Hiking is very popular among adventure lovers. Everyone who loves hiking knows the importance of a hiking hat.
While packing and buying for a hiking trip, hats get less priority than the hiking boots, food supplies, and other hiking equipment. But hats are equally important like the others. Hats will protect you from heat and keep you warm in winter.
In this post, I am going to tell you some facts that you should consider while buying a hiking hat.
Buying a hiking hat
It is very easy to buy a hiking hat for yourself. You can buy one from the nearby store or from online very easily.
Here is some point you may need to look after when you are going to buy a hiking hat:
Climate and season
Choosing the best hiking that depends a lot on the climate and season you are going to hike. There are a lot of hats available in the market. Among them, some are good for summer and some for winter and some for the rainy season. So, you should choose from them according to the season you are hiking in.
If you are going to Australia for hiking or going in a summer season, a broad rim, neck cover hat will be very useful for you.
On the other side, if you are going in autumn or winter season in western Europe, beanie style hats will be perfect.
So, choose a hiking hat according to your necessity and hiking time and climate of that particular area.
Hat styles
Hiking hats are available in various styles and designs. Various design hats are suitable for different weather.
Here is some hat design that you can choose according to your need:
The classic sun hat
Classic sun hats are best for use in summer. They are the ones with a wide round brim.
A sun hat protects your eyes, head, face, and neck from beating sun and harmful UV rays.
These hats have a chin cord which helps the hat to stay on your head even in a very strong wind.
There are some sun hats which have round brim with a long flap. The flap will cover your whole neck from the sun.
Some sun hats are baseball type having a long flap.
If you need a sun hat, you can choose from any of these designs.
Baseball cap
Baseball caps are also can be a very nice choice for your hiking trip. It is best when you go hiking in normal weather.
This cap is stylish and casual. So, you can use it as daily wear.
This cap has a stiffer brim that’s why you cannot fold it and put in your backpack like the other sun hats.
The beanie hat
When you are planning your hiking trip in winter, sun hats or baseball hats will not come in any use. The beanie hats are the perfect thing at that time.
Beanie hats can keep you warm in winter. They are classic and stylish in look. Most importantly, they fit perfectly on the head. Beanie hats are made from wool. It will keep your ear and head warmer.
If you are finding a beanie hat which is waterproof, look for a wool blend or acrylic made hat.
Winter hat
Planning your trip in an area where the temperature is below zero? Winter hats are the perfect match for this kind of extremely cold weather.
The insulating thick layer of material will keep you warm as it covers your whole ears, neck, and head. There is also mash for covering your mouth area.
So, buy this hat if you are going to an extremely cold area for hiking.
The material of the hat
The material of the hat is also a major factor to choose a hat. Different hats have a different type of material and each of them has its own pros and cons. Selecting the material is completely your own choice.
While buying a sun hat, look for the material if they are good for ventilation. It should also have the ability to block the sun rays. Cotton, nylon or synthetic will be good for sun hat material. The material should be able to dry very quickly and soak the sweat easily.
Durability
The hiking hat must be durable as you will use them in rough situations. After every use, you have to wash the hat to clean it.
So, the hat will have to be compatible with the washing machine. On the other hand, you can use a durable hat on multiple hiking trips.
Price
You don’t have to rob a bank to buy a hiking hat. The price of the hiking hat is between 5 to 50 dollars.
Among the wide price range, you can choose the best hat which is within your budget and matches your requirements.
Size of the hat
There is various type of hats in the market. And they are available in various sizes.
Choose a hat which fits perfectly on your head. A loose or tight hat on your head can make you uncomfortable on your hiking trip.
So, buy a perfect fit hat to avoid any kind of discomfort. You can also buy a size adjustable hat.
Reviews of the hat
When you are buying a hat from online, look for the reviews about that hat given by its users. It will give you a complete idea about that hat.
Conclusion
Buying a hiking hat might be very easy but choosing the best one that fulfills your need, is quite hard. After going through the whole article, I hope you will be able to choose the right hiking hat for yourself.