How To Pick A Hat For Bushcraft And The Outdoors 

I live in the humid, hot SE USA and work outside quite a bit. I've come to like the Sunday Afternoon hats. They are very similar to the Tilley hats, but about half the price. I have one with a wide vented side and another with a narrow vent around the top.

Great looking set of hats

I love that you mentioned customization of your hats. Hats are supposed to show the character of the person wearing it

Aquired a new hat recently to replace a well worn and loved hat. Added eyelets to the brim to accomodate a stampeded strap, removed the liner, and made a utilitarian band from paracord. Slouchy style can be worn with shorts, jeans, hiking boots, or sandals. It was an ebay find, Thomas Cook "Drought Master."

I have the akubra cattlemen. They are worth the money.

Great video James! Very informative which is helpful! You and Cuervo have a great summer!

Good Evening James

I recently started wearing hats like these. It's an experiment for me, but it's helping me stay cool for sure this summer. Love your hats!

What a fantastic and thorough video on your hats and the logic. I love how practical you are, this is my mindset as well. I go function before looks or anything else. I usually can be seen wearing a Wind river Sun hat ( They call it a Adventure Hat ) I live in British Columbia Canada, we get a lot of rain and this works great in the summer time. I also have a heavy duty cotton brim hat coated in oil for water repellent for more winter trips. Cheers, Dave.

Back in 2008, we took the Route 66 road trip. While in Arizona, I purchased a Concho hat made by Minnetonka. Brown distressed suede and my personalization is a Small Marine Corps pin. Love this hat! Kinda has the Clint Eastwood slash Australian outback look to it. Love the hat video!

Being an Aussie, the Akubra is definitely my favourite. I’ve had the same one for 37 years. I have times when I wear it and long bouts when I don’t. But I love that hat. They are the best.

You're spot on with the hat etiquette. Love the latest clay colored one you have, nice hat. Im surprised you didnt touch on the "x's" rating of the felt hats. Yours appear to be more "australian" looking and they are sharp. I have always chosen a more traditional cowboy style. I use Resistol straws in the summer and Stetson felt. However, I have found I like a Bailey felt better than a Stetson, over the years, they seem to wear harder. Not as much upkeep.

There is no way I could pull that off lol you guys that can are lucky

I have a few Akubra's. It's a great fur felt. Tip: Pick up some baseball hat liners ($10ish) for the leather sweatband. You get a pack of 30 and they lightly stick to the band.

I think a good wool cowboy hat is invaluable. Straw has its place. I have a wool hat for most months in Northern California and a big straw hat for summer. I don’t own a cotton hat. My wool hat is not lined like yours so it’s still comfortable in the heat.

I've worn an Outback grizzly hat for years now. It's great for everything IMO because it's oilskin. I pair it with an outback oilskin duster in the cooler months to stay dry and warm.

Have an Australian Cattlemens hat I bought in Outback Queensland Australia. Had it for years and still looks good. I'll make a clip on it on my channel in due time. Love your stuff. Down to earth and low key.

I had a nice straw lifeguard hat, but needs retired due to cat damage. Wearing either a boonie hat or a Walmart cotton cowboy hat. It's hot in Florida, I wish I could afford a resistol..

Very cool James thanks for sharing, I buried my Dad with a Stetson! Take care.

Great perspective on the utility of wide-brim hats (cowboy-style in your case). I'm in the Great Basin and prefer boonie hats for my wide-brim hat style. To each his own, I guess!

But....the modern cowboy hat was an early 20th inventuon along with the drop leg western holster

Correct me if I’m wrong, the middle had is no longer made? That was the best hat ever!! What hat would you recommend for a woman who loves the outdoors?

Great video. Personally, I'm a boonie hat guy, but that due to my history. I like your comment about "keep rockin it" for those who don't think they can pull it off.

Great video. I now wear a very wide brim cowboy hat. After having part of an ear removed due to cancer, I was told by the doctor to wear a wide brim hat only if I wanted to keep my ears. Felt hat for cool weather and straw for summer. You have a nice collection.

