Stylish hats anyone? Pics please!

[Ungawawa]

A common theme among certain women I've met on the camino is what a dork I look like in my floppy North Face booney sun hat ! It's been compared (unfavourably) to a child's beach bonnet.

I don't see what's wrong with it, myself. The camino's not a fashion show. But if it was... what would you recommend to wear on your head that's both functional and stylish?

Pics welcomed!!

 

[Bala]

I wear a baseball-style cap. Not exactly stylish, either, but it keeps the rain off my glasses and the sun out of my eyes. And I look like a total dork in the sun hat my friend gave me as a Buen Camino gift!

I've only walked in spring and fall, so blistering sun on the back of my neck isn't a problem for me. And I'm fortunate that I tan rather than burn when it is.

 

[Bala]

Me and my cap, Santiago and his sun hat.

 

[Ungawawa]

Me and my cap, Santiago and his sun hat. View attachment 53845

yowsers - now that's yellow!

 

[Michael; Camino-addicted]

I prefer the classic version.

 

[Former member 49149]

Me and my cap, Santiago and his sun hat. View attachment 53845

gorgeous!

 

[trecile]

No hat for me - they make me hot. I use a handsfree umbrella.

 

[Davey Boyd]

No hat for me - they make me hot. I use a handsfree umbrella. View attachment 53866

Me too! Brilliant invention, I never walk without mine!

Davey

 

[rorygilmore]

i picked this up today at decathlon and i don't think it is too hideous!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

View attachment 53872

i picked this up today at decathlon and i don't think it is too hideous!

Very attractive, but may fly off in high wind as I see no chin straps. That's an advantage of a ball style hat with the adjustment in the back to tighten it. It's been my choice every time!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I use a ladies, wicking synthetic runners baseball style cap. If wet it dries quickly and stays snug in high wind! I've been very happy with this style on 4, soon to be 5 Caminos!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Not a woman and not stylish but I wore this hat after being given it by una bruja along the way (it promotes recycling).

 

[JillGat]

I bought a broad brimmed hat but I can't figure out how to wear it without the back of it bumping into my pack. So I always end up with a baseball hat, too.

 

[holhum]

I just bought a Northface quick dry cap as I realised all my cotton hats and caps got very sweaty along the forehead. I am hoping it also helps to keep rain off my glasses If I have to take them off I will probably miss the markers but on the plus side everyone looks so much younger and wrinkle free once my glasses are off, mirror image included

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I just bought a Northface quick dry cap as I realised all my cotton hats and caps got very sweaty along the forehead. I am hoping it also helps to keep rain off my glasses If I have to take them off I will probably miss the markers but on the plus side everyone looks so much younger and wrinkle free once my glasses are off, mirror image included

Looks like a very good choice imo!

 

[amocatnerak]

I wore my Outdoor Research helium radar rain cap nearly every day last April. Kept my head warm and dry.

 

[Yumadons]

I looked EVERYWHERE for a Goretex ball cap that was not black or hi viz yellow, lightweight, & adjusts small enough to stay on my pinhead (for which buying sunglasses is a nightmare). Plus I wanted one with a logo, not just a solid color. From www.golflocker.com with velcro adjustment strap, navy blue.

 

[C clearly]

I always used a visor but that didn't provide much protection for my ears or neck. In 2017 I was forced to use this stylish approach with a red wool buff draped over my head, under the visor. (Only on the camino!)


Last year I found an Outdoor Research hat that didn't look as bad as most hats, was on sale, weighs only 50 g, and came in a size Large:

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I looked EVERYWHERE for a Goretex ball cap that was not black or hi viz yellow, lightweight, & adjusts small enough to stay on my pinhead (for which buying sunglasses is a nightmare). Plus I wanted one with a logo, not just a solid color. From www.golflocker.com with velcro adjustment strap, navy blue. View attachment 53886

I have a pinhead too, and you are right...it's a nightmare buying sunglasses!

