Carol, I tried a dozen caps & hats over the years until I bought a Nordic Gear
supplex nylon South Fork hat. It has mesh, chin strap, is light, crushes to nothing in a pack, is cool, keeps the rain off my glasses, although in heavy rain I pull my gortex hood over it. I have even put a thin wool cap under it so it will still keep the rain off my glasses.

http://www.shotgunreport.com/Reviews/Shade/Shade.html

Another vote for Sunday Afternoons. I have a big head (size 8?) so finding ANY hat a treat, and the SA has room to spare.

I know Tilley makes large sizes, but I couldn't find a store in Denver with any selection, and REI carries the SA. It takes guts to wear, but as Carol? said, no sun block needed.

I have used a pantropic panama straw hat for a number of years. It worked reasonable well until I wore it out. It did not bounce back very well after getting soaked in a couple of rain storms.

I have also used the Sunday Afternoon Adveture Sport Hat. I found that it was cooler than the straw hat (better ventilation) and had a very effective brim.

--mark

David..Tilley hats are great..once you get one you will find excuses to wear it. I have a T3 that I bought for boating but I also wear it hiking and driving in my jeep when the top is down. The wide brim keeps sun and rain out of your face and you do not get a bad case of hathair when you wear it. I also own Watership hats but do not wear them in the wind or the rain because the brim is not stiff enough.

>Another vote for Sunday Afternoons. I have a big head (size 8?) so finding ANY hat a treat, and the SA has room to spare.


"Room to spare" is right; the Large size is big enough to fit over my Petzl Ecrin Roc helmet. I look dorky in a helmet anyway, so the Sunday Afternoons hat doesn't look too much worse and the big brim gives nice shade. The mesh on the side lines up with the vent holes, too.