Great video. I wear a Tilly because of the 2 straps for windy days. I'm thinking of getting a headband to go with it. Any suggestions?

I just got the Cooper River hat from your website and I measured my head three times and three times I came up with the very same measurement so I ordered the hat for that measurement and it's too loose so now I'm experimenting on how to make it a little tighter on my head but it was the tan color and I love it. I'm glad you put this video out I wish I would have had more choices but there was only one type of hat and there was only one brand so I got what was there and I still like my hat. PS did you know that the shape of the cowboy hats on the movies today was not the shape all the hats that the Cowboys used to wear. The shape they use today came from the movies

I love your channel, for some reason it had never occurred to me to attach a flashlight or use an empty shell case to hold something useful

For years I’ve been wearing a real deal brazil tarp hat (same hat Woody Harrelson wore in the first zombieland) , always been a fan of flat top hats. It’s made of cotton tarp, and has wire in the brim for shaping. Mines got slightly taco style turned up sides, dyed the color as your brixton Thorpe, with a black band and a small feather. Love this hat to death, excellent for all seasons. Excellent video brother, much love from Lubbock

Throw me the idol and I’ll throw you the whip. I need to find a shop to get the right measurements.

I really like that Aussie hat. My uncle, who lives in Harlingen, TX, bought me a straw Stetson when I was in high school and I wore that hat flat out. The only cowboy type hats that I use now are a straw Amish type hat and a US Army campaign hat, with a Montana peak, that I wear rarely but I do like it when on the rifle range.

Great collection, all have their distinct uses . Thanks for sharing .

Love ❤️ your hats!!!! You both look so great in them ❤

My favorite hat is made by Bailey. The "Morgan" made of lite felt is olive colored. I made a hunter orange polar fleece cover so I can take it deer hunting.

For summer I wear a Real Deal Brazil canvas/tarp hat. Love how it's indestructible. In winter I wear a RedHead felt wool outback hat. Your Akubra looks extremely nice on you. May have to get one of those for Christmas.

Great video, thanks 👍

I agree you have to give your hat your own mojo. Great video.

For the past few months I've been wearing the Silverton "Dude" Hat by Minnetonka. It's suede leather But really not unbearably hot. I replaced the band with a silver concho band and the brim has kinda naturally turned up, so I helped it out a little.

I was just in Branson, MO (visiting my Mom-in-Law who lives 30 minuets away). While I was there I bought a Real Tree cloth "Cowboy" hat that has a mesh band for air-flow above the brim & so far I'm liking it for keeping the sun off. It's a flat brim hat and it has a cloth head-band. I also have a couple other Rural Wrangler type hats from my days working on my Fire Chiefs farms all those years ago! Mostly at O'Really's [sic] I wear a ball cap or nothing at all. P.S. - You should do a part 2 with Cuervo & his hats if he likes the idea!

We were visiting Calgary Alberta and the Milliner was very excited to try a 10 gallon hat on my hubby because he looked great in it. Too bad he's not a cowboy. Love your hats. ☺

My widebrim from Outback Trading is made from oilskin which makes it waterproof. I love it and can't imagine not having it.

Great information, love the display stands you used. That is the style I'd buy too, I only have a summer all weather crushable hat to keep the sun off my face and neck. Sizing if important, just make sure you go when you have middle to most of the hair you normally rock, because if you're like me and let your hair grow out, then clip it all off, you'll feel the differences in size, haha. Thanks for the upload.

I bought a ranger hat from my feed store. It's made in Mexico out of Palm Franz, it's pretty heavy compaired to the straw hat I use.

hows the sizing on that Akubra? if you wear a 7 3/8, are you safe to order a 7 3/8?

