I always wear a boony when i am mowing or doing yard work or garden work. They are very comfortable, cool and keep the sun off of my head and face. I love your videos and your stories.
Gone through many hats in the last 50 years. Fatigue cap, Australian Army slouch hat, gaucho hat, slouch and Aussie bush hat, USMC cover, boonie, Akubra Coober Pedy (2) and a great big straw hat when fishing or mowing. I love a good hat.
I love my boonie hat. Anyway, I saw one guy on the late 80s TV show TOUR OF DUTY and said how much I liked it. My dad bought me a Army camo one as a gift soon after. Over 30 years later, that hat is one of my favorite possessions. I'd love to hear about tips for it.
Iraq, 2008-2009, we wore boonies unless we were wearing kevlars. Our Brigade Sergeant Major had gotten skin cancer on his ears in his first Iraq deployment so he had standing orders to always wear the boonie when outside, reguardless of uniform. I wear the boonie (woodland not UCP) when I'm out in the woods these days. Still one of my favorite hats.
yeah they're still Boonie hats. I have a tiger stripe issue from 1984 or 5 I purchased at an army surplus store in Pontiac Michigan, I still wear it regularly today. I also have a chocolate chip pattern that was issued to me in Desert Storm and a new desert digi pattern a younger Marine gave to me a few years ago. I love them, I like to put a wire all the way around the edge of the brim, so they hold any shape you put them in. At the back of the brim is a fold where the brim hem comes together, you can gently insert the wire there and push/pull it all the way around.
The classic boonie hat has been my go to woods hat for most of my life. I also wore one as a firearms instructor on the range. Aside from protection from the sun, the 360 degree brim did a good job of keeping hot brass from landing on my shirt collar and burning my neck.
I own at least 4 military boonie hats Usually keep one in my vehicle and in my get home bag.. one in my bug out bag.. and two others floating around either in my vehicle or at home.... My original one I first got in OD Green.. I put a snap on the left side so one side is held up... I have since approximately 20 years ago discovered boonie hats made by a company called Swiss tech.. slightly wider brim and snaps on both sides.. so I keep both sides snapped up most of the time. A nice chin cord with a cord device to tighten it... It has a nice synthetic headband inside for absorbing sweat.... I was just cutting the grass yesterday in 90° weather.. I poured ice cold water into my boonie hat.. let it soak then shook out the excess and put it on and it cool my head really nice.. my hats are in khaki.. tan..of green .. in my recent Swiss tech boonie hat is camouflage..
Still called a boonie in the military. I was issued a hand-full over the years. The last few I have were for deployments to desert environments. They're still in the inventory.
I’ve got an old felt hat that I’ve had for 20 years caught frogs in it with my grandkids carried water with it camped in it and slept hundred all through the Smokies and it makes it dang good yard hat
I too have been wearing boonies for decades. (66 yrs old). I add 30 ft of para cord through the loops using a sinnet knot with a recycled ball off of those bungee cords they sell at HF on the end. Then secure it to the brim in back with a 3” SS safety pin. Pop the pin, pull the ball and you have 30 ft of cord in your hand in seconds!
The best piece of gear I ever owned .filters water carried water with a small pocket liner fron and slice but now I just use a store bag shave oit of ot bath out I used it as a anchor for a boat sea anchor that's it
I too really like boonie hats (going back to my time in the Rangers)! Sewing an interior pocket is useful. A Tilley airflow hat is my go-to hat for urban daily wear.
I love boonie hats. I have cheap one from Family Dollar. I use it to mow in also. I have one that is called a paddler hat. I wear it most of the time. Its sold at Walmart. Anything to keep the sun off of you and its very hot in the South right now. Thanks for another great video.
I have used felt hats, oil skin hats, ball caps and boonie hats, each of them have their good and bad points. To keep my boonie hats shape ( similiar to yours) I slipped a piece of steel wire through the brim. It does make it less compactable . I enjoy your videos. Cheers
My Boonie near the same. But Gore-Tex double layered. Chin strap has a thick leather cinch tab. No name in it but has a mil-spec number in it. 1986 USA made! (-: (oh yeah, I'm not a Veteran) lol, I have used the crown loops for stuffing branches when I was trying out tracking/stalking herons, deer, turtles on a log. (friggen turtles are tough..sploosh!) ~ Guess who read Tom Brown books? (-; ...when deer tick/lyme came to attention, I gave up crawling through fields measuring tracks. (waaa!) ~ 1985 was year I finally got glasses as thirty year old. 1986 when I felt I needed a brimmed hat for the woods in the rain, and by chance I picked out a dandy Boonie. And still in great shape. (I don't abuse stuff really) You spoke of eye pokes. Fity times over my glasses saved my windows, but good. Indeed the brimmed hats help. But near glad I needed glasses. ~ If a miracle happened and my vision corrected, I'd get plano glass lenses. 1988 is when I got together with my gal. And she loved clowning around the woods as much as I. Her Boonie wasn't as worthy in rain...but had ponchos. Ha! we loved fishing in all day rain from banks, but thought she/we needed more head cover. blah blah.. I ran across Outdoor Research's Seattle sombrero in mid nineties and got us one each. Wow, what a hat in the rain. A bit warm with the tricot? lining ..of then? (cloth, near like thin felt) ~ Still a Gore-Tex hat. Generous brim (a tad flappy, then?) with a tad extra in back. Extra brim in back one can roll/fold their rain hood inside back and make do in medium rain and not fill their hood with rain. ~~ Velcro on brim sides and crown to wear up on sides of head ya spoke of, and not bother using the straps for...keeping cooler. ~ Blah blah blah #2 One summer I ran with a western style hat you like. Although a straw hat, vs a simple low crown cap. The missus loved it. She said I looked like Goober. hmm, come winter 40 clicks side of Chicago I purchased a quite decent woolen one, (I didn't want felt) due to cold/snow. oh chit, but my ears. ~~ I don't know how cold it gets by you Mr. Thomas, but those collapsible ear muffs via a simple twist/adjustable, worn at behind the neck to ears work good with my western type hats in cold. Prolly not out shoveling/blowing snow.
