Club Obi Wan

What do you think friends and COW-mongers..?

Are fedoras too hot for the summer?

...sound OFF!

Depends on where you live.

For example: In the deep South, absolutely.

Out Wested (Like Nevada or Arizona), no, they're not. (dry heat)

Just depends....

Regards! Michaelson

If you can't take the heat...... become a cop.

Depends on what you're willing to put up with. I put up with wearing my beaver AB in Israel and even around here in So. Cal.'s summer just because I like my hat so much. Now with my PB straw, I wear that around here in summer--but sometimes I still like wearing the AB in summer. I'll probably wear the straw when I start excavating again--but after all my "adventures" with it, I still might bring my AB along for heading into town.

BW,
NS


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Well in my part of Central California, it is normal to get up to 110 degrees. F. Not C. I think we reached 118 last year. So in cases like that, You'll find me indoors without a hat, or at the lake with a hat. But you won't find me outdoors, with a hat, running, chasing Nazis, swinging across caverns, dodging spears and blowgun darts, riding elephants, or even riding a tank! I don't care if you even offer me a nice cold cup of chilled monkey brains to cool off in the middle of a hot afternoon....I'm NOT wearing a fedora in 110 degree weather! Unless I'm jumping into a river and onto an airplane!

BendingOak wrote:If you can't take the heat...... become a cop.

OH booooooo.

You had to know that was coming.


and I almost could have wrote your response to it.

Dang you, John. Now I have to clean coffee off my keyboard after reading that!

I'm evil.

Yes, you are.

I haven't had a situation where I felt it was absolutely too hot for a felt fedora, and this includes trekking around the hillsides of southern China in the late spring and a walking tour of Antietam in the middle of of a heatwave in the middle of summer.

Around the bay area, summer isn't even the hottest season usually (it gets real nice around September/October) so I'm usually wearing felt hats, although I do have a few nice Milans.

He's the mad hatter, big dog....better git' a rope!

...I see nutin' changed 'round these parts....

ouch.

Although I often wear a straw hat in the hottest weather to get some extra ventilation, I'll also find myself wearing my Fed IV when temps are in the 80's. If it gets too steamy I lift it off, dry the sweatband and maybe mop the top of my head with a handkerchief or bandanna. Either way, you won't find me out in hot sun without a hat, 'cause their ain't much natural shade left up there!

LJ

Texan Scott wrote:He's the mad hatter, big dog....better git' a rope!

...I see nutin' changed 'round these parts....

You got it, Tex. Go get the horse and hold the reins while I spot us a tree for the event.

Leave it to the bendable oakster! He wants you to buy 50 hats....today!

Mild mannered hatter by day, a varitable flame thrower at night!

I kidd Johnny P., but he sure can put a whoopin' on that felt when he wants to!

..and it's usually about ever' time!

Back to the very serious discussion at hand....

as predictable as the weather......the anti felt/straw hat threads pop up, LOL.

I started one last year or two if I recall. Such fun. Well, technically, I guess I started another one as well with the crease-n-corral straw question.


My thoughts living in south east Texas. Felt is too hot. Heck, I haven't been wearing my felt since the beginning of April. Even with the liner out. Just too hot.

About to pop for a CNC Straw.

backstagejack wrote:as predictable as the weather......the anti felt/straw hat threads pop up, LOL.

I started one last year or two if I recall. Such fun. Well, technically, I guess I started another one as well with the crease-n-corral straw question.

Nothing wrong with that. We have a LOT of new folks, and new products popping up, so seasonal discussions are always good as it keeps the information updated and fresh. Nothing to laugh about. It's good community information!

Regards! Michaelson

Once it gets into the 90s, any hat can be too hot for me, even a straw. It all depends on the humidity. I love felts so I wear them in the summer, especially if I'm out in the sun.

BendingOak wrote:If you can't take the heat...... become a cop.

I've got to agree with John on this one:D As far wearing a fedora when it's hot......I don't think I've been any where that's too hot. I've worn mine at -15 degrees, and I've worn it at 115 degrees.

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Once you get to 148 F while wearing a Kevlar on your noggin, any temperature under that, even wearing a felt hat is nothing.

Mine get year-round use, maybe not everyday, but darn close.

Indiana Blooze wrote:

BendingOak wrote:If you can't take the heat...... become a cop.

I've got to agree with John on this one:D As far wearing a fedora when it's hot......I don't think I've been any where that's too hot. I've worn mine at -15 degrees, and I've worn it at 115 degrees.

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You got that right. Hey brotha.

...hit me up later...

Living in Ohio, it can get pretty humid in the middle of summer. I still try all the time, constantly wiping my brow. Its too much fun. Just grin and bear it

115 degrees??!! Right now it's in the high 80's here (88 to 91) and I feel like everything's melting!

