Keeps the sun, rain, and snow off. If you’d rather wear a knit cap cause it’s cheaper more power to you. But for me a well made beaver fur felt hat is worth the price.
Yup, if a person wants a hat that can take the abuse outside and endure a lifetime of use, that person will have to bite the bullet and go for the beaver.
@@practicalwoodsman the way I see it if you can set 75-100 bucks aside for six months to a year and get a hat that will last you the rest of your life it’s a good investment. I understand some people can’t do that, and I’m not trying to shame them or anything. But for those that can it’s not crazy to do it.
I've had a Tilley Air Flow hat for nearly a decade. There is a guy who comes into my work in one, and his is pristine, but mine is beat all to hell and back. I've worn it hiking, canoeing, camping, etc. in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario Canada, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California, and Washington state. Indy's felt fedora might be a fashion or Hollywood thing, but when a person spends any amount of time outdoors, the benefits of a wide- brimmed hat become immediately clear. Which means that Indy was wearing a functional outdoor hat after all. It's just a fancy functional outdoor hat. You just need to bend that back part of the brim down to shade your neck. Edit: spray some DEET on the underside of your wide-brimmed hat. The bugs won't even buzz you. Your wrists and ankles will get bitten like crazy, though. Edit2: Wool is GREAT! It's a million times better than cotton. It's 100x better than synthetic material. I ditched cotton and synthetic socks years ago. I only buy wool socks now, and I live in the HOT AF southwest desert. My feet never get too hot and never get cold.
I just got back from a summer excursion where I took some first-timers out into the backcountry and I just had this conversation with them about socks. Like you, I wear wool year round, even when it’s hot. Especially on my feet I will go with a nice, thick wool for the extra cushion under my feet, and I never notice my feet being any hotter than if I were wearing any other fabric. Wool has a wonderful way of keeping you both hot and cool, depending on the season. Your comment about the other feller’s pristine hat gave me a chuckle. Mine sure take a beating. From the same trip I just came back from one of my panama fedoras came out looking a few decades older than it actually is.
i'm so glad this video exist . Thank you . i always wear baseball snapback cap everywhere ... because i don't understand how to wear a hood over a big hat ... maybe i will find some pros in this video i don't know about yet about the hats ... liked and subscribed ... all best!
Great video! I will say my experience with felt (specifically fur) does seem to regulate my temperature to a degree and of course is far more durable than any straw hat. If it’s good enough for the Aussies, it’s good enough for me.
Well, I guess after hangin' in all the way to the end of this video I have realized I love hearing talk about hats! So thank you for that. I have a few fancy hats but I guess they're mostly for fashion or what I call casual use. My real nitty gritty hiking or outdoor work hats are boonies. I get them from tru-spec and ,mostly, from propper. They come in many colors and patterns. They are cheap at $10 to $15 dollars each. All cotton is great in hot weather and cotton/synthetic blend for winter. They have just enough brim for sun and precipitation protection. The chin straps are very useful when hiking exposed in the wind and the webbing is actually useful for holding small items. I size them a little large and wear a bandana under them for 3 season use. In winter I wear a thin beanie under them. They offer to some degree all the utility you mentioned in your video. and bottom line is when they wear out you only have to put down about 12 bucks to replace them. Just my thoughts on outdoor brims. Again, thanks for the presentation.
Hey, thank you very much for not only watching, but for taking the time to share your thoughts. Cotton was something I wished I would have included - particularly waxed cotton. It always nice to have the audience come in behind me and fill in my gaps.
@24:35 spring is especially good for wide brim hats because it'll keep the ticks off your head and neck. Won't stop them from getting in elsewhere, but better than nothing! Also found that my hair products (beeswax)/sweat attracts those flying bugs that bite and the hat helps with keeping it all hidden
Maybe somebody needs to bring to market a fine wool fedora designed specifically for the male crotch. Wide brim hats are a fine invention and I’m a fan of them. I’m sure you would agree that nothing beats campfire smoke for keeping all the nasty buggers if the woods away. I just recently posted a picture of a camp I set up somewhere and then friends began asking why I had a little fire going in the middle of summer in the middle of the day, that was the reason I gave them: I was keeping the pests away.