I have worn boonies for at least 20, 25 years and you are spot on. What amazed me was how often army units would prohibit wearing boonies when we were downrange. Great piece of gear. I am more inclined to use that versus straw hats
Being a Scuba Diver in my younger days I found the Tilley Hat to be the best. I believe they are issued to the Canadian armed forces also. They are made of Sail Cloth & brass eyelets etc. I have 2, one the original & one summer one with a breeze netting on top, it's a little more fashionable too. There are stories of Elephants in Africa eating them & the guide got them back from the other end, washed them & they were still perfect. Your right Boonie hats are goofy looking. Try a Tilley some time.
the last one i got ahold of said jungle hat in it! with mine i'd roll the front sides up and tack them sort of calvary style and i'd add a pocket in it for a small ziplock of matches and a fishing kit!! the way i hear it they're still available in the supply system but you have to go get it if you want it!
I wear a tilly hat almost every time I go outside, my wife bought me my first one now I have three, they are expencive but wear well. They float if you fish from a boat that is important machine washable, If I go somewhere with out my hat people either don't know who I am or they ask me where my hat is, that seldom happens. I put one on even to go to the mailbox, about 100 yards from the house, I have other hats for the cold weather in Ohio but seldom need them.
Boonie hat and Dixie Cup are the some of the best covers the Military has created. I'm also extremely partial to the NMC Eight Point Cover, in Woodland Camo. They just look amazing, but not as functional as the Boonie.
Blackie , Great Video and Outstanding Information on Head Gear . Being in the U.S. Army 1979-1986 , I've still got my boonie hat that I bought in 1982 , it's put up now. I've gotten several more of them, I used mine for Bow Hunting till 2007 it didn't mess with the bow string when shooting my bow . I used my for mowing,bush hogging, and being outdoors in the woods. Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge and wisdom and passing on the craft , I still got me some jungle boots too . I'm 61 years old and Old School too. You Are The Master Woodsman and Buschcrafter. Tim L. Old Boy Scout and Army Vet.
I use an prefer the aussie bush hat, or as we call it a ranger hat in woodland. Only because it has a wider brim, an your right, if I'm sitting down somewhere as in a mid day hunt, I can snap the sides up for more airflow in the shade. But I also have one in tan for the desert, when I go out in the southwestern states. Thx for the vid Blackie
They issued them to us when we liberated Iraq in 03 too. We wore those boonie hats way more than we wore our kevlars. We would wear our helmets when we went outside the wire or on guard rotation and we wore our boonie hats the rest of the time. We still called them boonie hats but we didn’t have any special ways of wearing them because of the old dress right dress principle. We all had to have organizational standards so they frowned on is modifying the wear and appearance of the hat.
Got mine in Desert Camo (chocolate chip) waxed it (50/50 Parafin and beeswax, with a splash of BLO) ran a bit of wire along the brim so it keeps whatever shape Im in the mood for. I live in the Pacific Northwest where it rains alot, best inexpensive solution I could come up with.
I agree with you 100%, Blackie. A good hat is an indispensable item for the serious woodsman. Like you, I prefer a good felt hat, but sometimes a boonie is the way to go.
The boonie hat is an essential part of my edc. I'm not a office worker, but an avid outdoorsman and woodsman. I haul square bales during summer and log during the winters. Blackie, you've been an inspiration to me since I stumbled onto your channel. I want to say thank you for sharing your wisdom and knowledge, around here all the guys such as you are dying left and right, and so much knowledge of woodscraft are being lost to time. I was was avid student of the ways of the woods under the wing of my an old Vietnam vet who happened to be be grandfather. He's been gone 5 years now.. Keep up the good work, Blackie! You teach me so much throughout your videos, I truly enjoy every one.
I LOVE my Boonie hat. I picked a cheap one up at a dollar store for 2 bucks close to 10 years ago now and it has served me well. It is my daily wearer. Sun bleached on top she is starting to show her age and I love it. Before it I had a leather Aussie hat narrow brimmed cowboy style and frankly I will never go back. My boonie has snap sides made out of a parachute nylon. People wouldnt recognize me if I wore anything else I have had one so long lol. So I couldn't agree more best hats in the world for the spring, summer, fall season. Though I am Canadian so in winter not warm enough lol. Great vid Blackie as always
I have a boonie hat and a camo cowboy hat. I can't believe in 13 years in the Army i missed using the boonie as a pillow. I love both my primary ones. Both have Neck straps.