 

[Mugatu]

I used a trucker hat this past Frances...it vents well...looks normal-ish...but that’s it.

At the end of it all, my neck had a racing stripe tan/sunburn from the bandana I used to soak and tie around my neck, and my ears were chicharrones.

I’m bringing my Shelta Seahawk hat this time around, and imo... not dorky at all.

 

[Dorpie]

Problem I found with a cap was that it didn't provide shade where it is most needed on many camino routes ie. the left shoulder and I'm definitely not cool enough to pull off the backwards cap look.

I wear this columbia hat



But if style is your priority it HAS to be a Panama!

 

[NJohn]

I also like wearing a baseball-type cap or visor rather than a bigger floppy hat, but worry about sunburned neck and ears. I saw on @trepidatioustraveler ‘s blog about combining the hat with a buff infinity scarf- which can go over the hat to protect neck and ears on sunny days. You can also wet it when you need to cool down.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075M72L34/?tag=casaivar02-20

Assessment of clothes and walking gear 2014

I updated my packing list and review following my 2016 Camino del Norte which can be seen here Meanwhile, here is my original post from 2014… Firstly, apologies for the very long and detailed…

magwood.me

...but if I could find one, I think a hat like Efren Gonzalez (@summitextreme) would be great!

 

[t2andreo]

yowsers - now that's yellow!

I like that yellow hat very much. In fact, I always advise pilgrims to wear a brightly colored, preferably neon toned, hat to create contrast against the environment and to allow you to be seen my oncoing drivers when road walking is required.

 

[yaying]

I use a ladies, wicking synthetic runners baseball style cap. If wet it dries quickly and stays snug in high wind! I've been very happy with this style on 4, soon to be 5 Caminos!
View attachment 53877

wow it seems a nice tattoo. u really look younger that what age u have told me.

 

[62Renate63]

A common theme among certain women I've met on the camino is what a dork I look like in my floppy North Face booney sun hat ! It's been compared (unfavourably) to a child's beach bonnet.

I don't see what's wrong with it, myself. The camino's not a fashion show. But if it was... what would you recommend to wear on your head that's both functional and stylish?

Pics welcomed!!

 

[62Renate63]

I find Tilley hats can't be beat. Here are photos of my "new for Camino 2018" RED Tilley hat. Vented, secret pocket, shades the tops of my ears (unlike baseball style hats), water resistant, floats, ties on, etc. etc. Does NOT hit my pack. Did I mention it is RED? First day on the Camino, I got the nickname Madame Beau Chapeau.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I find Tilley hats can't be beat. Here are photos of my "new for Camino 2018" RED Tilley hat. Vented, secret pocket, shades the tops of my ears (unlike baseball style hats), water resistant, floats, ties on, etc. etc. Does NOT hit my pack. Did I mention it is RED? First day on the Camino, I got the nickname Madame Beau Chapeau.

Very nice. My friend I walked on the LePuy with a Tilley hat in tan. They even fold up without wrinkling...I was amazed by that!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Not a woman and not stylish but I wore this hat after being given it by una bruja along the way (it promotes recycling).
View attachment 53879

Rick, is that Peg modeling your hat?

 

[Bala]

I like that yellow hat very much. In fact, I always advise pilgrims to wear a brightly colored, preferably neon toned, hat to create contrast against the environment and to allow you to be seen my oncoing drivers when road walking is required.

It's high viz, with gray reflective stripes along the visor and around the cap. I bought it to stand out when I walk the side roads near my home. Light-weight, quick dry, perfect Camino wear. I love that cap. Wore it every day.

@t2andreo I also bought the high viz yellow "construction worker type" vest you recommended last year on another thread. Talk about looking like a dork! I stopped for coffee at a local cafe and another customer actually asked me if I was on a work crew!! But it does the job. Cars definitely see me coming. I took it on the camino but never wore it as I never walked at dawn or dusk...

 

[bernhugo]

Hi Camino Chris. As my mother would have said" who's asking for a thick ear?"