I live and spend most of my outdoors time in the southeast US and after 30 years of various outdoor activities I still haven’t found the perfect all around wide brimmed hat for the summer months, which in Alabama are most of them. Oiled cotton seems to be the best material I can find to balance protection against the oppressive heat and the clockwork afternoon thunderstorms. Also I do have one good use for a shorter brim. Bow season.
I intend to invest in a beaver fur fedora at some point. Big expense, but they are supposed to last a lifetime and take any abuse nature can throw at it.
Interesting topic. A goretex tuque will save your life in winter. A Tilly hat can prevent serious sunstoke/sunburn on your head in summer. Up here the beaver pelts are mostly being turned into mitts. How about an episode on boots?
I live in the S.W. Desert, Hat you have to have one. Finding a good hat isn't easy, not many Haberdasheries around anymore. My Hat is high quality and expensive, worn during the winter months, but is still a piece of gear!.
I’m going to invest in a beaver felt fedora. Since I recorded this episode I’ve done more research into Hats (after 30 years I thought I knew it all, but I don’t) and I learned that cowboys used to save up months’ worth of wages to buy a quality hat, and that they would often wear that same hat in all sorts of weather for their entire lives. Usually that meant a beaver felt, for its ability to take all sorts of weather and abuse. So that is on my to-do list, because it doesn’t make sense to spend $100 and more for a hat that is only going to last a few outings, when you could spend $800 or possibly more for a hat but it will endure everything you can throw at it for your entire life.
Haven't watched it all yet and I just discovered your channel. I like it already. I plan on getting a black Quicklink from stetson for the winter. I currently have a black buffalo-hide leather hat from saratoga saddlery, with ventilation holes, which I'll use in the summer and rainy days (waterproof). I understand black is more absorbent, but I can be rough with my hats, (I do take care of them though.) I'm not about fashion, but I don't want my hat looking distressed after a hike or two! I may plan on getting a wide brim straw, but they don't last long for me. And about the whole costume thing, I get called Indiana Jones quite a bit! I'm not trying to pretend. I like the outdoors. It's just what's simple and useful to wear for me.
From what I understand, buffalo fur hats, which I failed to discuss, are nearly every bit as good as beaver fur. I am now looking at possibly getting one myself. In fact, I probably gonna have to do a follow-up episode to this one just to discuss things I’ve learned since I recorded it.
I have a couple of older Outback canvas hats that I used when protecting in northern British Columbia. It is a wonderful hat that survived a lot of work and abuse. It is very water resistant. I have fur felt hats for the city but for work in the bush you don't want a fur felt hat.
Canvas will take a beating for sure. As I was just telling somebody else I was replying to, American cowboys used to save up months’ worth of wages to buy a hat that they would then wear for the rest of their lives and that could endure every element of nature thrown at it. Those hats were made out of beaver. So I intend to invest in a beaver fedora. They are ridiculously expensive, so I won’t be able to buy one this week or maybe not even this year. But that is my goal. Because paying a fortune for one hat that will last for your entire life makes more sense to me than paying a hundred dollars every couple of years for hats that only last one or two excursions.
@@practicalwoodsman But what are you wearing now?? These canvas aussie hats can take amazing punishment and abuse. With a bit of oil they are water proof, though some hate smell of the oil. I have a canvas duster as well. A great overcoat for riding, water proof as well when oiled
@@davediesel90 Yeah, since posting this I have learned about the high quality very thick felt hats from Australia, Akubra etc. Magill her in Canada has some felts that can handle the weather, the Ontario by Magill being a good example.
in frosty weather i use arabic scarf with my cap. The ones that became popular in the US army after Afgan war. It have different names: Keffieh, chèche, foulard, shemagh, but essentially it's 1x1 meter square piece of cotton (or else) cloth). There is many ways how to wrap it around your face, neck, head. So i wrap it around my head, and ears , and put my snapback baseball cap on top. Can cover full face if it's cold wind. And it covers your neck and chest, if you learned the ways how to wrap it properly. Can be done with a hat , i suppose , just need 1 size bigger hat (because you can't change the size like on baseball cap. + Shemagh can be used in many different ways as it is a square piece of cloth, imagination is the only limit =)
Great comment - I too am a big fan of large scarfs, like shemaghs. Like you’ve already pointed out, they’re so versatile! My daughter made me promise to take something like that out on a recent trip I took earlier this year, and I was glad that I did.
