Reader Reviews

Rating: 4 / 5

I refer to it as my "ugly hat," but it's the one I always grab when it's sunny. I wear this hat in Hawaii, where hiking is hot and steamy. I just tighten the headband a bit (easily and securely adjustable) so that it stays up higher, leaving a bit of air space above my head. On a sunny day with a cool breeze in Montana's Bridgers I had to switch to a nylon baseball cap because my head was losing too much heat through the Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat. I also quit bothering with sunscreen on my face and neck, since the very wide brim (medium, 3 3/4 in.; large, 4 in.) covers nicely. The brim doesn't collapse when wet. I highly recommend this hat for warm to hot temperatures. (I add a 1.0 oz fleece beanie to extend the Adventure hat's usefulness to below freezing.)

For those who are prepared to challenge the frontiers of style, the size large hat is big enough to fit over a Petzl Ecrin Roc helmet. The mesh on the sides lines up with the vent holes too.

Weight: medium, 2.7 oz.; large, 2.9 oz. (If you can't try one on, you may want to buy it a size smaller--they run big.)

Rating: 4 / 5

Ditto to everything Douglas Frick said. This hat has offered me the best protection from the sun to date. I haven't had it long but am already impressed by the coverage it offers. Definitely will not win any awards for style but with my wrap around shades i certainly stick out on the trail. Weighs 81g on the scales. Four out of five. (Lost a point on style!!!)

Edited by waterloggedwellies on 03/25/2008 17:21:17 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

To everything else that has been said of this hat, I would add that after owning and using both the large neck drape and the small drape version of this hat for 4 years, it is incredibly durable. It is also the best protection against high altitude sun exposure I ever used. It works very well under the hood of your rain jacket allowing better ventilation around your neck because of the shape of the brim. And finally it is an anti-style statement. It is cool because it laughs at the sun's attempt to give you skin cancer.

Edited by mitchellkeil on 08/16/2006 12:29:56 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

The Sunday Afternoon Adventure Hat is the coolest wearing hat I have used which provides excellent sun protection. I can't imagine a better hat for hot weather. I have found the hat to be durable, it's in great shape after being used for nearly all my outdoor activities since 2004. The brim provides good stiffness, even when wet. Like others have noted. In cooler temp, the hat will not help keep your head warm, but works well layered over another hat. I have often used the Adventure Hat over either a Buff turned into a watch cap or the cloudveil six shadows beenie.

The Only downside is that it's very "geeky" looking on most people... but I can't imagine a hat this effective not being a bit strange looking. I don't know why, but it hat actually looks good on some people.

Edited by verber on 01/07/2011 18:19:01 MST.

Rating: 5 / 5

I highly recommend this hat for sun protection. This hat is light (M=2.5 oz on my scale) and provides full sun coverage due to the long back and wide brim, which allows you to carry much less sunblock and/or one less bandana. It is also ventilated with mesh on the sides of the head. Due to its wide brim and lightness, the chin strap is essential to keep it on your head in wind.
As mentioned in other reviews, the primary downside is the ugly/geek factor. Judge for yourself in the picture to the left of this review (not really that bad, is it?). As a result of the ugly factor, I primarily wear it on backpacking trips, rather than day hikes where I might see people I know (yes, vanity, what can I say . . .). The only other downside is that after repeated washings and folding it to stuff in my pack, the brim is getting a permanent crease in the middle and is a bit flimsy. Despite this, I still give this hat a 5 rating because it is so useful on the trail for sun protection, particularly on the back of the neck and on the side of the head where many other hats that look cooler fall short. When mine gets too flimsy, I'll probably buy another one of the same hat.

Edit: I've changed my avatar so I'm no longer wearing the hat in the picture.

Edited by Pendrey on 09/07/2009 09:22:53 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

How can I count the ways that I love this hat?

I have been using this hat for 7 years from completely re-landscaping my yard for 2.5 yrs as well as for backpacking trips.

I love that it provides complete lightweight protection for my neck from the sun and adds some warmth on windy days while providing good ventilation on hot days.

Something to add that the others reviewing this might have thought of is that it offers great rain protection for those of us who wear glasses.

Rain jackets rarely have a brim that is wide enough to provide adequate protection to prevent glasses from getting spotted up with rain drops.

I have found that wearing my light fleece cap under this hat keeps my head completely dry and most of the rain off my glasses.

I recently tested this by hiking to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls, where I was completely sprayed with mist for some twenty minutes.

The hat some completely soaked, but my fleece hat only had some surface wetness.

Yes, it looks dorky, but function over fashion. Are you out there to impress the bears with your good looks?

-Tony

Edited by Valshar on 06/29/2008 17:12:56 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

What more do you need in a hat. The Sunny Days hat is complete. Wide rim, easily covers neck, ears and face. Mesh lining keeps you cool. Long back section keeps sun off neck and is also great at keeping bugs off the back of neck. It has a drawstring to keep it on in strong wind. It has a dark underside of the brim to cut down on glare. I added some wire to the brim of the hat to add some consistent shape to the brim...This works great.
I have had the same hat for some 5 years now. A excellent choice for serious hikers. Highly recommended!!

It is the hat in my avatar picture from 2004- Yellowstone

Edited by Creachen on 01/12/2009 22:23:18 MST.