 

[Bala]

I find Tilley hats can't be beat. Here are photos of my "new for Camino 2018" RED Tilley hat. Vented, secret pocket, shades the tops of my ears (unlike baseball style hats), water resistant, floats, ties on, etc. etc. Does NOT hit my pack. Did I mention it is RED? First day on the Camino, I got the nickname Madame Beau Chapeau.

My husband swears by his Tilley. The only reason I don't have one is because I didn't want to look like twins. He says it does get hot wearing it, though. But he's also very susceptible to heat.

Maybe if I had a red one...

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Hi Camino Chris. As my mother would have said" who's asking for a thick ear?"

I thought wrestlers get thick ears! Ha!

 

[Stroller123]

This is what I usually wear, from left to right:
Tilley TH5 Hemp; Tilley T3; simple straw hat; on the bottom Under Armour running cap (don't remember the model).

 

[Ferenjinan]

As usual, most hats recommended here are 'brand names'. I wear a no-name hemp hat, made in Nepal, it folds and unfolds, and even has a wee tag on the front that has an opening just small enough for the stem of a fresh picked wild flower. Since leaving Le Puy in October, a small sprig of lavender has been there, but I start out in Portugal in 2 weeks, and methinks there will be new wild flowers for that unfashionable old hippie look. On my 70th birthday I was given a clover, so sweet.

 

[J F Gregory]

 

[Camino Chrissy]

J F, brrrr! No thanks!

 

[t2andreo]

It's high viz, with gray reflective stripes along the visor and around the cap. I bought it to stand out when I walk the side roads near my home. Light-weight, quick dry, perfect Camino wear. I love that cap. Wore it every day.

@t2andreo I also bought the high viz yellow "construction worker type" vest you recommended last year on another thread. Talk about looking like a dork! I stopped for coffee at a local cafe and another customer actually asked me if I was on a work crew!! But it does the job. Cars definitely see me coming. I took it on the camino but never wore it as I never walked at dawn or dusk...

I much prefer being a live dork to being a dead, or seriously injured, but more stylishly dressed pilgrim. It is also better to have the hat and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Besides, when I am wearing my neon headgear, I may look like an advert for bananas or tropical fruit, but I cannot see the color...it’s on my head...

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Tom, you can be so funny sometimes... when you decide to divert from your status as a walking encyclopedia!

 

[Ungawawa]

...but if I could find one, I think a hat like Efren Gonzalez (@summitextreme) would be great!

Yeah I asked Efren where he got his hats from. He said it was the Outback Trading River Guide hat, but it looks like a different one on his earlier camino videos :/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047EH1KM/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[SusanSmyth]

 

[domigee]

My trusted Tilley hat and a Serbian cap bought in an emergency after having rashly sent my hat back home ...
Not sure either of them qualify as stylish though!

 

[t2andreo]

Tom, you can be so funny sometimes... when you decide to divert from your status as a walking encyclopedia!

My goal is to leave you, and everyone I meet smiling, or even laughing at me. That is why I bring a supply of red noses (Walgreen's Red Nose Day) to Santiago every summer.

The kids are entranced, and the adults smile or laugh when I take their photos outside the office. THAT is worth it all. Even if they are laughing at me, it is worth it to give them a happy photo. So many arriving pilgrims are in pain, or otherwise grumpy.

When the kids grab for mine, I reach into the cargo pockets and pull a fresh- cello-wrapped new one out. If the parent approves, I give it to the child....at least 3 years old. This occupies the kids... It's a win-win-win-win.

Life is too short for grumpy...

 

[CatPhillips]

I have a Tilley hat, too. Not sure about stylish but I like it a lot. (I replaced the band it came with; tan one for my first Camino and a black on for the one I begin in two weeks.) I’m wearing it in my profile picture. It’s hemp, lightweight, great for sun or rain and has two straps, one for behind your head (think Canadian Mounty) and one chin strap. Most days the straps ride up inside the hat but they’re great for windy days. I wore my Tilley every single day for both Caminos and plan to do so this time.