One of the materials you missed could be "synthetic". I recently picked up a cheap Frogg Toggs boonie hat, listed as "100% other fibers" that I suspect are synthetic. It's supposedly breathable and waterproof, which I'll verify this summer. But it's fully crushable for packing, and it's lightweight. I don't really like hooded shirts or coats, so I'm hoping the brim keeps the rain off my neck. I also have a variety of skin allergies, so I don't wear bug sprays. I'm hoping it'll keep a light bug mesh off my face. It'll never look as cool as an outdoorsy fedora, but it should do the job. Most tourist shops don't carry clothing in my size (I'm a big dude), so I collect baseball style caps instead of t-shirts. I'll usually just grab one of those for day hikes.
I did a quick search to see what the Frogg Toggs Boonie looks like, and I think it looks great! Bet ya it’s indestructible. I’m a big fan of other products by Frogg Toggs in general. I have a poncho by them that is made from some weird, proprietary GoreTex-like fabric, which feels so flimsy and yet is really tough stuff. That poncho is still going strong after at least 7 years. I’ve used it as everything from a shelter to a ground sheet to a poncho. I’ve slapped a piece of duct tape over a hole or two and the thing just keeps going strong.
For hot or moderate weather I love boonie hats, they are comfortable and functional, I'm considering trying out a Tilley hat but they're a bit expensive. For Winter hatwear I like beanies/toboggans for when it's cold and while on the move but trapper hats are best for extreme cold and staying stationary in the freezing cold.
I could add a whole bunch of comments here (just look at my profile pic), but I think the most immediately helpful is this: according to my mother (who can actually sew) that "grosgrain" fabric that you keep mentioning is pronounced, "GROW-grain."
Cos play to me is a grown men in camo at the MacDonalds lol It's like that hamburger won't see you coming. The wool hats like a Stetson Boseman or other outdoor hats like that are great for stuffing in a backpack and has a wide brim for rain and sun protection. Not sure what the Indiana Jones hat is made out of but I know its a Fedora and has no real brim and nothing else I'd consider functional.
ahahahahahahah, when you started saying the number 1 reason to wear a brimmed hat. I was saying to myself, he is going to say BUGS. During blackfly season you can also drape a mosquito net over it.
I think most people have no idea what a nice felt hat is. They're so used to seeing wool felt and poorly felted rabbit felt. Nice vintage fur and beaver fur felts are not the same thing as wool felt or any modern made hat for that matter. Felt makers simply cant make felt like they used to due to government regulations and the fact that there is no exact surviving recorded formula/process. These days so many corners have to be cut, you just end up with a hat shaped piece of junk. Akubra somehow still makes ok hats for the money but still far from what they used to be.
I agree with you completely. I just ordered a couple of new fedoras from Miller Hats and Stetson, and I was astonished at how not-dense both of them are. They’re almost spongy. I’m pretty sure density of the fur or wool plays a big factor in longevity or lack of it.
@@practicalwoodsman yep, nothing like nice dense felt. Akubras can be a little airy but somehow their felt doesn't follow the typical rules. I think they sprinkle magic dust in the fur lol
Who is asking these questions anyway? Seems weird, like alternative reality propaganda. Indiana Jones? Who thinks this way and what bubble do they live in?
That someone would ask what use hats have and wonder if people only use them to play dress up seems weird to me. I don't understand how someone could actually think that way. Not meaning to be rude or anything.
I don’t understand what ‘propaganda’ purposes you imagine this could possibly serve. Pardon me for saying so, but however strange the premise of the video might seem to you, your response to it comes across even weirder.
Yeah, propaganda was a bit of an exaggeration to try and explain how weird it seemed to me that people would think this way. I didn't mean to say I actually think it's propaganda. I mean, do people actually think that way or are they trying to find ways to put other people down by saying they're playing pretend? Or is it really that foreign to them? I guess, you got your hipsters out there being goofy and stuff sometimes. I don't run across them too often out and about though. Either way, sorry for the confusion.
With character actors it's art imitating life and entertainment for fun, not the other way around. Or am I missing something? Maybe I'm just digging a hole and losing the nugget in the process. Cheers.
@@practicalwoodsmandude this guy is obviously hurt inside and thinks being a douche on the internet will make him feel better. I really loved your video here , I am loving my Akubra cattleman I use it at work! Getting lots of comments and compliments! Plus it’s good to protect your skin!
