Earlier this year I was diagnosed with skin cancer. At 35 it came as quite a shock. So I'm sitting here now with a chunk of my ear removed, and I gotta say it sucks. The doc told me for someone my age to have this means I will have more and have to have scans done every 4 months. They also said I need to wear a brimmed hat whenever I'm out. I've worn a baseball cap most of my life, but need something else now. For those of you that wear some type of brimmed hat, what is most comfortable? Any recommendations?

You should worry more about your diet than a hat. People spend less time outside these days and get twice the skin cancer.

I had a custom hat made by Richard Rand of Billings, Montana.Have worn it most every day for the last 20 years. Still looks great.

W. Bill

Tilley when I'm fishing. It floats!

Pic?

I wear a Charlie 1 Horse Palm Leaf Gus Hat similar to this when exposed to the sun for any extended length like fishing or watch my grandkids play ball:

https://www.hatcountry.com/charlie-...uct&gclid=CMO_5NTlpcsCFZKCaQodO1EATg

When seed companies started handing out free caps, the rate of skin cancer among farmers soared. Those old broad brimmed hats served a very useful purpose.

Bluemonday's favorite hat...

The solar can be fierce at elevation and the bright light from welding doesn't help so sun screen and a hat are my constant companions.
Get several hats and let them be a part of your everyday routine.
A number of people I bump into through work have never seen me without a hat and don't recognise me if it's off.

They are expensive, but a Tilley looks nice and will last forever. I coached high school football here in GA and was outside all day every summer coaching or tending to fields. I wore one for years and it worked great.

I don't know how to post pictures here. I could use some directions on that. But you can find him on facebook or google Rand Hats. Kind of expensive but well worth the price.

W. Bill

all the peeps can rock a beenie...



you don't say where you're from, so summer might be an issue....

seriously, I went bald when I was what feels like 12. hats are your friend, especially if you live where the floor is 5,000'...






best to you! (and cover the ears!)

There are some good looking hats there! RAND HATS

I have been happy with Filson in the winter, American, Resistol, or Stetson straw in the summer, and I've been looking at a custom hatter in Longview, TX; [color:#FF0000]MIKE'S CUSTOM HATS[/color]

Ed

HA, Ha. She looks like a potential female ejaculator.

I bought the 'ranger Rick' hat a couple years ago. I believe it's a Stetson ordered from Cabela's?

Looks better on the dog.

Pup's rockin' the Elmer Keith look in that photo, Sam.

Palm straw hats are damned near indestructible.

Ed

Very good wide brimmed hats here.

Boonies are great for the woods. Washable and easy to roll up when not needed.

laughing


Touche Charlie!




APDD, that is the dingo look that says, "Yeah I know I look damn good....."

The most comfortable one is the one that fits. That's not always as easy as it sounds.

I wear a Boonie for hunting and a Resistol George Strait model straw hat for working at the Ranch.

The best I had was kind of like a worn leather / waxed material. It was on a mannequin in the Filson section but not Filson. It reminded me of the hats my neighbor would wear fly fishing in the streams or farming his 35 when I was a kid. Gramps came to visit last year and borrowed it to sit outside to watch me dig a trench. He is 85 this year I think. He liked it as much as I did so I stashed it in his luggage. It was a discontinued item at the store but on the bright side I get to look for another "perfect" hat again.

Sam, is that the Rez Crease

But seriously, what did that one cost? I like it and may have to order me one.
Looks like that would be a great work hat for here at the Ranch in TX. And the stampede strap will be great for 4-wheeler patrol

For past 3 years now I've been wearing an Akubra Bushman as an ever day hat. Year round.

Sorry to hear about your cancer ! I like the standard military Boonie hats..

Yea Bob, but you are much better looking than the rest of us

Photoshop, Neal!!!! Photoshop!!!

So do the sunglasses.

Protection from the sun is very important, but most don't get the relationship between healthy eating (gut health) and cancers.