I've worn them in the woods before. They do hold a little too much heat in the warmer season, compared to the modern cooling hats that are available. However they do offer a little more protection from sticks and stickers than those thin synthetic hats. And very camo too, so they keep you hidden.
Been wearing boonie hats for fouty years. Absolutely love them. Like you say, relatively inexpensive. Grab two, one on your noggin and one in the pack. I'm fifty eight so I pretty much grew up with boonie hats.👍👍⚓⚓🇺🇲🇺🇲
I traded a bottle of baby oil for a Korean boonie hat. It had the mosquito netting that rolled up into the liner. I liked the netting to dab the sweat off my face. Wiping with anything else made your face raw and salt burned your skin. Everyone had their "No Sweat" buttons pinned to the hat, but sweat we did anyway!
I went to the Army Navy Surplus Store a few years back and I think I bought four or five of them different colors and different sizes I love them I use them all the time thanks a lot Blackie
Another awesome video Blackie!! I have worn boonies for about 30 years. I had them in just about every color imaginable, and like your I configure my brims the same way.
I have one almost like that. It rides in the back of my suv for when I need it. Much like you I prefer the wide brimed covers exactly for the sun protection.
I am also a fan of great big hats. Being in California we have LONG days, powerful sun (very high UV), very high heat and not too much shade. You can get absolutely roasted in a very short time in the sun; which can result in not just a nasty sunburn, but also heat stroke which can absolutely kill you. So a hat provides a lot of protection from those elements. A bit of advice; wear sunglasses with your hat; that combo works much better than just a hat or sunglasses alone. I have a few classic boonies hats and they're pretty good. But now I wear a vented fishing hat with a suede that belonged to my uncle who died from ALS a few years ago. He was a talented fisherman and outdoorsman. God I miss him. anyway the brim on the fishing hat is a little wider so it provides a bit more shade. hats have alot of uses. aside from simply wearing them. you can soak it to cool yourself haul water in it pre-filter water by letting the water soak through and drip through like a coffee filter. it won't remove bacteria but it'll make your water a lot cleaner. pick wild berries and put them in your hat (don't put it on your head though). you can catch the feathers from your feather stick so they don't go everywhere. fan your fire to with it (old cowboy trick, works like a charm too). ETC.
I started wearing a wide brim hat’s around the early 90 after burning 🔥 my ears really bad while out fishing. Went through a few cheap ones before I purchased a Tilley. I still like a baseball cap but I have 3 Tilley hats now. A T3 hat that’s dirty & covered in bug spray, a second T3 that’s clean & my newest one is called The Hiker. These are great hats & really hard to kill, although I have been trying to find a good Boonie hat for the bush.
Always get one with an adjustable chin strap. There's been many times when that feature saved me from losing my hat in high winds. Brims that are too wide can block your peripheral vision.
Yes sir, that is still called the boonie hat. Issued for sure through the Desert Storm era. I picked up one of the Ole "chocolate chip" patterns(of Desert Storm)many years ago to wear in the yard. Great hats and very versatile.
Great video! When I was growing up I had to use a hat to help with the sun sensitivity. My genetics has a strong sun sensitivity when we are young. Breaking out in hives just from a few mins in the sun was common. However, I would never get sunburn. As we get older, the sun sensitivity moves to our arms and hands. So, having long sleeves and gloves or sunscreen on our arms is all we need. I ended up going with a cowboy hat style in my teens. I then moved over to a leather "Outback" style hat. I found that leather is a better water resistant and breathable in all weather than a fabric hats that I would get. Last forever when properly cared for. Now a days, I have to wear a hat all day because artificial light gives me a headache. I also started to wear glasses and the hat protects the glasses from getting dirty or wet from rain. Hats are the best. I would use my hat as a bowl when needed for animals that need water or for me to help cool me down. I even used my hat as a pad when kneeling down to fixed something and I didnt trust the ground. You can hang a flashlight on the brim of a hat or use a headlamp. Use hats as a barrier between yourself and something else like a snake or my wife. LOL. They are great. The one thing that I love to do is take naps in the middle of day while the sun is up. Put the brim of a hat over the eyes and lay back get a quick nap before being yelled at for something. Maybe snoring. LOL. Good video!
Hi Blackie! From 1992-1998 the old boonie was my every day hat. Back in those days, I was doing heavy duty brush clearing and landscaping. The boonie was perfect for that job. When I started driving OTR, I went to wearing ball caps.
Off topic here but wondering if u ever saw anything strange in the woods. Can’t get enough of the weird stuff out there which nowadays is becoming normal
G'day Blackie. In the ADF (Australian Defence Force) we used to call those a 'giggle hat'. No idea why. Nowadays we have a bush hat with a much larger brim we call Hat, Verandah because the all-round brim is so big. Thanks for a great video.