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Where I'm from in Canada, a toboggan is a type of winter sled. It's basically a series of planks of wood attached together with a curved section at the front where kids hide their feet when going down a snowy hill.
I think that’s what most people think of. That’s why I’ve learned to have to explain myself. We just call those ‘sleds’.
Live in regional Australia. Have a traditional Akubra and Roo leather brimmed hat, they are very much functional piece of kit around this area.
I’ve been looking at those Akubras. I’d enjoy having one in my collection.
_i have akubra hats most comfortable hat ever good for all weather
I have a Akubra ! In california for work
Akubras are outstanding quality and practical too. Most of them have a leather sweatband which means it doesn't blow off on horseback or quads etc, the only ones with a fabric one are the traveller ones which are soft and fold up in a bag, not really a workhat 😊
I work outdoors as an inspector for a state agency. I'm out in all kinds of weather and favor an oil skin brimmed hat from outback trading company. It keeps the sun and rain off my head. I like it, it works, so I wear it.
Those are good hats. They could survive a nuclear war.
I’m an avid outdoorsman and fisherman. For All my life. And I’m also a big fan of Indians jones hat style. So I had a custom hatter make me an Indy hat in cowboy weight felt and this thing will take a beating. It’s been soaked COUNTLESS times. Never lost its shape and my head never got wet. Idk how practical it is for other people but I like it and makes me happy 🙂
Brother, tell us about this hat maker and we’ll deluge him with orders. I admire a stylish hat, but what I admire even more is a stylish hat that can survive the real outdoors.
@@practicalwoodsman no problem man. The company is Breadliner. I got their Adventurer model, which is a tall crown Indy hat. But they have another called the Arkologist. Both are made with heavy weight felt. They’re On Etsy and have a website! Now I’m not trying to mislead anyone, I’m just saying I’ve had this hat for a while now, and as a fisherman, that sells fish, I’m on the river every day. Rain or shine. I live in Alabama so rain comes at anytime randomly. One day I know of, it got soaked three times. Im not talking about, a light drizzle, I mean these rain drops were fat as crap lol head never got wet. It dried on my head twice that day between rains and the third rain I just let it dry while hanging by my fan that night expecting some shape change but nope. Still the same. Now will it stay like this forever? I have no idea. But they do reblocking services for a reason. So this is just MY personal experience with it. Breadliner is a great company and they have amazing customer service 🙂
Akubra makes a hat called the coober pedy check into that also they sell the adventurer which is there indy hat pure fur hat
I’ve heard good things about Akubra. The Australian version of our Stetson.
Great video. You definitely checked all the boxes. Yes, straw for the summer. I’m a huge Akubra fan and they can take an absolute beating. Something that today’s Stetson won’t do as well.
Great discussion! As a regional thing, there’s a hat people in New England used to use (probably from the 1880s to the 1950s) for hunting and general tramping around in the woods that meets your description pretty well.
They were usually of beaver felt, a little fuzzier than a ‘dress’ hat, and didn’t have a lining. The ones I’ve found (and my granddad’s, which for me set the standard) are different than you describe, though, having a fairly small brim, but turned up all around like a homburg or a Porkpie, and with a woven band, usually made of either leather or of the fur felt of the same color and texture as the body of the hat. Completely crushable and flexible, and almost waterproof. I’ve heard them called ‘gun club hats,’ ‘shooting hats,’ ‘sportsman’s hats’ and such, and usually by makers in New England, Minnesota or Canada. Not exactly the hat you describe, but also definitely not a ‘town’ hat. I have a couple I wear with sweaters or wool shirts for walking outdoors.
Great series. Keep it up!
Oh if you’ve got a hat like that from your grandpa’s time I imagine it’s very, very well made. I’m envious. I do intend to invest in a beaver fur felt fedora here in the not-too-distant future. Those old cowboy and frontiersmen hats made out of beaver were sometimes a year’s worth of wages for people of the time, but were lifetime investments - meaning the hat would endure all of the weather and abuse in the world for a man’s lifetime. I’ve been researching to see who is still making hats of that quality and I think I’ve found a place out west (USA) who I can get such a hat from. Now it’s just a matter of saving up my nickels and dimes.
