Indy Raingear
Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 10:39 pm
While hiking in the Smokies a couple weeks ago, I got caught in a sudden DOWNPOUR 
about 2 miles from the trailhead. This wasn't any light downpour either, it turned the trail into a small creek. It was somewhere between a "soaker" and a torrential downpour. Fortunately I had on Indy Raingear, a Schubert Australian Model Hat, and a Wested washed goat jacket.
Being a 100% rabbit fedora, I had applied several waterproofing treatments with the water repellant sold by the Penman Hat Co. The jacket was naked, no Pecards yet. During the hour long hike back to the van, in the rain the whole way, I got soaked. How soaked did I get?
I was so wet, the leather sweat on the hat stretched out and the hat, with the added weight of the water, actually rode down to my ears, folding them over. Yeah, Mrs. Blooze thought that was hilarious 
When I got back to the hotel, I popped out the center dent, turned the sweat out, stuck my Todd's hat stand in the hat to keep the sweat from folding back into the hat, and sat the hat upside down to dry. I just hung the jacket up.
The next morning, the felt on the hat was dry, and the sweat was just barely damp, so I recreased the center dent, put the hat on, and off to the mountains I went. The jacket took about 2 days to fully dry. Fortunately I did manage to get some before, during, and after photos of this unintened experiment.
The day before the rain:
Looking for Noah
Several days after the rain
I can't pinpoint any one thing that kept this hat from tapering into something that a gnome would wear. I think a lot of it had to do with what I've learned here over the years. Thanks go out to our vendors:
Steve, for explaining the proper way to dry a wet hat
John, for selling some of the best water repellant
Todd, for selling a lightweight plastic hat stand, that has paid for itself several times over, right side up, and upside down.
about 2 miles from the trailhead. This wasn't any light downpour either, it turned the trail into a small creek. It was somewhere between a "soaker" and a torrential downpour. Fortunately I had on Indy Raingear, a Schubert Australian Model Hat, and a Wested washed goat jacket. Being a 100% rabbit fedora, I had applied several waterproofing treatments with the water repellant sold by the Penman Hat Co. The jacket was naked, no Pecards yet. During the hour long hike back to the van, in the rain the whole way, I got soaked. How soaked did I get?
I was so wet, the leather sweat on the hat stretched out and the hat, with the added weight of the water, actually rode down to my ears, folding them over. Yeah, Mrs. Blooze thought that was hilarious When I got back to the hotel, I popped out the center dent, turned the sweat out, stuck my Todd's hat stand in the hat to keep the sweat from folding back into the hat, and sat the hat upside down to dry. I just hung the jacket up.
The next morning, the felt on the hat was dry, and the sweat was just barely damp, so I recreased the center dent, put the hat on, and off to the mountains I went. The jacket took about 2 days to fully dry. Fortunately I did manage to get some before, during, and after photos of this unintened experiment.
The day before the rain:
Looking for Noah
Several days after the rain
I can't pinpoint any one thing that kept this hat from tapering into something that a gnome would wear. I think a lot of it had to do with what I've learned here over the years. Thanks go out to our vendors:
Steve, for explaining the proper way to dry a wet hat
John, for selling some of the best water repellant
Todd, for selling a lightweight plastic hat stand, that has paid for itself several times over, right side up, and upside down.