@@fpark114 as I said, we called them Giggle hats. Probably because they look a bit ridiculous. They used to be standard issue in the Australian military from the 1960's up to the early 2000's. They were pretty common all over Australia. I don't see many of them these days.
I have been wearing those since the early 80's. They were and still are my go to hat for most things. I never knew about dunking them like that. I've learned a new trick thanks to you. I have a black one for cold weather rain/snow and a tan one for all other times. Even though I have a Stetson summer cowbay style hat, the boonie is still my fav hat. Thanks for all the info on them. Take Care and Stay Safe. (This heat and sun are being brutal.)
For me it’s the tilley hat with the air mesh vent in summer, winter is either the wax impregnated tilley (the one I’m wearing in my photo) or an akubra, depending on the weather.
Yes, the steel pot was miserable in the heat and the weight but if did have some air flow. And when it was raining it was the only place on you to keep a letter or pack of smokes possibly dry. And of course multiple other uses.
I recently purchased a boony (boonine) hat for the purpose of keeping the sun off my head. Being red headed, I need all the help I can get. I wish I could have found one for $12, gave $20 at a military surplus store. Anywho, what is the pocket in the inside top used for? Thanks for all you do Blackie. I've learned a lot from you. I'm from the great state of Alabama too, so your info on how to handle this extreme heat and bugs is valuable information.
Pocket was used for maps, casualty cards, salute report cards, range cards. maybe a small notebook. anything small and thin. Our boonies didn't have that pocket though, our patrol caps did. maybe they have changed, i have been out for 10 years now.
@@voraciousblackstn The issue boonies made by R&B and other GI manufacturers didn't have the pocket. Still don't. That pocket in the boonie is a commercial addition. Our patrol caps had the pocket which some guys used to "square" it away for inspection. I found that getting the right size was more effective lol
Thanks Blackie! The old “boonie” hat…what else is there to say? Still around…that says it all! I also were a similar one while mowing or trimming …. Stay cool…!
I wear the boonie as well but am curious as to why you switched. I know you've a good practical reason and I need a new hat myself so what about your current hat? Thanks
Have been curious about that old felt hat of yours. Looks similar to an old Calvary hat, but not quite. Sort of Indiana Jones, but not quite. So, the big question is, what brand and model is it? Most older felt hats go limp after a few good soakings. Yours looks great.
Its probably a Filson hat, there not the cheapest, but you get what you pay for. I live in Fla,an only wear that style in the winter here when it gets cool, otherwise I get to hot wearing a wool hat.
I always wear a boony when i am mowing or doing yard work or garden work. They are very comfortable, cool and keep the sun off of my head and face. I love your videos and your stories.
Gone through many hats in the last 50 years. Fatigue cap, Australian Army slouch hat, gaucho hat, slouch and Aussie bush hat, USMC cover, boonie, Akubra Coober Pedy (2) and a great big straw hat when fishing or mowing. I love a good hat.
I love my boonie hat. Anyway, I saw one guy on the late 80s TV show TOUR OF DUTY and said how much I liked it. My dad bought me a Army camo one as a gift soon after. Over 30 years later, that hat is one of my favorite possessions.
I'd love to hear about tips for it.
i will add that to the list
Great hats...a classic. And you can beat the crap out of it.
Iraq, 2008-2009, we wore boonies unless we were wearing kevlars. Our Brigade Sergeant Major had gotten skin cancer on his ears in his first Iraq deployment so he had standing orders to always wear the boonie when outside, reguardless of uniform.
I wear the boonie (woodland not UCP) when I'm out in the woods these days. Still one of my favorite hats.
yeah they're still Boonie hats. I have a tiger stripe issue from 1984 or 5 I purchased at an army surplus store in Pontiac Michigan, I still wear it regularly today. I also have a chocolate chip pattern that was issued to me in Desert Storm and a new desert digi pattern a younger Marine gave to me a few years ago. I love them, I like to put a wire all the way around the edge of the brim, so they hold any shape you put them in. At the back of the brim is a fold where the brim hem comes together, you can gently insert the wire there and push/pull it all the way around.
Thanks Blackie, will have try them again
Hope you enjoy
Still have one I purchased in 1977. Purchased in a mil surplus store, Ranger Joes (?), in Okinawa. I have added several others since then.
Hey I agree just cant beat a broken in boonie hat. Old school wont ever die with us boomers.
The classic boonie hat has been my go to woods hat for most of my life. I also wore one as a firearms instructor on the range. Aside from protection from the sun, the 360 degree brim did a good job of keeping hot brass from landing on my shirt collar and burning my neck.
I own at least 4 military boonie hats
Usually keep one in my vehicle and in my get home bag.. one in my bug out bag.. and two others floating around either in my vehicle or at home.... My original one I first got in OD Green.. I put a snap on the left side so one side is held up... I have since approximately 20 years ago discovered boonie hats made by a company called Swiss tech.. slightly wider brim and snaps on both sides.. so I keep both sides snapped up most of the time. A nice chin cord with a cord device to tighten it... It has a nice synthetic headband inside for absorbing sweat.... I was just cutting the grass yesterday in 90° weather.. I poured ice cold water into my boonie hat.. let it soak then shook out the excess and put it on and it cool my head really nice.. my hats are in khaki.. tan..of green .. in my recent Swiss tech boonie hat is camouflage..