Please take care of yourself. I watched my father in law die from melanoma 3 months ago. It's truly bad all the way around.

I'm partial to the OR Helios hats.
Barely know you're wearing it and collapses to about nothing.

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/helios-sun-hat.html



Good luck with the future scans.

One of my best friends is going through the same thing, so far they have taken a small area of the top of his ear. It made me think, I spend most of my time outside year-round. Like you, I've worn baseball hats if I wore one at all and never really thought a "cowboy" hat was right for me but I bought a Stetson crushable "mountain veiw" and I really like it. It might be too hot this summer but it's pretty thin and it's light colored so we'll see.
They are about $60....

Chlinstructor, I think it was about $40. The strap does come in very handy on windy days or when your on a horse/wheeler.

Steelhead, that dog is truly one good lookin' sonuvabitch!

Check out Noggintops.com, a great wource for a wide variety of hats. Or if you wear a large size see Lamoodbighats.com.

I don't know what your climate is like, so it's tough to make a recomendation.

So a few thoughts to help with your selection.

A beaver felt western hat is VERY insulating. I wear a Resistol in the winter. If we step into the market for a few minutes, I am stripping my jacket off and tossing it into the shopping cart. And as long as I wear the hat, sweat is running down my back; until I can get back outside.

I have an Aussie Outback hat which I like quite well. If kept properly conditioned, it is totally waterproof. It is pretty warm in moderate weather, but does not have the thermal properties of beaver.

Lastly, straw for hot weather. I have had a couple of Stetson which I loved and proved to be quite durable. I have gotten absolutely drenched in surprise thunderstorms while riding for cattle. The Stetson is the only straw hat I have seen survive that treatment relatively unscathed.

The palm hats look really nice. I purchased one from a local specialty hat dealer. It wore well and and was really nice, until one night when I left it in the car with the window down and it got rained on. It was totally destroyed, I just tossed it into the dumpster.

Second Akubra bushman. Crease as you want.
5 years every day March to November out of current one. It now has a couple holes in the crown. Have a custom made one also.

Some like straw in hot weather. Never felt the need with light felt.

If you have an odd head shape you may want a custom maker.

Maybe a Stetson "Rustic Palm Leaf"

I like it, might have to get one for this summer.

I'll have to get 3, one for me and 2 for the dogs!

Another vote for a Tillie. But buy the model with the wider brim that's green on the underside. the first one I bought had the narrower brim, white underside. I didn't make the same mistake when I bought the second one. The wider brim with a green underside is much better in a boat on a sunny day. More shade, less reflection from the brim.

A broad brim works for me!

I surfed almost daily in Texas, Mexico and California from 1966 til 1976. When not surfing, I worked on a framing crew where one worked 12/7, and you got run off if you wore a long pants and a shirt.

I've worked outside all my life here in Texas.

Now days I wear long sleeves for the most part



and always a chapeau.


Ya'


GWB

I got a couple Atwood palm straws for summer and a Resistal felt or a Stormy Kromer for winter. I like the palm straws as they will take a beating, dunk them in the horse trough and reshape them.EDE

Which brings up another point. Who else besides me wears long sleeve shirts and jeans/trousers every day? As well as a hat. I'm outside every day. When not wearing jeans I wear bib overalls.

I cannot wear a T shirt or shorts as I feel nekkid. They are underwear to me. Year round it's long sleeves, felt hat, and long britches.

When I was young and working outside, Inalways wore long sleeves, usually blue denim western style shirts.

They soak up sweat well do a good job of cooling the body.

Now days, I often wear T-shirts unless I am going out into the sun for an extended period.

I am a fair compected redhead.

Wow guys, thanks for the tips! Didn't figure on getting this much feedback.

As far as climate, in the summer it's usually in the 70's to 80's, sometimes hotter. Fall and winter are a whole lot colder. So, I think I'm looking for a couple hats, just trying to figure out what will work best. I have a felt Stetson that I hunt in, but never saw myself as a cowboy hat kind of guy for dail wear. But I never saw myself as a skin cancer kind of guy either.