...that's why I'm slowly turning into a mallrat, to escape the heat.

i wore my downtowner in florida and i did sweat it was june , but not as bad as i would have thought . and i live in chicago so it does get a bit hot in the summer but doesnt bother me in the least .

I get questioned about this a lot living in the Middle East desert. Being on the Arabian Gulf we get the best of both worlds, dry heat most of the time, but when the humidity hits the 'feels like' temperature can reach 140F.

I continue to wear my felt hats and have lots of people call me crazy for 'bottling in the heat'. I explain that despite the heat contained by my hat, I'm still better off than being exposed to the direct heat of the sun. Most car parks here have sun shades. I encourage people to stand in the sun for a few minutes and then move under the shade and see if they can tell the difference. They inveritibly can. Same with wearing a hat, I carry around my own sun shade.

Now, having said all that, I have a PB straw on order that I anticipate will be my go to hat for most of the summer.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

As has been said earlier; It depends on where you live....Here in the UK, especially in the NorthWest of England, it just hardly ever gets that hot, so I pretty much wear mine year-round..

I live between Chicago and Wisconsin, the weather here (heat and humidity) is all over the map. I can understand it maybe getting too humid for fedoras, but hot? Heck no. These things provide great protection from the sun, I always wear one while hiking (though, to be fair, if it gets over 90-100 I usually hide in the AC ).

There is, of course, a downside in that they're not particularly breathable, so the sweat does tend to build up & stick in my hair (sorry if that's gross ) BUT it's still far, far better than having the direct sun beating down on me. But then, I'm a super-pale redhead and the sun is my arch-nemesis... Also, they're great protection against sudden, surprise rainstorms.

Indiana Jeff wrote:Now, having said all that, I have a PB straw on order that I anticipate will be my go to hat for most of the summer.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

You'll enjoy it.

Regard! Michaelson

My wife who's in Texas right now did tell me that despite the temps getting really high there, it's not humid. So she doesn't feel that hot unlike here where it's both hot and humid.

I guess humidity does play a big role in how hot it feels.

fenris wrote:I guess humidity does play a big role in how hot it feels.

It IS the deciding factor for me. Heat doesn't bother me. I was wandering all over the South Arizona and Nevada area in summer a few years ago with heat indexes of 112+ wearing a beaver felt AB and had no problems.

Heat with humidity, on the other hand, is absolute murder.

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:Heat with humidity, on the other hand, is absolute murder.

Yes, it truly is. That's exactly the weather over here. And each time I step out of an air conditioned place / car I feel like I could die!

I did wear my PB on our recent summer vacation - while in the pool (to keep the sun off my face)!

Here's one more vote for the huge difference humidity makes! My beaver felt AB was a lot more comfortable on Masada during record-breaking summer temperatures in the Judean desert (where the average temperature at Masada is 110 degrees F), than in the 80's in uber-humid Akko along the Mediterranean coast. I sweat both places of course, but Akko was much more uncomfortable.

Best wishes,
Nebraska Schulte

fenris wrote:My wife who's in Texas right now did tell me that despite the temps getting really high there, it's not humid. So she doesn't feel that hot unlike here where it's both hot and humid.

I guess humidity does play a big role in how hot it feels.

It certainly does. I'm originally from the plains of Texas where it gets 120 but no humidity. I now live in south east Texas where it gets 95 but 85% humidity. ANd trust me....I'd prefer the 120 degree heat any day.

I used to live in Vegas. Wore a felt fedora every day. Not an issue.

Houston, Texas....dear god no.

Once again....hear hear!

Regard! Michaelson

That's one thing I don't miss about living around Washington, DC—the humidity! Even with a straw hat, you're gonna sweat. But since moving to Southern California a year ago, it hasn't been anywhere as near an issue!

Not for me. We are getting an early taste of summer here in Georgia. I was on a survey project an hour south of Atlanta today, wore my Cairo hat and sweated every moment. I was no hotter under the hat than the rest of me. It is just part of wearing fedoras.

You know for me...of coarse humidity is a huge factor (that can even apply in fall, winter and spring in Kansas -- not just summer) and the density of the felt of the hat. My beavers, being more dense are much warmer, just naturally, however my HJ's and my old Peter's Brothers bullet proofs being rabbit (PB's sold some time back) were not too bad in really hot/humid conditions. Same true with the Akubras I have owned. It really does, at least for me, depend on the density issue. The same could be said for ball caps. Example a structured cap is warmer then an unstructured one and an artifically distressed ball cap is warmer then a non-distressed one, because there is an extra layer of fabric underneath the distressed portion to give the illusion of the cap being distressed. (Wow, that sounded confusing...but it really isn't.) Regarding straw hats. In the past, I have had a some light weight panama styles that weren't bad at all, but I have to disagree regarding the Peter's Brothers straw -- for me it is way too hot and I think it is because of the leather sweat band -- which brings me back around to caps again. Another example of differences in warm or much warmer. I own a Hanna Irish Skippers Cap -- wool, similar to Greek Fisherman's cap, but no braid work -- just plain. This cap has a light lining and the sweat band is cloth, whereas the one Greek Fisherman cap I own has a leather sweat and while the wool is no denser, in fact a bit less so, it is warmer because of the sweat. I find this true with other wool style hats as well -- if the lining is light and the sweats are cloth -- I can get by in a broader rang of temperatures and humidity levels then if they were to have something like a leather sweat.