 

[J F Gregory]

J F, brrrr! No thanks!

Our first Camino was in early March.

 

[NJohn]

Yeah I asked Efren where he got his hats from. He said it was the Outback Trading River Guide hat, but it looks like a different one on his earlier camino videos :/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047EH1KM/?tag=casaivar02-20

True - I like the lighter color of his - these are too dark

 

[chinalil]

A common theme among certain women I've met on the camino is what a dork I look like in my floppy North Face booney sun hat ! It's been compared (unfavourably) to a child's beach bonnet.

I don't see what's wrong with it, myself. The camino's not a fashion show. But if it was... what would you recommend to wear on your head that's both functional and stylish?

Pics welcomed!!

Because I’m Australian I wear an Akubra!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Because I’m Australian I wear an Akubra!

Very nice...classy!

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

Alas, for whatever reason, I have never met a hat that made me appear attractive or fashionable. So on the camino I just wear the cheapest wide-brim hat with chin strap that i can find. And, no, you don't want to see a photo!!!

 

[linkster]

View attachment 53909

This is what I usually wear, from left to right:
Tilley TH5 Hemp; Tilley T3; simple straw hat; on the bottom Under Armour running cap (don't remember the model).

Where do you keep them all?

 

[Morning Waters]

I confess to being a real hat nut. Most are vintage and not suitable for a Camino. So I have a plain white one with broad brim and back flap to protect my ears and neck.... Then I have decorated with vintagish pins. Hoping to give some away to kind strangers and Camino angels.

 

[C clearly]

Because I’m Australian I wear an Akubra!

Hi @chinalil - You look familiar . Maybe because you were with me when the photo in post 18 was taken! Glad to see you here.

 

[Stroller123]

Where do you keep them all?

... and I always wear a buff under them as my shaved head feels more comfy

 

[peregrina2000]

Somehow, on the way into or in Guadix, I lost my hat. My dermatologist will kill me if I walk without a hat. So, on the way out of Guadix, in the first town we came to, I went into a little shop and bought a hat for a euro. It served me well all the way into Granada, but my camino friends told me I looked like Minnie Pearl. I don’t think that was a compliment. I bought a proper hat in Granada. I think if you are walking a camino, you have already decided that fashion is not a priority. Keeping your face and your neck covered should be the only goal, IMO.

 

[movinmaggie]

A common theme among certain women I've met on the camino is what a dork I look like in my floppy North Face booney sun hat ! It's been compared (unfavourably) to a child's beach bonnet.

I don't see what's wrong with it, myself. The camino's not a fashion show. But if it was... what would you recommend to wear on your head that's both functional and stylish?

Pics welcomed!!

Be yourself....and keep your hat

 

[GinaMarie]

Here's my hat. It's neither warm, practical, or waterproof but it *is* lucky. Mostly I hate wearing hats but somehow this fits my camino persona.

 

[chinalil]

I always used a visor but that didn't provide much protection for my ears or neck. In 2017 I was forced to use this stylish approach with a red wool buff draped over my head, under the visor. (Only on the camino!)
View attachment 53884

Last year I found an Outdoor Research hat that didn't look as bad as most hats, was on sale, weighs only 50 g, and came in a size Large:
View attachment 53885
Good colour too

 

[PetePie]

Nice hats!
I mainly wore my buff as my hat. The best thing was that I could change the look from the morning as a beanie to a bandana by lunchtime, or what was appropriate depending on the weather. Will most definitely take it again on the next Camino.

 

[Jubileerj]

No hat for me - they make me hot. I use a handsfree umbrella. View attachment 53866

What a fab idea. Where did you get it?

 

[trecile]

What a fab idea. Where did you get it?