Back in 06 the army issues us infantrymen the boonie. It was the best headwear we never got to wear unless in the feild.
Still called a boonie in the military. I was issued a hand-full over the years. The last few I have were for deployments to desert environments. They're still in the inventory.
Always a pleasure Blackie 🙏👍
I’ve got an old felt hat that I’ve had for 20 years caught frogs in it with my grandkids carried water with it camped in it and slept hundred all through the Smokies and it makes it dang good yard hat
I too have been wearing boonies for decades. (66 yrs old). I add 30 ft of para cord through the loops using a sinnet knot with a recycled ball off of those bungee cords they sell at HF on the end. Then secure it to the brim in back with a 3” SS safety pin. Pop the pin, pull the ball and you have 30 ft of cord in your hand in seconds!
Had my boonie hat's since the late 70s luv em. Thanx Blackie!
Good information
The best piece of gear I ever owned .filters water carried water with a small pocket liner fron and slice but now I just use a store bag shave oit of ot bath out I used it as a anchor for a boat sea anchor that's it
Im a fan of the slouch hat style. I have a folding light that fits in the gap in the Australian slouch hat hole if you will, holds it sturdy
I too really like boonie hats (going back to my time in the Rangers)!
Sewing an interior pocket is useful.
A Tilley airflow hat is my go-to hat for urban daily wear.
I've never been in the military, but I used a boonie hat since I was 30 years old in Miami Beach. It did everything you said. Love em!
I still have a couple grenade rings in my boonie loops. They work great for making a tourniquet. ATB
I love boonie hats. I have cheap one from Family Dollar. I use it to mow in also. I have one that is called a paddler hat. I wear it most of the time. Its sold at Walmart. Anything to keep the sun off of you and its very hot in the South right now. Thanks for another great video.
That is awesome!
Blackie have you ever done a video on U V clothing..
I have used felt hats, oil skin hats, ball caps and boonie hats, each of them have their good and bad points. To keep my boonie hats shape ( similiar to yours) I slipped a piece of steel wire through the brim. It does make it less compactable . I enjoy your videos. Cheers
Great tip!
That green trip wire works great, take ur time and do it rt lol.
My Boonie near the same. But Gore-Tex double layered. Chin strap has a thick leather cinch tab.
No name in it but has a mil-spec number in it. 1986 USA made! (-:
(oh yeah, I'm not a Veteran)
lol, I have used the crown loops for stuffing branches when I was trying out tracking/stalking herons, deer, turtles on a log. (friggen turtles are tough..sploosh!) ~ Guess who read Tom Brown books? (-;
...when deer tick/lyme came to attention, I gave up crawling through fields measuring tracks. (waaa!)
~ 1985 was year I finally got glasses as thirty year old. 1986 when I felt I needed a brimmed hat for the woods in the rain, and by chance I picked out a dandy Boonie.
And still in great shape. (I don't abuse stuff really)
You spoke of eye pokes. Fity times over my glasses saved my windows, but good.
Indeed the brimmed hats help. But near glad I needed glasses. ~ If a miracle happened and my vision corrected, I'd get plano glass lenses.
1988 is when I got together with my gal. And she loved clowning around the woods as much as I.
Her Boonie wasn't as worthy in rain...but had ponchos.
Ha! we loved fishing in all day rain from banks, but thought she/we needed more head cover.
blah blah..
I ran across Outdoor Research's Seattle sombrero in mid nineties and got us one each.
Wow, what a hat in the rain. A bit warm with the tricot? lining ..of then? (cloth, near like thin felt)
~ Still a Gore-Tex hat.
Generous brim (a tad flappy, then?) with a tad extra in back.
Extra brim in back one can roll/fold their rain hood inside back and make do in medium rain and not fill their hood with rain.
~~ Velcro on brim sides and crown to wear up on sides of head ya spoke of, and not bother using the straps for...keeping cooler.
~ Blah blah blah #2
One summer I ran with a western style hat you like. Although a straw hat, vs a simple low crown cap.
The missus loved it. She said I looked like Goober.
hmm, come winter 40 clicks side of Chicago I purchased a quite decent woolen one, (I didn't want felt) due to cold/snow.
oh chit, but my ears.
~~ I don't know how cold it gets by you Mr. Thomas, but those collapsible ear muffs via a simple twist/adjustable, worn at behind the neck to ears work good with my western type hats in cold.
Prolly not out shoveling/blowing snow.
I have worn boonies for at least 20, 25 years and you are spot on. What amazed me was how often army units would prohibit wearing boonies when we were downrange. Great piece of gear. I am more inclined to use that versus straw hats
We were still issued the boonie cover in the marine corps when I was in 07-11. We wore them in the field when not wearing our Kevlar.
Have had a boonie for years, got a new one last time I was at Koffman's, gotta protect them "jug hannel years"! Thanks Blackie!