I don't know, maybe I am just weirder then most, but that's my story regarding hats and heat, and I'm stickin' too it W>

After months of not wearing a fedora (except for that vacation where I wore my PB in the pool), I was forced to wear one today due to sudden heavy rain. I chose the FedIV after having stretched out the sweat as it had shrunk and was getting kinky (no, not that kind of kinky).

After wearing my AB today in this South Texas humidity (it's been very humid the last few days), I'd say yes that fedoras are too hot for the summer. Does that stop me from wearing it? Heck no it doesn't. I love my hat, and I wouldn't think twice about wearing it in this weather.

indy89 wrote:After wearing my AB today in this South Texas humidity (it's been very humid the last few days), I'd say yes that fedoras are too hot for the summer. Does that stop me from wearing it? Heck no it doesn't. I love my hat, and I wouldn't think twice about wearing it in this weather.

I admire your endurance

I voted "Maybe" on this one, simply because its totally subjective. For instance: I live in South Mississippi. When I say South, I mean less than 20 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. So I, as others here do, quite literally live in sub-tropical weather in the summer. The heat hovers between 90 and 100 degrees F on most days, with humidity going north of 80% most of the time. The biggest problem, though, is our "one o'clock thunderstorms." These storms pop up nearly every day around one in the afternoon. It will cloud up and rain, and it feels great for about 30 - 45 minutes, until the cloud cover breaks. At that point, South MS becomes a huge sauna. With all of this being said, I wear my fedora almost every day. The only exceptions are when my wife and I are going swimming or when I simply don't have any clothes clean that complement the fedora (or clothes that are complemented by the fedora.) SO... If you are really tough and a little crazy then NO, there is no weather unsuitable for fedora wear. However, if you are the type that notices small to medium discomforts then YES, fedoras are certainly too hot for summer wear. With all of this said, I AM planning the purchase of one of Dusty and John's beautiful F&G collaboration fedoras as soon as my finances allow. Cheers, COW members.

i guess it depends whereabouts u are in summer, peronally ive never had a problem with the heat in Europe, but can imagine the temperature being an issue in the south of the US, central or south america.

Regards,

LJ

This thread reminds me of something Harrison Ford said in an interview about the time Crystal Skull was coming out. "Indiana Jones is someone who puts on a fedora and a leather jacket and then goes somewhere where it's hot."

Kim Hoffman wrote:This thread reminds me of something Harrison Ford said in an interview about the time Crystal Skull was coming out. "Indiana Jones is someone who puts on a fedora and a leather jacket and then goes somewhere where it's hot."

yeah, I remember he once said something along the lines of "I want to know whoever thought it was a good idea of wearing a fedora and leather jacket in the desert!"

I voted "Yes" on this, simply due to location....

Japanese summers are hot and humid, and while I don't really object to the heat alone, the humidity is what really kills me when wearing a hat...It'll get hot from late Spring on (now, basically), but the humidity doesn't really start until after the "rainy season" in June... So while it hits 25 or so now, it'll be up to 35+ and usually over 80% humidity in about a month and a bit...It's hard to wear more than a thin shirt in weather like that...Although the Air con used in shops makes it so cold that you're probably better off carrying a spare hat and jacket just to be "prepared"...

In the UK I could see myself wearing a fedora for most of the year fairly ok...London was hot, but not "I'm dying...Leave me alone" hot most summers...I miss that kind of heat...

Regards...

fifthchamber wrote:the Air con used in shops makes it so cold that you're probably better off carrying a spare hat and jacket

That's how it is here, most establishments here have the A/C at full blast. The very reason I'm turning into a mallrat - to get away from the summer heat. The only problem is once you step out, you're greeted by blistering heat. The sudden change in temperature can give you a cold!

WConly wrote:but I have to disagree regarding the Peter's Brothers straw -- for me it is way too hot and I think it is because of the leather sweat band -- W>

Just curious....do you have a liner insider your PB straw?

Regards! Michaelson

Living in Louisiana the humidity is a constant ordeal. I have been wearing my Todd's Raiders to set for the past week and have absolutely been drenched in sweat. The hat has been taking a beating but I quite often find myself wiping the sweatband with a bandana. Otherwise I am very happy with wearing my fedora in the heat. Call me crazy.

Jonathan