To be clear, I don’t have my granddad’s: I got my two (one black, by Stetson, and one brown, by Biltmore) via eBay, both for under $50 and in great condition. The original was given to me to sew up into a tricorne for the upcoming bicentennial, I suspect because it had candlewax on the brim. I should also say that while the two I wear nearly daily have weathered like troopers, they don’t have to endure REALLY serious trips past the treeline, being used mainly for daily walks and the occasional day-hike. Still, they’ve survived much better than you’d think. They look kinda fancy, but a decent brushing has put them back in order after encounters with the inevitable overhanging foliage or birds. On the other hand, the worse beating they got was at the hands of some @$$ who decided to “try it on” when he found it on the coatrack at a government conference and split the inside leather band, but that was repairable. I haven’t made a diligent search, but I expect you’re right about the cost, but who knows? Some upcoming craftsman with a respect for quality might surprise us both! ;)
I am a wilderness survival instructor on Vancouver Island. I have used my Outdoor Research Gore-Tex hat for over five years in the bush, especially in the rainy weather that characterizes 80% of our winters. I have abused it extensively, and it is still in perfect condition. I don’t think any fur felt hat could survive that test. It doesn’t look that cool, but I don’t care because I wear it for functionality. It is almost an umbrella, and it keeps my head and shoulders dry. In cold weather, I wear a merino wool buff underneath the hat. It works great.
Outdoor Research makes some good products. To each their own, but if I have my druthers, I do not want to just wear any ol hat or hat style. Possibilities exist for finding hats that actually look handsome and can also withstand abuse. I’m not saying your hat doesn’t look handsome - I don’t know if it does or not. But there’s no reason to forego all sense of style completely.
@practicalwoodsman Fashion is the last thing that I am care about in the wilderness. Functionality and practicality are priorities. Even your channel's name reflects that. However, everyone has a right to make their own choices. Best of luck!
Yes… there are four possibilities as I see it:
1. Not wearing a hat
2. Wearing a hat that works but looks ridiculous
3. Wearing a hat that does not work but looks great
4. Wearing a hat that both works and looks great
It seems to me that you are dead set on insisting that Option 2 is the best form of reasoning, while I’m certain Option 4 is clearly the superior form of reasoning.
@practicalwoodsman Not every hat looks ridiculous or great; some look okay or fine. It is not white and black. As a result, there are significantly more options.
You ever find yourself in a situation where it seems like somebody wants to come up with any reason they can to disagree just for the sake of arguing?
I wear a beaver felt hat. Never had a problem with it, it always bounces back. It’s the reason cowboys made the boss of the plains hat popular a hundred fifty years ago. Keeps the sun, rain, and snow off. If you’d rather wear a knit cap cause it’s cheaper more power to you. But for me a well made beaver fur felt hat is worth the price.
Yup, if a person wants a hat that can take the abuse outside and endure a lifetime of use, that person will have to bite the bullet and go for the beaver.
@@practicalwoodsman the way I see it if you can set 75-100 bucks aside for six months to a year and get a hat that will last you the rest of your life it’s a good investment. I understand some people can’t do that, and I’m not trying to shame them or anything. But for those that can it’s not crazy to do it.
I've had a Tilley Air Flow hat for nearly a decade. There is a guy who comes into my work in one, and his is pristine, but mine is beat all to hell and back. I've worn it hiking, canoeing, camping, etc. in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario Canada, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California, and Washington state.
Indy's felt fedora might be a fashion or Hollywood thing, but when a person spends any amount of time outdoors, the benefits of a wide- brimmed hat become immediately clear. Which means that Indy was wearing a functional outdoor hat after all. It's just a fancy functional outdoor hat. You just need to bend that back part of the brim down to shade your neck.
Edit: spray some DEET on the underside of your wide-brimmed hat. The bugs won't even buzz you. Your wrists and ankles will get bitten like crazy, though.
Edit2: Wool is GREAT! It's a million times better than cotton. It's 100x better than synthetic material. I ditched cotton and synthetic socks years ago. I only buy wool socks now, and I live in the HOT AF southwest desert. My feet never get too hot and never get cold.
I just got back from a summer excursion where I took some first-timers out into the backcountry and I just had this conversation with them about socks. Like you, I wear wool year round, even when it’s hot. Especially on my feet I will go with a nice, thick wool for the extra cushion under my feet, and I never notice my feet being any hotter than if I were wearing any other fabric. Wool has a wonderful way of keeping you both hot and cool, depending on the season.
