Boonie Hat

Boonie hat, brim first

A boonie hat is a soft wide-brimmed hat with a stitched crown, ventilation eyelets and a chin cord, a shape that came out of hot and wet climates and now turns up on walks, riverbanks, festivals and safari trips. The range runs from short-brim versions that sit close to the head, through wide-brim shapes that shade the neck, to packable cotton and ripstop for travel and versions with a sun-protective treatment. It is the same hat that appears in the bush hat range, listed under the name it is sold by.

What makes it different from a cap?

The brim runs the whole way round. A peaked cap shades the face and leaves the ears, the neck and the cheeks in full sun, which is where most of a day's burn lands. The crown is unstructured, so the hat crushes into a pocket and recovers, and the chin cord keeps it on the head in wind instead of somewhere downhill. A military cap is the neater option under a hood or a helmet; the boonie is the one that does the shading.

Wide brim or short brim?

A wide brim throws shade across the shoulders and keeps rain off glasses, but it catches wind, blocks the view upward on a steep path and fights with a rucksack lid when you tip the head back. A short brim keeps peripheral vision clear, sits under a hood and suits cycling or scrambling, at the cost of leaving the neck exposed. For glare coming off water or a chalk path, shade alone is not enough, and a pair from the hiking sunglasses range does the rest.

How should a boonie hat fit?

Run a tape around the head just above the ears and keep it level, then read the size chart rather than guessing between small, medium and large. The hat should sit without pressure and without leaving a mark on the forehead after an hour. Too tight gives a headache by lunchtime; too loose lifts in the first gust, which the chin cord manages but does not cure.

What is worth looking for?

• Fabric: ripstop and poly-cotton dry fast and pack flat, heavier cotton drill hangs better and holds the brim shape longer.
• Eyelets: metal or stitched vents let heat out of the crown, which is the difference between a hat you keep on and one that ends up in the bag.
• Brim stiffness: a stiffened brim holds its line, a soft one folds down over the ears and rolls into a pocket.
• Chin cord and adjuster: a cord with a working toggle can be tightened one-handed, which is the only time it ever gets used.

How do you pack and wash one?

Roll it rather than folding it, so the crease falls in the crown and not across the brim. Wash by hand in cool water with mild soap, since machines and hot water shrink cotton and warp a stiffened brim. Reshape the hat while it is still damp, then let it dry away from radiators and direct sun. A sun-protective finish fades with heavy washing, so brushing dust off between wears beats scrubbing. For lighter cover in town, the peaked shapes in the sun cap range pack smaller still.