This is the umbrella that I have:
https://euroschirm.com/schirm/teleScope_handsfree/index.cgi?session=3p5w0o2EXbnDc&sprache_land=usa

You can also buy one from the forum store, but I don't think that it's the telescoping model like mine.

https://www.santiagodecompostela.me/products/swing-handsfree-trekking-umbrella

 

[Mark B]

My husband swears by his Tilley. The only reason I don't have one is because I didn't want to look like twins. He says it does get hot wearing it, though. But he's also very susceptible to heat.

Maybe if I had a red one...

I wore a Tilley on my two caminos, and yes, they are hot. Remove the piece of foam in the top of the hat, and that will help quite a bit.

 

[frida1]

Tilley makes lots of styles of hats, so there's no reason to look like twins. I love my Tilley "Melanie" sunhat. It doesn't have any foam, is made of hemp, looks great and isn't too hot. I can use it for hiking and for city wear.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

I wore a Tilley on my two caminos, and yes, they are hot. Remove the piece of foam in the top of the hat, and that will help quite a bit.

THIS! We were just discussing how hot they got. I'll try it. Thanks!

 

[Doreen Ratigan]

I find Tilley hats can't be beat. Here are photos of my "new for Camino 2018" RED Tilley hat. Vented, secret pocket, shades the tops of my ears (unlike baseball style hats), water resistant, floats, ties on, etc. etc. Does NOT hit my pack. Did I mention it is RED? First day on the Camino, I got the nickname Madame Beau Chapeau.

Love this HAT! I am ordering it today, and begin my first Camino on April 16th!

 

[Shona]

This is my hat, worn on the Frances last autumn. It was plain when I started, then I asked fellow pilgrims I met if they’d sign it. It’s a wonderful hat now!
Shona

 

[FourSeasons]

yowsers - now that's yellow!

Hi @H Richards. Where's a pic of you in your bonnet? Oh come on, we all want to see.

 

[trecile]

My friend has a Tilley hat that has an insert that you soak in water and provides evaporative cooling.

Hiker's Hat | Tilley

Designed for the avid hiker, our innovative Hat designed comes with lots of features for the trail.

www.tilley.com

 

[Morning Waters]

I LOVE the autograph hat!!! As I give away my pins, I will collect autographs too. So much lighter !
Leaving in Two Weeks, Whoo Hoo.

 

[Darby67]

Andres in Hontanas had a winner!

 

[Bob Howard]

More utilitarian than stylish, this hat with its 4-inch brim kept my entire American Scots-Irish sun sensitive face in the shade, almost like an umbrella. It's made of polypropylene and woven like a straw/Panama hat. So, it's waterproof as well.

 

[Bob Howard]

Oops. sorry, I inadvertently posted two photos.

 

[BlaBlah]

shadow - with hat

 

[Ungawawa]

Hi @H Richards. Where's a pic of you in your bonnet? Oh come on, we all want to see.

Oh okay... I don't have so many pics but here you go! Me in my dumb bonnet.

 

[Juspassinthru]

Sadly, after trips to France, Turkey, Italy, Portugal and then back to SJPP to begin my 2017 CF, this classic blew off my head crossing the Pyrenees on day one. Some say (my wife) it was a good thing.

 

[VNwalking]

Madame Beau Chapeau

Andres in Hontanas had a winner!

It's a tie between these two. Hard to resist a red hat...but gee...that pig is great. The only that could possibly top it would be an octopus.
I don't have a fav now, but I had a great ventilated garden hat with a wide brim but I left it in Logrono.☹

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Okay, here's me in my Tilley, in Lisbon with a big mouthful of FOOD!
Side note: See that red button on my backpack? It's a bicycle tail lamp with different modes. I was SO GLAD to have that on during some of the near car, road walking!

 

[FourSeasons]

My friend has a Tilley hat that has an insert that you soak in water and provides evaporative cooling.