Hunting nut, sounds like you might not be in cowboy country but in the summer, I think a palm hat is the way to go. Sunbody.com has so many styles, you'll find something. As others have said, palm is easy to shape and reshape.
Hope you give that cancer the middle finger!

The trick is to spend more time naked, then you'll feel more comfortable in shorts and a tee shirt.


Last year I spent a lots of time in the nursery. There's no shade. I started started wearing a pith helmet.

At the Idaho place I use a Filson Tin Packer hat when it is wet. Here in Texas, when it is wet, it is a Jacaru Wallaru Oiled hat that I bought whilst living in Oz or a cheap azz Academy broad brimmed rice picker hat that weighs next to nothing when it doesn't rain. Depends on the weather. My biggest problem is making sure I have the hat in my vehicle so I am thinking more than one might be required. I do not like wearing a hat and have never worn sun glasses so that may play into it.

Good God, man! Have you no decency?!?!? Even thinking about Bob nekkid is the LAST thing any sane person would suggest. The horror! Children will scream for their mothers, women will faint, and grown men will have nightmares! I think I need a drink...



Ed

You just go find a hat you like, whatever . . .

<><> http://www.military-history.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/old-cowboy.jpg <><>

. . . and make it YOU!

I have had the same problem for several years so I wear a Stetson wool (60.00)in cool weather and Stetson straw in the summer (50.00). Like em both.

O, use LOTS of at least PF15 sunscreen.

I was 35 when I had my first skin cancer removed via Mhos surgery. It was the mildest form, a basal cell carcinoma. My doc said I should get checked annually as a result. Knock on wood, I've had no recurrences yet though. I wear a hat strategically, but not all the time. For hot weather, I like these made by Magellan available at Academy Sports.

I had the same problem 17 years ago...........I'm in my 60's now, that is weird typing that, I feel like a 40yr old....
I been getting a checkup every 6 months since then. I get pre-crud stuff froze off every couple years.
You will do fine, Put on a hat and enjoy the outdoors.

Check the SPF rating of the hat you choose....Some straw hats are not rated well, some are.
Wide brim is a must. I never wore a hat for years. Don't go without one now, and long sleeve shirts year round, regardless of weather.
I've got a few Cabelas packer hats, a couple Tilleys, Filsons and a few off brands. Probably got a dozen or so. Wore out a couple Tilleys. Tilley makes a light weight material with a vent around the top, I like that one for summer. The cotton Tilleys always rot at the sweat band for me, I don't wash them enough.
Chin strap is handy for riding bikes, I put a windshield on my quad so my hat would stay on.
When driving my pickup I have a piece of cardboard that slips in the door gasket to extend the visor on the side window. It's about 6" wide and I can see traffic and such under it. Doesn't block the view, but blocks the sun.

And by the way I have always worked outdoors, still do. So my hats get worn daily, and they get pretty dirty.

The Doc told me most skin damage occurs in your teens. We just pay for it later.
I had a great skin Doc till last year when he retired at 80. Found another good one after a couple of tries.

Also when shooting outdoors I use the earmuffs with the band made to go behind the head. That way I can keep a hat on.

Good day to you............

Be careful with that hat, I would get too much sun through the mesh onto the forehead. Course I don't have much for hair up there.

At age 66 I too have paid the price for too many summers in the sun. A couple of years ago my dermatologist froze so many places on my face that I looked as if I might have leprosy. I now use a sunblock that is specifically intended for the face, I believe it is SPF 30. Since my hair is thinning I wear a ball cap in the cooler weather and a broad brimmed straw hat in the summer. As I mentioned in my previous post, Nogintops and Lamood Big Hats are great sources for a wide variety of hats. Check 'em out, good prices too.

Hats are fine but sunscreen is what you will need to use

Which one's the dog?

Damn, rough crowd!

I gotta agree with Ed on this one. It ain't purty.