I don't know about the Southwest mountain ranges but do know about my times in the Andes mountains in South America, where elevations can range from over 9,000 to over and beyond 15,000 feet above sea level. The higher you travel up, the cooler it gets. However, you are also much closer to the sun. Without a hat, within five minutes you have a sunburn. I've spent a month's time in those mountains and can say that I have put my Akubra through hell, by my own doing and with the help of nature. Akubra is a very well made and durable hat and comes with UV protection. I was declining down a mountain trail and got caught in a torrential downpour. The water pooled into the brim but was easily removed by tipping the hat over. My head stayed completely dry. Hat care is crucial, especially with more expensive ones. When wet, turn the hat over on a flat surface and allow it to dry. This keeps the brim from losing it's shape. Fur felt has a memory, so it will stay in it's shape most of the time if dried correctly. Secondly, never put on or remove the hat by grabbing the top of the crown. No matter what the hat is made of, from straw to fur felt, over time the hat will tear and form a hole. Always put on/take off the hat by the brim. Terminology: Crown is where your head goes. Brim is where your head doesn't. People always go for the crown when putting on/taking off a hat. It's a habit that takes time to stop. Always store hats upside down if you have no hat box. Avoid stacking hats on top of each other as well, as this can deform the crown and/or the band. If stacking is unavoidable, make cardboard rings and place them around the crowns to give space between them while stacked. There are a ton of hat care videos online, so do your research, especially when buying a more expensive hat. With care they can last lifetimes.

I wear a wool Dorfman Pacific Indiana Jones fedora year around Edit: I put a 15 button rattle from a 7'4" snake I killed and ate, preserved the skin, use the ribs for toothpicks, and the vertebrae for beads.

That’s cool bro! You guys rock those hats! It fits your southwest style. I’m a south Texan and I don’t wear western hats or boots or denim while doing the outdoors stuff. I wear sweat wicking polyester and modern hiking boots 🤷🏼‍♂️…it’s functional and comfortable for me. But I get why some people like the ole western style …it’s the western movies , the nostalgia of the Wild West etc. I currently use Shelta hats because it works great for what I do outdoors. It looks ugly AF in comparison to a western hat…but it is very functional for me. 😂 Modern Sun hat Pros - Sun Protection UV Rating - Breathable Material - Mesh Lining - Sweat Absorbing Head-band - Pockets - Chin Cords - Brim Coverage - Floats - washable - non flop brim If I were to dress like you guys doing the outdoors stuff, people in My group would think I’m doing a 1880s re-enactment 😂👍🏻 Cool vid James

Soon as the vid opened im like "hes rockin an Akubra!" Good stuff mate. 🇦🇺 I live about half hour from the factory in Kempsey, you can go there and do tours and see how theyre made. Awesome gear, last forever. Akubra do a decent leather belt too.👍👍

I wear an Australian Outback style made of kangaroo leather. Love that thing 🎉

I’m usually more of a truckers hat or boonie hat guy but when I was stationed active Duty, in Arkansas, did fall in love with cowboy boots comfortable and practical

I live in a country (The Netherlands) with a very diverse climate but wearing hats is no longer the norm. But I do wear one and usually get compliments. But I also travel and like to buy a local hat where I go. So I have a lot of hats. My two favorites are Australian hats and all leather. A thick leather one for cold seasons and a thin leather one for warm seasons.

Stop thinking about beer when making videos James! Ha! Pass us one! Cheers. Great information.

My favorite hat is similar in shape to yours. It's a Scala brand Outback style, 3" brim, made of wool felt with a cotton inner headband and no lining. Attached to the leather hatband are a crow feather and a 9-rattle rattlesnake tail. I wear a 7 1/4 size hat but got lucky that Scala's size medium fits me perfectly. I also have 2 straw western-style hats and 1 Amish-style straw hat. I think that a certain well-known company's hats are overpriced and overrated. My Scala hat was under $50.00. It's a shame that not many men wear honest to god hats anymore.