I still wear my boonies here in Vietnam. It's a great hat! ATB Sam Adler from Vietnam
Being a Scuba Diver in my younger days I found the Tilley Hat to be the best. I believe they are issued to the Canadian armed forces also. They are made of Sail Cloth & brass eyelets etc. I have 2, one the original & one summer one with a breeze netting on top, it's a little more fashionable too. There are stories of Elephants in Africa eating them & the guide got them back from the other end, washed them & they were still perfect. Your right Boonie hats are goofy looking. Try a Tilley some time.
the last one i got ahold of said jungle hat in it! with mine i'd roll the front sides up and tack them sort of calvary style and i'd add a pocket in it for a small ziplock of matches and a fishing kit!! the way i hear it they're still available in the supply system but you have to go get it if you want it!
Very nice!
I wear a tilly hat almost every time I go outside, my wife bought me my first one now I have three, they are expencive but wear well. They float if you fish from a boat that is important machine washable, If I go somewhere with out my hat people either don't know who I am or they ask me where my hat is, that seldom happens. I put one on even to go to the mailbox, about 100 yards from the house, I have other hats for the cold weather in Ohio but seldom need them.
Tilley, the way to go. It might cost but it lasts forever, looks good, wears well. I will pay more for quality that lasts.
I am a 68yr.old country girl,always wore hats,I have the tilley hats now,yes ,I have learned to do everything you mentioned.thanks for the support
Love my Tilley. Best in hot or rainy weather. Have choices of colors . Black tan and green .👒
Boonie hat and Dixie Cup are the some of the best covers the Military has created. I'm also extremely partial to the NMC Eight Point Cover, in Woodland Camo. They just look amazing, but not as functional as the Boonie.
Great video
Thanks!
Blackie , Great Video and Outstanding Information on Head Gear . Being in the U.S. Army 1979-1986 , I've still got my boonie hat that I bought in 1982 , it's put up now. I've gotten several more of them, I used mine for Bow Hunting till 2007 it didn't mess with the bow string when shooting my bow . I used my for mowing,bush hogging, and being outdoors in the woods. Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge and wisdom and passing on the craft , I still got me some jungle boots too . I'm 61 years old and Old School too. You Are The Master Woodsman and Buschcrafter. Tim L. Old Boy Scout and Army Vet.
Mosquito headnet fits over one perfectly.
love my boonie hats, I also use a shemagh or a sniper veil over it when Im in direct sun for long stretches
I still have my old boonie hat from the time I spent in Viet Nam .
still wear one mind you it is a canvas now , more like a tilley ... I form mine the same as you used to...
I still have my old boonie hat from 73. I used to wear it a lot, but the wife hates it so I had to switch to either felt or a Broner seagrass hat.
Thanks Blackie
Very cheap, very effective. I use them in summer time get some protection against UV.
They look nice too.
I used to wrap 550 cord through the camo loops on them 20-30 feet of it will fit good on one.
You can get tubes , water proof, the size of the loops, helps keep side weight for wind and carry area, for gear
I use an prefer the aussie bush hat, or as we call it a ranger hat in woodland. Only because it has a wider brim, an your right, if I'm sitting down somewhere as in a mid day hunt, I can snap the sides up for more airflow in the shade. But I also have one in tan for the desert, when I go out in the southwestern states. Thx for the vid Blackie
They issued them to us when we liberated Iraq in 03 too. We wore those boonie hats way more than we wore our kevlars. We would wear our helmets when we went outside the wire or on guard rotation and we wore our boonie hats the rest of the time. We still called them boonie hats but we didn’t have any special ways of wearing them because of the old dress right dress principle. We all had to have organizational standards so they frowned on is modifying the wear and appearance of the hat.
thank you for your service
Got mine in Desert Camo (chocolate chip) waxed it (50/50 Parafin and beeswax, with a splash of BLO) ran a bit of wire along the brim so it keeps whatever shape Im in the mood for. I live in the Pacific Northwest where it rains alot, best inexpensive solution I could come up with.
What is BLO?
@@bendover4496 boiled linseed oil
@@rickw9008 Thank for the info!
I agree with you 100%, Blackie. A good hat is an indispensable item for the serious woodsman. Like you, I prefer a good felt hat, but sometimes a boonie is the way to go.
My 1st hat at age 10 was a jungle hat ( boonie) in brit cam and I still wear one if out in the woods, bloody brilliant hats.
The boonie hat is an essential part of my edc. I'm not a office worker, but an avid outdoorsman and woodsman. I haul square bales during summer and log during the winters. Blackie, you've been an inspiration to me since I stumbled onto your channel. I want to say thank you for sharing your wisdom and knowledge, around here all the guys such as you are dying left and right, and so much knowledge of woodscraft are being lost to time. I was was avid student of the ways of the woods under the wing of my an old Vietnam vet who happened to be be grandfather. He's been gone 5 years now.. Keep up the good work, Blackie! You teach me so much throughout your videos, I truly enjoy every one.