Shake it off, Sam - that's a great photo of the pooch. It reminds us of why we have dogs. ('cause no other pet, nor even our damned kids, would put up with our dressing 'em up for photos.)

For the OP, the Forstdiensthut is not without its considerable charms. Being made outa felt, however, it leaves my head sweatin' like a whore in church at anything over 60 degrees, F.








[note: It might seem like a cultural faux pas to pose a German hat with rifles chambered in .300 Savage and .35 Whelen. However, given that most of the German hunters I saw carried .30-06's, I figure they'd probably not mind.]

Be sure to post whichever chapeau you end up with.

FC

I wear this when I'm out, plus sun screen.

Fellers may wanna do some study up on this hat subject. I've heard many hats out there do not give the UV protection you think you might be getting.

I'm no expurt on the subject. I just know what works best for me. But it might be worth a looksee. I dunno where to look. Imagine you can find something on the inter-web. Just a thought.

Good point. Better safe than sorry. It's probably best to go with the Official 24HCF Headgear:





FC

The aluminum "Chapeau de Bra" may be the answer FC!

But personally I'd much prefer the Montana Peak!



With my apple pie!!!

Like this? Chic, and effective:





FC

I like that Montana Peak. Kinda reminds me of this guy:





If he knew 1/2 as much about hats as rifles, I'll bet it's a winner.

FC

lmao classic!

I have always liked the looks of a Cowboy hat, but it seems they look better on my dad...

This:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunday-Aftern...82&sr=1-1&keywords=adventure+hat


I had some skin cancer cells frozen on my face a year+ ago, and the doc said the same thing - wear a brimmed hat outdoors in the sun.. I wear this when I'm mowing lawn or garden work around the house.. It's very light, very comfortable and the vents allow very good air circulation . Plus, the rear flap can be attached up behind if the need should arise and the chin strap keeps the hat in place easily during windy days..

I saw one of these being worn on the cruise ship last May by an older gentleman and thought that would be just the ticket.. I was right..

YMMV..

According to my Dermatologist, most people forget to put sunscreen on their ears, which increases the opportunity to cook up a melanoma. Since rural eastern Nebraska is primarily a land of small grain farmers, he says that melanoma on the ears has increased significantly since farmers switched from wearing brimmed hats to seed caps.

Fetchez la vache!!!

Allow me to also recommend a Tilley hat. "Made with Canadian persnicketiness" and guaranteed for life. I've worn mine for golf and fishing for 15 years now. Indestructible, comfortable, and effective.

LINK

Dorfmann Pacific Safari hat. Cotton duck model.

When it hits 117 here I just pour water inside it and it becomes an evap cooler so may brains stops bubbling.

Sunscreen x40

I use SPF50.

I wear a Stetson 6X Gus hat every day that it isn't raining.

When woods walking and in the rain I wear a Tilley.

Also have several Western straw hats for hot sunny days.

Virgil B.

I do not really have any problem with over heating while wearing the Resistol beaver until temps get north of 70 degrees.

Part of that, I am sure, is because I am acclimated to ten hours a day at work at 30 degrees from Dec 1 through Mar 1.

(The work place environment makes up for it by giving us 100 degrees plus from June 15 through Sept 15.) grin

If you really don't think you can carry off the cowboy look. And that is getting tougher to do these days. People are starting to give us funny looks when we show up in town with hat, boots, buckle and western shirt; even in Idaho.

But Stetson and a couple other companies make "gun club" hats which do away with a bit of the traditional western style. Cabelas sells some inexpensive wool felt "crushable" models which might be worth a trial before one sinks several hundred bucks into a XXXXXXXXX beaver Stetson and finds he just can not deal with the style.

Maybe in lieu of cowboy style hats, something along the lines of of these type caps might work for you.

http://www.amazon.com/Colorful-Quic...9%2C160_&refRID=12GY6Q9WGVKEWYHYWS19

I had a bunch frozen off my head a few years back. I spent half my work life working outside. One day I forgot my hat (ball cap) and had full intensity sun on my head for the day. Right after that I started developing lesions.