For summer months especially here in Texas straw hats winter time leather or wool

Suppose to wear a straw hat after memorial day .. switch back to felt after labor day .. cowboy rules lol .. Organ Mountains must be Aguirre springs close to home .. oh and chin strap = stampede string .. I do like those Australian hats .. but I wear Sunbody Hats in the summer .. usually some felt hat Stetson, Baily , Rodeo King after Labor day

I have some wide brim hats, and I really like them. It's just that moving through brush makes my bigger hats less convenient (branches and vines knocking my hat off). I wear a rabbit felt hat with a downward brim of about 2.5". Just enough protection without getting in the way.

Thanks!

Did you ever think of doing a collab with Brixton to bring that hat style back and kind of make it your own and sell them? With as good of a hat as it is and the price seems right I'm sure you would sell quite a few of these? Seems like something to look into at least?

Great video! Loved this.

Have a Stetson gun city and love it.

Excellent video. I have several cowboy/western hats but I usually wear the same 2

I bought an Akubra Territory back in 1998 and wear it regularly. I picked it up for about $120, from David Morgan now it's about $175. I accendently spilled lamp oil and it stuck. I had it cleaned and they shrunk to size smaller so I have to keep fit stretched and cut the wire in the leather band. I also have astra hat from Mexico palm straw with a 5" brim and a Gus crown that's 5" high from River junction.. I would love to get the Poncho Villa Plan straw hat with an 8" brim and a very high crown. Doesn't work in my Volvo. LOL

I bought a cheap straw hat when I was in Florida. It's not bad, it does get hot in the summer. I got it wet before and it was nice and cool wearing it wet, but I don't know if it's a good idea to keep getting it wet all the time.

I went down to San Antonio a couple months back. Stayed by the Alamo and bought a $20 flat brim hat in a store closing sale. Lots of expensive stuff there but Im not leaving without a $20 hat. I bought it in reverence to you James. More of a joke for me. I wore it everyday for like a month and the compliments never stopped, so now its in rotation. Btw, its incredibly fun wearing these hats, and they’re the most functional outdoor hat to wear. But you won’t be grey man. Everybody notices my slick hat

Im a 10th generation New Mexican. Im a westerner. I wear cowboy hats and boots, thats life for us

very good informative hat review it will help me get my next hat

I highly suggest a sunbody brand palm leaf hat for the spring/summer

Straw hats are awesome in the summer for me I love them for fishing

I've been wearing hats for about 18 years. I've found that if you care what you look like when you first start wearing a hat, you won't be successful. Just wear it. After a while you'll be comfortable wearing it. You should never pinch the crown of a hat. It doesn't matter what kind of material the hat is made from, it will crack and you'll have holes there. Always handle the hat by the brim. In my opinion, it's better for the hat to be too big rather than too small. There are things that can be done with the headband inside the hat to make it fit tighter. Stretching the hat to make it larger is much more difficult. Enjoy your hat! Great video.

You got some nice hats James!

Like your hats, all mine have a teardrop crown

Hi James this is Bruce in AZ, I enjoy your videos with Curevo. I live in Arizona, so I have a lot of vented hats to keep the heat venting away from me and the sun off my bald head. You are blessed with a good head of hair. For the cold days and to look good I wear a Stetson wool hat that I bought in Tombstone

This was a good video. I learned from it. I sure admire that Akubra.

My go to hat is from Conner Hats

As far as a good hat with a brim that is normally 2 .75 and wider I am find of the Canadian Hat Company Tilley Hats (Tilley USA) they have a wide range of styles and material from Winter Wool to nylon and canvas to name a few. I have never spent more then $100 on even the most expensive hat and my Wool winter hat is nearly 20 years old. Hope this helps some viewers out.