I LOVE my Boonie hat. I picked a cheap one up at a dollar store for 2 bucks close to 10 years ago now and it has served me well. It is my daily wearer. Sun bleached on top she is starting to show her age and I love it. Before it I had a leather Aussie hat narrow brimmed cowboy style and frankly I will never go back. My boonie has snap sides made out of a parachute nylon. People wouldnt recognize me if I wore anything else I have had one so long lol. So I couldn't agree more best hats in the world for the spring, summer, fall season. Though I am Canadian so in winter not warm enough lol. Great vid Blackie as always
The boonie hat is my main hat for camping, love it. been using one since the 80's. Would like to get an O.D. Green one too. Mine's Woodland camo. 👍🤠
Could you please show us how to make a knife for pull.like you have on your forester victorinox. The paracord mantle. Its a genius knife fob.
Australia Here: ex Australian Infantry Soldier. We called ours ‘Bush Hats’.
I have a boonie hat and a camo cowboy hat. I can't believe in 13 years in the Army i missed using the boonie as a pillow. I love both my primary ones. Both have Neck straps.
I've worn them in the woods before. They do hold a little too much heat in the warmer season, compared to the modern cooling hats that are available. However they do offer a little more protection from sticks and stickers than those thin synthetic hats. And very camo too, so they keep you hidden.
It's been a booney since the 80's , USArmy.
The green hat looks better then your other one
I get extra large also in summer I wear a bandanna sweat band, in winter a watch cap underneath.
I like my Tilley hat. Worn for several years, it looks like it. But I’ll not part with it. Guys got to have a good hat!
Been wearing boonie hats for fouty years. Absolutely love them. Like you say, relatively inexpensive. Grab two, one on your noggin and one in the pack. I'm fifty eight so I pretty much grew up with boonie hats.👍👍⚓⚓🇺🇲🇺🇲
I traded a bottle of baby oil for a Korean boonie hat. It had the mosquito netting that rolled up into the liner. I liked the netting to dab the sweat off my face. Wiping with anything else made your face raw and salt burned your skin. Everyone had their "No Sweat" buttons pinned to the hat, but sweat we did anyway!
I’m gonna give my boonie hat a try, this season. Great video!
Dang Blackie! A lot of older folks wear hats to hide receding hairlines, etc. You have a healthy bunch of hair under that cover!
An its blond to, lol
I went to the Army Navy Surplus Store a few years back and I think I bought four or five of them different colors and different sizes I love them I use them all the time thanks a lot Blackie
Good video Blackie , thanks for sharing , God bless !
Glad you enjoyed it
I have several. You probably saw me wearing one at your gathering.
Another awesome video Blackie!! I have worn boonies for about 30 years. I had them in just about every color imaginable, and like your I configure my brims the same way.
Right on!
I’m partial to the propper brand ones.
I have one almost like that. It rides in the back of my suv for when I need it. Much like you I prefer the wide brimed covers exactly for the sun protection.
I totally agree!
My boonie from O.I.F., is what I cut grass with
I am also a fan of great big hats. Being in California we have LONG days, powerful sun (very high UV), very high heat and not too much shade. You can get absolutely roasted in a very short time in the sun; which can result in not just a nasty sunburn, but also heat stroke which can absolutely kill you. So a hat provides a lot of protection from those elements.
A bit of advice; wear sunglasses with your hat; that combo works much better than just a hat or sunglasses alone.
I have a few classic boonies hats and they're pretty good. But now I wear a vented fishing hat with a suede that belonged to my uncle who died from ALS a few years ago. He was a talented fisherman and outdoorsman. God I miss him.
anyway the brim on the fishing hat is a little wider so it provides a bit more shade.
hats have alot of uses. aside from simply wearing them.
you can soak it to cool yourself
haul water in it
pre-filter water by letting the water soak through and drip through like a coffee filter. it won't remove bacteria but it'll make your water a lot cleaner.
pick wild berries and put them in your hat (don't put it on your head though).
you can catch the feathers from your feather stick so they don't go everywhere.
fan your fire to with it (old cowboy trick, works like a charm too).
ETC.
Have a boonie in my trunk right now
I started wearing a wide brim hat’s around the early 90 after burning 🔥 my ears really bad while out fishing. Went through a few cheap ones before I purchased a Tilley. I still like a baseball cap but I have 3 Tilley hats now. A T3 hat that’s dirty & covered in bug spray, a second T3 that’s clean & my newest one is called The Hiker. These are great hats & really hard to kill, although I have been trying to find a good Boonie hat for the bush.
I love my boonie hats! I prefer the wet weather one for the slightly larger brim.
Always get one with an adjustable chin strap. There's been many times when that feature saved me from losing my hat in high winds. Brims that are too wide can block your peripheral vision.
I used to have one back in my 20's and recently aquired a new one. They are great hats and yeah I call them boonie hats.
Still wear one when in the deep woods , have several different colors.
Yes sir, that is still called the boonie hat. Issued for sure through the Desert Storm era. I picked up one of the Ole "chocolate chip" patterns(of Desert Storm)many years ago to wear in the yard. Great hats and very versatile.