Sunscreen is a lifesaver and also protecting from UV actually helps keep you cool. WIDE brim hat, widest you can find for shade, perforated sides won't work, needs to be solid.

Had a girlfriend a few years who was 36 at the time, looked like late 20's who loved to tan without sunscreen. Every chance she had she would be in the sun. Couple of years ago met up with her again after 10 years. Old rotted cracked leather would be the best description of her skin. So much for youthful looks for her, and a definite reality check for me.

Me gggrandpappy wore similar!!!!

Being fair skinned myself (despite what the idiot says on my signature line), skin cancer (basil cell) runs in the family. I had this wide brimmed hat made by jaxonbilthats.com and it works great:

Basil Cell carcinoma is minor league cancer, in most cases it is easy to treat/remove and doesn't usually metastasis. I've had several of them removed with what look like tiny, razor sharp, ice cream scoops.

Melanoma is the major league killer. I've had one melanoma removed and it was a general anesthetic surgery. When I had mine removed in 2008, the protocol for removing a melanoma was to remove an area 4cm in diameter around the melanoma.

In either case, fair hair/skin people, like me, do themselves and their families an injustice if they don't take preventative measures, sunscreen and hats, and don't see their dermatologist semi-annually.

Ah, I can see the family resemblance now!



John

of course it is, but it can get UGLY if left untreated. Anyway...

The Aussie Akubra hats are made of softer felt than US made ones, so they're easier to get used to for those who don't normally wear broadbrimmed hats. And, in the gray color with the small vents, you don't overheat so much. And, if it is really hot, just soak the crown in water and make yourself an evaporative cooler.

For hunting, it is pretty hard to beat the old GI boonie hat.

By the bye, remember that modern cars aren't built for hat wearers; that silly headrest always bumps the back of the brim!

RB

The only problem I have with full brimmed hats, is they hit the back of the headrest in my truck, forcing me to take them off when driving. Really, it's a problem with my truck as the head rests aren't removable. I love the truck.

Good looking hat Sam.

Fit is priority one, then a wide brimmed straw or a Tilley work for me.

Good luck on your search. Regular visits to the dermatologist are good. Thanks for the reminder, I'm due for mine, or overdue most likely.

This one works for me (along with the rest of the multitude I have). USA made, you might be able to find it cheaper even (mine was $50)

http://www.sheplers.com/Stetson-Gallatin-Sage-Green-Crushable-Wool-Hat/4001.pro

The Tilley hemp canvas ones are guaranteed for life, not a bad deal for $85 bucks or so. Friend had one and they are about indestructible:

http://www.tilley.com/canada_en/th4-hemp.html

Loads and loads of straw options. Older bro has been wearing a giant one w/ chinstrap for salt water fishing/ gardening for years now.

This skin crap runs in the family and we've lived in sunny areas most of our lives.

Again, good luck finding one you're happy with.

Geno

That's a fine looking hat (or the dog makes it look that way ) - just told my wife I found my next one. I don't wear a hat often (usually a ball cap when I do), but I have a couple skin issues going on with my face that I need to get looked at. I really need to be thinking more about wearing a hat in the sun.

Tilley. You'll never look back at what you could of had.

BP...

Buy a Tilly; get model with widest brim. They are light, washable & durable. Everyone in Utahlefty pics has their "beak" exposed; won't happen with a Tilly. Baseball hats are worthless. Using the Tilly as your base reference you can try others; I also like a good straw hat for summer and felt for fall/winter. Good luck. I am dealing with same problem.

That would be me also... nekid without 'em...