Your comment about the other feller’s pristine hat gave me a chuckle. Mine sure take a beating. From the same trip I just came back from one of my panama fedoras came out looking a few decades older than it actually is.
i'm so glad this video exist . Thank you . i always wear baseball snapback cap everywhere ... because i don't understand how to wear a hood over a big hat ... maybe i will find some pros in this video i don't know about yet about the hats ... liked and subscribed ... all best!
Thanks! Welcome aboard! I’m happy to have you. Hats are an excellent and important piece of gear.
Great video! I will say my experience with felt (specifically fur) does seem to regulate my temperature to a degree and of course is far more durable than any straw hat. If it’s good enough for the Aussies, it’s good enough for me.
Beaver fur felt is what I’m saving up for.
Well, I guess after hangin' in all the way to the end of this video I have realized I love hearing talk about hats! So thank you for that. I have a few fancy hats but I guess they're mostly for fashion or what I call casual use. My real nitty gritty hiking or outdoor work hats are boonies. I get them from tru-spec and ,mostly, from propper. They come in many colors and patterns. They are cheap at $10 to $15 dollars each. All cotton is great in hot weather and cotton/synthetic blend for winter. They have just enough brim for sun and precipitation protection. The chin straps are very useful when hiking exposed in the wind and the webbing is actually useful for holding small items. I size them a little large and wear a bandana under them for 3 season use. In winter I wear a thin beanie under them. They offer to some degree all the utility you mentioned in your video. and bottom line is when they wear out you only have to put down about 12 bucks to replace them. Just my thoughts on outdoor brims. Again, thanks for the presentation.
Hey, thank you very much for not only watching, but for taking the time to share your thoughts. Cotton was something I wished I would have included - particularly waxed cotton. It always nice to have the audience come in behind me and fill in my gaps.
@24:35 spring is especially good for wide brim hats because it'll keep the ticks off your head and neck. Won't stop them from getting in elsewhere, but better than nothing! Also found that my hair products (beeswax)/sweat attracts those flying bugs that bite and the hat helps with keeping it all hidden
Maybe somebody needs to bring to market a fine wool fedora designed specifically for the male crotch.
Wide brim hats are a fine invention and I’m a fan of them. I’m sure you would agree that nothing beats campfire smoke for keeping all the nasty buggers if the woods away. I just recently posted a picture of a camp I set up somewhere and then friends began asking why I had a little fire going in the middle of summer in the middle of the day, that was the reason I gave them: I was keeping the pests away.
100% smoke is the best deterrent. maybe the hats retain some of the smoke in the fibers?@@practicalwoodsman
I live and spend most of my outdoors time in the southeast US and after 30 years of various outdoor activities I still haven’t found the perfect all around wide brimmed hat for the summer months, which in Alabama are most of them. Oiled cotton seems to be the best material I can find to balance protection against the oppressive heat and the clockwork afternoon thunderstorms. Also I do have one good use for a shorter brim. Bow season.
I intend to invest in a beaver fur fedora at some point. Big expense, but they are supposed to last a lifetime and take any abuse nature can throw at it.
Interesting topic. A goretex tuque will save your life in winter. A Tilly hat can prevent serious sunstoke/sunburn on your head in summer. Up here the beaver pelts are mostly being turned into mitts. How about an episode on boots?
I would like to get my hands on some beaver fur products like that. Eventually I will. The boots topic is a good one, I’ve made a mental note of it.
I live in the S.W. Desert, Hat you have to have one. Finding a good hat isn't easy, not many Haberdasheries around anymore. My Hat is high quality and expensive, worn during the winter months, but is still a piece of gear!.
I’m going to invest in a beaver felt fedora. Since I recorded this episode I’ve done more research into Hats (after 30 years I thought I knew it all, but I don’t) and I learned that cowboys used to save up months’ worth of wages to buy a quality hat, and that they would often wear that same hat in all sorts of weather for their entire lives. Usually that meant a beaver felt, for its ability to take all sorts of weather and abuse. So that is on my to-do list, because it doesn’t make sense to spend $100 and more for a hat that is only going to last a few outings, when you could spend $800 or possibly more for a hat but it will endure everything you can throw at it for your entire life.
