A quick review for a hat.
For the past three years I've been paddling wearing a boonie-style hat called the Seahawk made by a company called Shelta. I've used it on at least 6 multi-day trips and countless day trips and I'm completely satisfied with it.
There are a several features that make these really good hats for canoe tripping -- wide brim, breathable, DWR fabrics with UPF 50+ sun protection; interior wicking headband, interior mesh vapor barrier panel so that hat doesn't stick to your head, there's a cinch to adjust size. Easily washable. Chin strap is also very function and versatile and can be removed quite easily. It floats, too.
"But," you are thinking, "there are any number of hats out there with some or all these features. What's the big deal?"
What sets the Shelta apart IMHO and makes it so good for canoe tripping is that the front of the brim has a plastic insert that makes it stiff like a baseball cap. That means the wide front brim does not flop up or worse yet down in front of your face when paddling into a headwind or when it gets wet, something which boonies are prone to and that I can't stand. But unlike a baseball cap, this hat has an all around brim for sun protection. The back and sides of the brim are normal.
It may not have have the looks of a classic Tilley but this has been the perfect canoe tripping hat for me.
For the past three years I've been paddling wearing a boonie-style hat called the Seahawk made by a company called Shelta. I've used it on at least 6 multi-day trips and countless day trips and I'm completely satisfied with it.
There are a several features that make these really good hats for canoe tripping -- wide brim, breathable, DWR fabrics with UPF 50+ sun protection; interior wicking headband, interior mesh vapor barrier panel so that hat doesn't stick to your head, there's a cinch to adjust size. Easily washable. Chin strap is also very function and versatile and can be removed quite easily. It floats, too.
"But," you are thinking, "there are any number of hats out there with some or all these features. What's the big deal?"
What sets the Shelta apart IMHO and makes it so good for canoe tripping is that the front of the brim has a plastic insert that makes it stiff like a baseball cap. That means the wide front brim does not flop up or worse yet down in front of your face when paddling into a headwind or when it gets wet, something which boonies are prone to and that I can't stand. But unlike a baseball cap, this hat has an all around brim for sun protection. The back and sides of the brim are normal.
It may not have have the looks of a classic Tilley but this has been the perfect canoe tripping hat for me.