Boonie Hat, Modify or Not? 

Put it on, wear it. That's all the mods you need.

The influence on a compass has to be considered, thx for mentioning. I have a wire in the brim of mine, but fortunately, it's copper wire which doesn't influence magnetic fields. I agree on the rest. Somebody designed that thing the way it work's best. So any mod is at least useless (if not dangerous...)

Good tip about the wire. Glad I’m not the only one seeing these videos and thinking the mods aren’t really practical. I added a head net to two of the loops on the back of mine. The boonie hat keeps the net away from my skin

Looks good on ya ! wear it the more it gets wore the better it performs

Sooo...my boonie was used quite frequently in the USMC. I was Force Recon, so we wore them quite often. As for modifying them??? put it on your head and wear it, it doesn't require some farcical Tacticool modification.

Since I recently wired a boonie brim I decided to test the compass magnet theory. At 6” from the brim, no change. When the compass is held against the brim, the needle swings 3 degrees. So, with my particular steel wire, the answer is….possibly a problem, but not likely. Your particular wire/compass mileage may vary. ( :

I have a few civilian boonies, but I bought my woodland boonie at the PX at Ft Jackson just before I got out. It may not be issue, but it is Brigade Quartermasters. I don't have my UCP boonie, got rid of all that ugly useless stuff after I got out. I leave mine stock except using the same type of pin to hold the side up on occasion. I mostly use it camping and kayaking.

BTW. I stand by what I’ve said in this video. FUI. What ever that may be worth. 😂

My dad got me into Tilly hats and I can't recommend them enough. Absolutely worth the price. If only they made em M81... 😏

I concur 👍 Occam’s razor

Boonie hats are useful anywhere anytime. I have collected all sorts of sizes and camo versions from the Vietnam War onwards and have used them in my job as a pilot. Thanks for these tips and information.

I’m a bush hat fool been wearing and collecting them since the early eighties, the first bush hat I saw was in 1980 on a canoe trip, my friend was wearing one he had when he was in service in Vietnam , after that I got me a boonie at the military surplus store

Amen! Fully agree. I regret every modified hat in my life. Should be floppy so you can pop it in a pocket, should be breathable. VS17 sounds cool but even in Nam most guys did not do it for reason mentioned plus they were often lost in the field so why bother. Tbh I have one floppy with wire in the brim but full size plus strips of camo net around the band. Brits did it right and used cammoed foliage band and more breathable material, something I never liked in US hats but then again US shape was better and green tape could be fixed XD . Czech camo was based on US ERDL by the way. Years back when I was younger I wanted my gear to be more "gucci" , short brim, panel, paracord all that shit but now I see its just not needed. Some people missing the point of paracord - used by the Marines, dummy corded to the shirt so they would not loose it on the way paddling or in a river crossing, when on ground they would untie and wrap the cord around the camo band but other than that theres no reason to do so.

Some folks just have to look cool, regardless of practicality...😜 IMO, the best modification is wear; simple fading from use is the coolest look! 😎 There are the stories about newbies and veterans swapping gear; the vets want new stuff and the newbies want to look...not like newbies. 😉

We'd cut down a M17 panel and sew it in That used a little less than half and we'd fold the leftover up and carry it in the .right chest pocket.

Were you in the 505th PIR? I was in 2/505 for about 6 years. I loved that place.

I wear a boonie style 😎 ✨ sun 🌞 👒 hat after seeing 👀 😎 a few videos 📹 I just put it on my head an let nature take its corse

You use stainless or aluminum wire for the brim, since iron will rust when wet anyway. No compass problems then.| Black (as well as red and darker colors) absorbs more heat, but it also radiates more heat. That means hotter in the Sun and colder in the shade. Worse in either case.

If you're the compass guy, give your boonie a spin 180°

The compass interference of the wire is actually a myth. Please do a video that proves the wire adversely affecting the compass orientation as there is Zero studies, facts and evidence to support your theory. Alternatively, instead of a metal wire a weedeater string would be ideal tho it will only stiffen the brim but will not allow the brim to be shaped as its plastic and not metal. The benefits of have a wire in the brim of the boonie have largely improved the wearability of the boonie and I enjoy it greatly. Lastly, a boonie should be worn like a Drill Sergeant or State Trooper Hat with the Draw String tired in the back of the head and the hat gently resting on the head. The purpose of the boonie is to protect the Face, Neck and Ears from sun burn and keep the body cool (its a mini umbrella) but folding the back is counterproductive as it exposes the neck and ears to direct sunlight. The only time the back flap should be folded is when you have a tall Ruck Sack and even then most elite marines will tilt their covers foward a little and level the front visor that way its parallel to the ground allowing for greater peripheral visibility. Hope that helps. Thanks for the video. I enjoyed your stories. I am now subscribed and I hope to see more content

Where do you get the cats eyes from?

Compass v Wire in the brim of your boonie hat. ru-vid.com_iCl8_yPMO8?feature=share

Buy hat. Put on head.

use copper wire...