Haven't watched it all yet and I just discovered your channel. I like it already.
I plan on getting a black Quicklink from stetson for the winter. I currently have a black buffalo-hide leather hat from saratoga saddlery, with ventilation holes, which I'll use in the summer and rainy days (waterproof). I understand black is more absorbent, but I can be rough with my hats, (I do take care of them though.) I'm not about fashion, but I don't want my hat looking distressed after a hike or two! I may plan on getting a wide brim straw, but they don't last long for me.
And about the whole costume thing, I get called Indiana Jones quite a bit! I'm not trying to pretend. I like the outdoors. It's just what's simple and useful to wear for me.
From what I understand, buffalo fur hats, which I failed to discuss, are nearly every bit as good as beaver fur. I am now looking at possibly getting one myself. In fact, I probably gonna have to do a follow-up episode to this one just to discuss things I’ve learned since I recorded it.
I have a couple of older Outback canvas hats that I used when protecting in northern British Columbia. It is a wonderful hat that survived a lot of work and abuse. It is very water resistant. I have fur felt hats for the city but for work in the bush you don't want a fur felt hat.
Canvas will take a beating for sure. As I was just telling somebody else I was replying to, American cowboys used to save up months’ worth of wages to buy a hat that they would then wear for the rest of their lives and that could endure every element of nature thrown at it. Those hats were made out of beaver. So I intend to invest in a beaver fedora. They are ridiculously expensive, so I won’t be able to buy one this week or maybe not even this year. But that is my goal. Because paying a fortune for one hat that will last for your entire life makes more sense to me than paying a hundred dollars every couple of years for hats that only last one or two excursions.
@@practicalwoodsman But what are you wearing now??
These canvas aussie hats can take amazing punishment and abuse. With a bit of oil they are water proof, though some hate smell of the oil. I have a canvas duster as well. A great overcoat for riding, water proof as well when oiled
Fur felt hats like Akubra are used extensively in the Australian outback
@@davediesel90 Yeah, since posting this I have learned about the high quality very thick felt hats from Australia, Akubra etc. Magill her in Canada has some felts that can handle the weather, the Ontario by Magill being a good example.
@@JohnnyWrongo-b9l if you ever get the opportunity to get one I'd thoroughly recommend them, it's amazing what they can stand up to 👍
in frosty weather i use arabic scarf with my cap. The ones that became popular in the US army after Afgan war. It have different names: Keffieh, chèche, foulard, shemagh, but essentially it's 1x1 meter square piece of cotton (or else) cloth). There is many ways how to wrap it around your face, neck, head. So i wrap it around my head, and ears , and put my snapback baseball cap on top. Can cover full face if it's cold wind. And it covers your neck and chest, if you learned the ways how to wrap it properly. Can be done with a hat , i suppose , just need 1 size bigger hat (because you can't change the size like on baseball cap. + Shemagh can be used in many different ways as it is a square piece of cloth, imagination is the only limit =)
Great comment - I too am a big fan of large scarfs, like shemaghs. Like you’ve already pointed out, they’re so versatile! My daughter made me promise to take something like that out on a recent trip I took earlier this year, and I was glad that I did.
One of the materials you missed could be "synthetic". I recently picked up a cheap Frogg Toggs boonie hat, listed as "100% other fibers" that I suspect are synthetic. It's supposedly breathable and waterproof, which I'll verify this summer. But it's fully crushable for packing, and it's lightweight.
I don't really like hooded shirts or coats, so I'm hoping the brim keeps the rain off my neck. I also have a variety of skin allergies, so I don't wear bug sprays. I'm hoping it'll keep a light bug mesh off my face. It'll never look as cool as an outdoorsy fedora, but it should do the job.
Most tourist shops don't carry clothing in my size (I'm a big dude), so I collect baseball style caps instead of t-shirts. I'll usually just grab one of those for day hikes.
I did a quick search to see what the Frogg Toggs Boonie looks like, and I think it looks great! Bet ya it’s indestructible. I’m a big fan of other products by Frogg Toggs in general. I have a poncho by them that is made from some weird, proprietary GoreTex-like fabric, which feels so flimsy and yet is really tough stuff. That poncho is still going strong after at least 7 years. I’ve used it as everything from a shelter to a ground sheet to a poncho. I’ve slapped a piece of duct tape over a hole or two and the thing just keeps going strong.