Great video! When I was growing up I had to use a hat to help with the sun sensitivity. My genetics has a strong sun sensitivity when we are young. Breaking out in hives just from a few mins in the sun was common. However, I would never get sunburn. As we get older, the sun sensitivity moves to our arms and hands. So, having long sleeves and gloves or sunscreen on our arms is all we need. I ended up going with a cowboy hat style in my teens. I then moved over to a leather "Outback" style hat. I found that leather is a better water resistant and breathable in all weather than a fabric hats that I would get. Last forever when properly cared for. Now a days, I have to wear a hat all day because artificial light gives me a headache. I also started to wear glasses and the hat protects the glasses from getting dirty or wet from rain. Hats are the best. I would use my hat as a bowl when needed for animals that need water or for me to help cool me down. I even used my hat as a pad when kneeling down to fixed something and I didnt trust the ground. You can hang a flashlight on the brim of a hat or use a headlamp. Use hats as a barrier between yourself and something else like a snake or my wife. LOL. They are great. The one thing that I love to do is take naps in the middle of day while the sun is up. Put the brim of a hat over the eyes and lay back get a quick nap before being yelled at for something. Maybe snoring. LOL. Good video!
The side snaps are used when your firing a rifle to keep the brim from interfering with sighting.
Hi Blackie! From 1992-1998 the old boonie was my every day hat. Back in those days, I was doing heavy duty brush clearing and landscaping. The boonie was perfect for that job. When I started driving OTR, I went to wearing ball caps.
Thanks for sharing
Off topic here but wondering if u ever saw anything strange in the woods. Can’t get enough of the weird stuff out there which nowadays is becoming normal
G'day Blackie. In the ADF (Australian Defence Force) we used to call those a 'giggle hat'. No idea why. Nowadays we have a bush hat with a much larger brim we call Hat, Verandah because the all-round brim is so big. Thanks for a great video.
Interesting!
freak, what are those really short brimmed hats SAS wear in the desert , look like mini bush hats, real short brims?
@@fpark114 as I said, we called them Giggle hats. Probably because they look a bit ridiculous. They used to be standard issue in the Australian military from the 1960's up to the early 2000's. They were pretty common all over Australia. I don't see many of them these days.
I have been wearing those since the early 80's. They were and still are my go to hat for most things. I never knew about dunking them like that. I've learned a new trick thanks to you. I have a black one for cold weather rain/snow and a tan one for all other times. Even though I have a Stetson summer cowbay style hat, the boonie is still my fav hat. Thanks for all the info on them. Take Care and Stay Safe. (This heat and sun are being brutal.)
For me it’s the tilley hat with the air mesh vent in summer, winter is either the wax impregnated tilley (the one I’m wearing in my photo) or an akubra, depending on the weather.
I want to be able to look up at all times, I don't want a visor in the way unless I needed it to block the sun.
I have to think the old steel helmet must have been miserable to wear in hot weather. Excellent tip, Thank you Blackie.
Yes, the steel pot was miserable in the heat and the weight but if did have some air flow. And when it was raining it was the only place on you to keep a letter or pack of smokes possibly dry. And of course multiple other uses.
You bet
It's only very recently that the Australian Army has gone to wearing helmets in the field rather than the traditional Giggle (Boony) hat.
Don’t have a boonie hat but I do have a waxed canvas hat…
Are you telling me that something can hurt THAT head!?😳
When you meet an old guy wearing a boonie which has grenade rings in the loops ....I just might be that guy. ATB to everyone.
we called them boonie hat or going to hell hat in desert storm
I recently purchased a boony (boonine) hat for the purpose of keeping the sun off my head. Being red headed, I need all the help I can get. I wish I could have found one for $12, gave $20 at a military surplus store. Anywho, what is the pocket in the inside top used for? Thanks for all you do Blackie. I've learned a lot from you. I'm from the great state of Alabama too, so your info on how to handle this extreme heat and bugs is valuable information.
It's advertised as a "map pocket" though it'd have to be in a plastic envelope otherwise the "map" wouldn't last too long
Pocket was used for maps, casualty cards, salute report cards, range cards. maybe a small notebook. anything small and thin.
Our boonies didn't have that pocket though, our patrol caps did. maybe they have changed, i have been out for 10 years now.
@@voraciousblackstn The issue boonies made by R&B and other GI manufacturers didn't have the pocket. Still don't. That pocket in the boonie is a commercial addition. Our patrol caps had the pocket which some guys used to "square" it away for inspection. I found that getting the right size was more effective lol
Thanks Blackie! The old “boonie” hat…what else is there to say? Still around…that says it all! I also were a similar one while mowing or trimming …. Stay cool…!
Rock on!
Hi what's the idea behind holes on that boonie hat
Nowadays i think they're called "bucket hats" but i've always called them boonie hats. Just sounds better.
I wear the boonie as well but am curious as to why you switched. I know you've a good practical reason and I need a new hat myself so what about your current hat? Thanks
Have been curious about that old felt hat of yours. Looks similar to an old Calvary hat, but not quite. Sort of Indiana Jones, but not quite. So, the big question is, what brand and model is it? Most older felt hats go limp after a few good soakings. Yours looks great.
Its probably a Filson hat, there not the cheapest, but you get what you pay for. I live in Fla,an only wear that style in the winter here when it gets cool, otherwise I get to hot wearing a wool hat.