I’ve never heard of feathers being referred to as a pop culture thing, it is a truly ancient human practice when it comes to hat and headwear and can be found worldwide. I think it is rather a form of personal and cultural expression of where a person has been and what they have found or collected or what they find beautiful, and it can have a lot of power and symbolism to it, or personal history, depending on how the feather was acquired. Great discussion on hats, they are incredibly valuable pieces of kit for the outdoors. I use mine for volunteer k9 SAR work in a very hot and humid state in the western USA, snd the wide brims are incredibly valuable. I just acquired a Mexican Palm Straw hat, and look forward to having a durable waterproof hat that will also help protect me from the heat. I have been previously using my crushable Kangaroo leather Barmah hat from Australia which has held up amazingly well to the thorn brush, ticks raining from trees, and other harsh conditions, but I want something cooler, and something I can dunk in water to keep me cool when it’s over 100 and humid. Love the crab claw that you preserved and added from your fishing, I do very similar and add feathers I acquire while doing SAR work to my favorite hats, which is very meaningful to me.

This was such a cool video. I'm from New Jersey Where we were baseball caps.

I knew that was an Akubra. This is one of the better hat videos I’ve seen. I only started wearing hats a few years ago when I bought my first straw fedora. What you talk about, I’m still learning, except for the wool hat thing in the Florida summer sun. 😥 I learned the hard way too!

Thanks for the informational video. I purchased an oilskin outback hat and oh boy is should’ve done some research before😂. Good thing I live here in the Midwest where we only have 3 to 4 months of hot days. I don’t regret buying it but now I know.

Hello, I'm a hat guy also. I actually wrote an economic break down of th Panama Hat trade in college. Good tip for hats with the pinch. You may have figured this out already. It's a bad idea to pick the hat up and place it on while pinching the hat. The pinch is for looks. Using the brim is always best. I still like the hat. It has great character.

Nice video again mate and a great hat collection you have there. I wish they would sell these hats here in Indonesia

Great rundown on your sombreros, brotha.

I've missed quite a few. But I'm catching up. Like watching you guys

James, on the leather hat bands you can actually take some fabric and sew it in, right at the forehead area so it absorbs the moisture. I did that on my akubra and it helps so much. I hate the leather bands as well.

I own a Akubra Leisure time hat best hat ever

My hat collection is similar to your one including one from Montecristi in New Mexico straw hat all have their place! Looking into acubra great article!

Tilley makes excellent hats for the outdoors. I won't recommend a model as it's a personal choice I think. Tilley can be up their in price, but they make great hats

I wear a wide brimm hat and flip flops

For a winter hat I use the Stetson Drifter 4x buffalo felt hat, wide brim with a pinch front crease. For the summer I use a wide brim Stetson straw hat or a cattleman crease Stetson 10x Deming straw cowboy hat with a flatter wider brim and plenty of ventilation all around. I live in far west Texas where it gets hotter than the devil's ball sack in wool lined underwear!

The reason cowboys have the sides swooped up is so water rolls off the back and front and misses your body. AKA keeps your shoulders and arms dryer.

Great video!👍 Practical to the point!👍 ... and no bullshit around the issue.👍 Best regards, David😎

Love that song Pancho and Leftie. Is that a Van Zandt singing can’t think of his name?

A good hat will keep your head 10-15 degrees cooler

I mean, i like to rock a good pirate hat whenever i go sailing

Local western shop chased me out when I said nope to cattleman creases, refused to look into supplier catalogs. I did get sized before that though. So will be ordering online or driving 120 miles to spend the cash I had in my pocket that day. For 2 hats 1 pure beaver 1 palm straw. Both last years of abuse in weather. One summer the other the rest of the year. My last palm lasted 15 years. My current beaver is still hanging on 5 decades after it was made.

Hope you ate the crab 🦀, SO GOOD !!

Go out and get your hat dirty!!!

Most of my friends would make fun of me if I wore a cowboy hat. I worked for some ranchers in Colorado once building a roping corral and fences around haystacks. They only wore cowboy hats for weekends and wore baseball hats mostly. The ones you had are cool. Out here in Wisconsin mostly old people wear them. Don't understand I had a straw hat for driving a tractor out in the field when it was sunny

It’s easy enough to replace A leather hat band vid on RU-vid

Damn Cuervo!! He said putting feathers in your hat is dumb!! You gonna let him get away with that!?!

In the famous words of Cad Bane " What? It was a nice hat"