Seldom mentioned but even Judge Roy Bean wore the Sombrero.
Now there’s a colorful life for you.
For hot or moderate weather I love boonie hats, they are comfortable and functional, I'm considering trying out a Tilley hat but they're a bit expensive. For Winter hatwear I like beanies/toboggans for when it's cold and while on the move but trapper hats are best for extreme cold and staying stationary in the freezing cold.
You make good points. Great contribution to the discussion, thank you 🙏
I could add a whole bunch of comments here (just look at my profile pic), but I think the most immediately helpful is this: according to my mother (who can actually sew) that "grosgrain" fabric that you keep mentioning is pronounced, "GROW-grain."
What took you so long. Don’t go anywhere, we may need you for the pronunciation of a bunch of other stuff, brother.
@@realbrianbarnett I suppose that I am a "pronounced" class of know-it-all. 😜
Cos play to me is a grown men in camo at the MacDonalds lol It's like that hamburger won't see you coming. The wool hats like a Stetson Boseman or other outdoor hats like that are great for stuffing in a backpack and has a wide brim for rain and sun protection. Not sure what the Indiana Jones hat is made out of but I know its a Fedora and has no real brim and nothing else I'd consider functional.
ahahahahahahah, when you started saying the number 1 reason to wear a brimmed hat. I was saying to myself, he is going to say BUGS.
During blackfly season you can also drape a mosquito net over it.
You’re right about that! If you let them, the flying bugs will drive you absolutely insane.
Ima feller partial ta oilskin,love my lids....
Oilskin is nice for protection. They can take a beating, that’s for sure.
I think most people have no idea what a nice felt hat is. They're so used to seeing wool felt and poorly felted rabbit felt. Nice vintage fur and beaver fur felts are not the same thing as wool felt or any modern made hat for that matter. Felt makers simply cant make felt like they used to due to government regulations and the fact that there is no exact surviving recorded formula/process. These days so many corners have to be cut, you just end up with a hat shaped piece of junk. Akubra somehow still makes ok hats for the money but still far from what they used to be.
I agree with you completely. I just ordered a couple of new fedoras from Miller Hats and Stetson, and I was astonished at how not-dense both of them are. They’re almost spongy. I’m pretty sure density of the fur or wool plays a big factor in longevity or lack of it.
@@practicalwoodsman yep, nothing like nice dense felt. Akubras can be a little airy but somehow their felt doesn't follow the typical rules. I think they sprinkle magic dust in the fur lol
Jesus, $50 for a wool hat is on the high side even today. Paying for the Indy brand.
In my experience, the specifically Indy Brand hats are the worst in terms of quality.
Schrodinger's egg🤠
😂
Longest intro ever.... Had to move on to something else.
I appreciate the feedback.
Who is asking these questions anyway? Seems weird, like alternative reality propaganda. Indiana Jones? Who thinks this way and what bubble do they live in?
You’ve lost me. I’m going to have to ask for you to be more specific. What questions? What alternative reality propaganda? Who thinks like what way?
That someone would ask what use hats have and wonder if people only use them to play dress up seems weird to me. I don't understand how someone could actually think that way. Not meaning to be rude or anything.
I don’t understand what ‘propaganda’ purposes you imagine this could possibly serve. Pardon me for saying so, but however strange the premise of the video might seem to you, your response to it comes across even weirder.
Yeah, propaganda was a bit of an exaggeration to try and explain how weird it seemed to me that people would think this way. I didn't mean to say I actually think it's propaganda. I mean, do people actually think that way or are they trying to find ways to put other people down by saying they're playing pretend? Or is it really that foreign to them? I guess, you got your hipsters out there being goofy and stuff sometimes. I don't run across them too often out and about though. Either way, sorry for the confusion.
With character actors it's art imitating life and entertainment for fun, not the other way around. Or am I missing something? Maybe I'm just digging a hole and losing the nugget in the process. Cheers.
boring,,blah, blah,blah
Says the man people could listen to all day, right?
Dude shit your dumb mouth
@@practicalwoodsmandude this guy is obviously hurt inside and thinks being a douche on the internet will make him feel better. I really loved your video here , I am loving my Akubra cattleman I use it at work! Getting lots of comments and compliments! Plus it’s good to protect your skin!