Hiker's Hat | Tilley

Designed for the avid hiker, our innovative Hat designed comes with lots of features for the trail.

www.tilley.com

It is a very nice hat but $105.00 for a hat? On a pilgrims budget?? That's pretty steep. I'd just as soon wet down my buff.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

It is a very nice hat but $105.00 for a hat? On a pilgrims budget?? That's pretty steep. I'd just as soon wet down my buff.

Unless you buy a used one from the Gear For Sale thread (thanks to @Anniesantiago).

 

[FourSeasons]

Oh okay... I don't have so many pics but here you go! Me in my dumb bonnet.

Looks like a respectable pilgrims/hiking hat to me. Must be a cultural thing to be called a bonnet.

 

[Ungawawa]

Looks like a respectable pilgrims/hiking hat to me. Must be a cultural thing to be called a bonnet.

Yes, it was the spanish and south americans who thought it looked funny

 

[trecile]

It is a very nice hat but $105.00 for a hat? On a pilgrims budget?? That's pretty steep. I'd just as soon wet down my buff.

I agree that it's very expensive! I would never pay that much for a hat either, especially since I don't like to wear one on the Camino.
In my friend's case, it was a gift from her very sweet husband.

 

[C clearly]

It is a very nice hat but $105.00 for a hat? On a pilgrims budget??

I wasn't aware that there was an approved budget.

 

[FourSeasons]

I wasn't aware that there was an approved budget.

I surely didn't mean to ruffle any feathers or money shame anyone, did you really think that was my intention?

Please allow me to rephrase my statement before I get flogged.

"It is a very nice hat but $105.00 for a hat? It sure doesn't fit into MY mere pilgrims budget."

How's that? Better? There sure is a lot of misreading between the lines on this forum.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Sadly...this classic blew off my head crossing the Pyrenees on day one. Some say (my wife) it was a good thing.

 

[tarasis]

I’d love to walk wearing my normal hat but I don’t think it would survive the heat & my sweat

 

[Isca-camigo]

My winter waterproof bobble hat in front of Leon cathedral on my last Camino. I don't normally take selfies but afternearly 3 days of walking in pouring rain and gusty winds I felt a urge to take one and share my arrival in front of the Cathedral in Leon for some reason.

 

[Sara_Dhooma]

One can never go wrong with a Camino crown!

 

[Isca-camigo]

One can never go wrong with a Camino crown!

View attachment 94234

Is it waterproof?

 

[Andorinha]

One can never go wrong with a Camino crown!

View attachment 94234

did you really pack a crown to bring lol yay!

 

[Phoenix]

Was hat shopping just yesterday; I will take this one on the next Camino:

Summer Packer Hat

Made with lightweight, water-repellent, breathable fabric that's easily rolled up for travel.

www.filson.com

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

One can never go wrong with a Camino crown!

View attachment 94234

Was it your birthday??

 

[hecate105]

I always wear a Tilley - even got a wool one for winter days....
BUT - Cambodia, Laos and Thailand I was desperate to avoid sunstroke - so ended up wearing the ubiquitous rice hat - but with my cycle helmet - it really helped break the ice as no one could not smile when meeting me....! Best 50p I ever spent....

 

[woody66]

One can never go wrong with a Camino crown!

View attachment 94234

Hi Sara! You got the moves and now the crown;i who knew you were an ABBA fan; it's proof you are the dancing queen!!!!!
Woody

 

[Sara_Dhooma]

Not my birthday, I picked it up at Coca on the Camino Madrid and wore it on the Salvador, Primitivo, Via Mariana to Muxia/Finisterre, and Camino Invierno. It was one big trip.. and I also had a sword!!!!

 

[simply B]

A grandson modeling my (according to family) "disreputable hat" some years back. (You cannot see the fold-down earflaps which are just wonderful.)

In the years that I have had it, it has seen 4 continents on business trips, countless flyfishing expeditions in the US, 3 Caminos plus walking excursions of Scotland and the Dingle peninsula in Ireland.

It is getting a bit too "disreputable" for travel anymore and I have upgraded to a Tilly but it still serves me around town and on the river.

B