Hot weather hat options Classic Cowboy

[Jaan]

Hello everyone,

I shoot Classic Cowboy sometime so no straw or palm hats. Right now I have a black wool Stetson that's brutal to wear in the heat. 

 

What other options are there?  I've looked at leather and I saw an inexpensive cotton canvas cowboy hat (very close to a Gus style).  Would either of those fly?  Is leather less hot than wool felt?

 

One of my problems is that I have a size 8 head.  I can wear XXL if I stretch it a bit.  Much less variety to pick from. 

Thanks ahead of time. 

[Dantankerous]

I shoot nothing but CC and in hot weather I still wear one of my wool or beaver blend hats but I regularly lift my hat off and pour water over my head as well as keep my silk wild rags soaked in water. This with drinking plenty of water gets it done for me. Sometimes I'll drink Gatorade and that really seems to keep things balanced on the hottest/humidest days.

 

 

 

 

[Yul Lose]

I carry some ice in the little ice chest in my gun cart and throughout the match I’ll take my hat off and put a few ice cubes on my head and put the hat back on and that does a pretty good job of keeping me cool.

[Hendo]

Heck, I've heard Yul is so cool, the ice don't melt. 

[Rowdy Ranger Rick]

Yep, silk rag or bandana worn as pirate headcover soaked in cold water under hat. You'll need a thin material or slight size larger hat. I use a neck gaiter that stretches easy, and is also my current choice for face cover when I go out. In Winter I wear them under my hat to pull down over my ears. In the Summer the neck gaiter is large enough to soak in cold water and stretch to completely cover my whole head. It feels really good in 95 degree heat and sun when outside shooting.

 

RRR

[Tequila Shooter]

I don't shoot CC but maybe you can try something like this to keep you cool  Bandana

[Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463]

I shoot Classic Cowboy. The hat in my profile is a 4X fur felt Resistol Silver Belly color. It is the coolest hat I have, it's even better than a straw hat.

 

Light color, High crown, wide brim and fur felt. 

 

All that being said I'm fairly tolerant of hot weather. 

[WymoreWrangler SASS 46187L]

Take out the lining of the hat, that should help...

 

[Sarge]

I've seen Cowboys put small ice packs under their hats.

[Black Hills Barb]

I shoot classic too.  Summer in PA means temps in the 80s-90s with humidity figures to match.  I wet my bandanna.  Keep cooling towels on hand.  Drop ice down my shirt.....whatever it takes to feel cooler.  

 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Use evaporative bead neckerchief.  If you cool your throat, you cool your head.

[J-BAR #18287]

Get a beat up old white or silver belly hat and shoot a few holes in the crown for ventilation.  Replace the leather sweatband with an absorbent cloth hatband from another hat, or make one out of a couple layers of terry cloth.  Sweat stains show character.  

[Sedalia Dave]

Quart zip lock with a few ice cubes in it under your hat. Put a few extras in your cooler. As one melts put a fresh one under your hat.

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

Something lighter than Black.

[Innocent Bystander SASS #24171]

The higher the crown the better. If you can find a Texas Torpedo in your size that's what I would recommend.

[Navy Davey]

10 hours ago, Rowdy Ranger Rick said:

Yep, silk rag or bandana worn as pirate headcover soaked in cold water under hat. You'll need a thin material or slight size larger hat. I use a neck gaiter that stretches easy, and is also my current choice for face cover when I go out. In Winter I wear them under my hat to pull down over my ears. In the Summer the neck gaiter is large enough to soak in cold water and stretch to completely cover my whole head. It feels really good in 95 degree heat and sun when outside shooting.

 

RRR

95 degree heat what do you do in the summer (Phoenix 115)

[WOLFY]

That shows some true dedication.

[Captain Clark]

5 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Get a beat up old white or silver belly hat and shoot a few holes in the crown for ventilation.  Replace the leather sweatband with an absorbent cloth hatband from another hat, or make one out of a couple layers of terry cloth. 

If you don’t want to blow holes in your hat you can have any decent western hat store put some vent hole eyelets in a felt or straw for only a few bucks! 
 

[Tyrel Cody]

32 minutes ago, Navy Davey said:

95 degree heat what do you do in the summer (Phoenix 115)

 

Our 95 degree heat includes 95% humidity...

[Equanimous Phil]

9 hours ago, Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463 said:

Light color

 

6 hours ago, Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L said:

Something lighter than Black

 

Yeah, switch sides and just be one of the good guys!

[Cat Brules]

I find that the best way to keep fairly cool overall  is to wear 100% cotton all over,   That means to wear undershorts, a t-shirt (I wear black), pants, and a regular shirt...all cotton.  I wear a 100% silk wild rag and a black or brown beaver- blend hat.  The cotton and silk absorbs all the sweat, sucks it up, and the hot air dries it out of your clothing and hat very quickly.  The hat will keep your head/face cool, whether you believe it or not.

NO POLYESTER, even a blend, in anything you wear...period.  It’s the worst thing you can wear.  In the winter, poly makes you cold, and it the summer, it makes you hot.  
 

In the summer, a lightweight wool shirt with a cotton t-shirt will help keep you cool.  
 

Again, absolutely NO polyester or poly blends in any of your clothing.

 

Don’t unbutton your shirt or take off your hat.  If you have to wipe your face, use a different silk bandanna (from your pocket), or a cotton handkerchief.  

It is a system that works....the only synthetic I wear is lightweight “business” socks with my boots.

 

Having said all that,......there is only one digression from the “no synthetics rule,” and that is Rayon.  A Rayon/cotton blend works well, BUT, you rarely see Rayon anything, anymore, anyway.

 

Cat Brules 

[County Jr]

10 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Get a beat up old white or silver belly hat and shoot a few holes in the crown for ventilation.  Replace the leather sweatband with an absorbent cloth hatband from another hat, or make one out of a couple layers of terry cloth.  Sweat stains show character.  

I like that idea, and I have a worn silverbelly Stetson 10X I just replaced with a D Bar J 100X.

[Chief Rick]

A wool felt hat is hot.

 

Beaver felt hats are not as hot, but cost considerably more.

 

Further, hot is a relative term.  Just like "pretty".

[Rye Miles #13621]

Simple solution would be DON'T shoot Classic Cowboy if it;s really really hot!! 

[Rowdy Ranger Rick]

14 hours ago, Tyrel Cody said:

 

Our 95 degree heat includes 95% humidity...

Yep, 95 degree and high humidity is about my limit, I stay home.

 

RRR