This is kind of like my old one except mine wasn't shiny, had a slightly wider brim, and didn't have the edges turned up. Wish I knew who made it.http://www.cabelas.com/product/outback-trading-men-s-korona-hat/2076729.uts?destination=%2Fcategory%2FMens-Brimmed-Hats%2F104006880.uts&No=0

Wll, guys I really appreciate the help. I think I'll probably try a Tilley out. I'll use my old Stetson when its cold. Wish Cowboy hats were a little more common around here, but they've faded out of style with the under 60 or so crowd But I don't want to deal with any more of this crap either. Dark hair, tan easy, never even thought about skin cancer. So I'll happily wear a hat. Now I need to find a sunscreen that isn't so greasy.

Like Kaywoodie I wear long sleeve shirts and also wear gloves. I used to do a lot of dog training esp. in the warmer months. The Tilly is a well made hat and I have one. It is on the hot side for summer use.. But for maximum protection I use a Sun Day Afternoons hat. Cooler than the Tilley and offers more protection. http://www.campsaver.com/adventure-hat

I too dig that hat and spent over an hour looking for one like it, to no avail.

SamOlson,

Do you by chance have a current link to find that hat ?

I like the looks of that hat, but I can't find one exactly like it anywhere.
I went through all of Cabela's hats, Stetson, Shepler's and more with no luck.
Even tried a Google search which insisted on re-directing me to a Cabela's hat that I had looked at earlier.

Did I ever mention how much I despise Google ?
However, it did find this thread almost immediately.
Thanks,

Myron

Love my Tilley

Fellas, this one certainly looks similar to Sam's.

Villiage Hat Shop - Stetson Rustic Palm Leaf Hat

Stetson Hat - Stetson Rustic

Thet used to make a wire frame hat hanger for the pickup. )*It layed against the roof in the center of the cab and the hat slipped over it in an upside down position.

Last one I saw was in my Uncle's new Ford in 1980. So I don't know if they are still available.

How'd you do that??

I didn't see it at Cabelas either - I googled Sam's name "ranger Rick hat" (and variations of) and got zip Somone mentioned Stetson Rustic Palm... and googling that turned up numerous hits including those posted by Gringo

they was called hat-savers. I think you can still get 'em.....


http://www.sheplers.com/The-Hat-Saver-vehicle-hat-rack/5281.pro

Gringo Loco,
Thanks for those links. Guess I looked right past that on Stetson's website.

Stetson doesn't sell direct, so it looks like the Village Hat Shop is the way to go.

Myron

I wouldn't own a truck I couldn't wear a hat in. No matter how much I liked the POS truck.....

Dam, It looked so much better on him.



Ordering both.

Thanks!

These folks have been around since 1911, lots to choose from:

http://www.pbhats.com/

The website is a good source to see all kinds of hats.

The Shady Oaks is very nice:

http://www.pbhats.com/SHADY_OAKS/Default.htm



"THESE ARE HAND MADE CUSTOM HATS IN 4 QUALITIES OF FUR FELT
THE ORIGINAL STYLE IS SIMILAR TO STETSON'S OPEN ROAD HAT BUT
THE SHADY OAKS IS JUST A LITTLE TALLER (1/8INCH) AND A LITTLE
WIDER (1/8 INCH) THE WAY FORT WORTH MILLIONAIRE AMON CARTER
LIKED HIS HATS."

When I can the shorts are on ASAP. Same for a tank top though my wife frowns upon me wearing the latter outside of home due to my hairy-azz Italian back and shoulders.

07 Classic GMC 4x4 2500HD CC Duramax SLT I bought new. Over 150k miles and going strong. This the best truck I've ever owned.

You might still be able to get it from Cabelas, but you have to call instead of direct ordering. So don't know what their price is.

Cabelas - Stetson Rustic Hat



Here's another one with a cheaper price.

Hat Country - Stetson Rustic - Straw Hat

My wife put me in this mode when I retired.

Can't go wrong with a good Stetson or even a Resistol. Go straw in the summer,felt in the winter.

I went to college with him.

Age, bust your azz working and wrinkle and you will be fine.

Tilley in the spring, summer, and fall; Filson insulated packer hat with ear flaps for the winter. I have all manner of boonies, beanies, ball caps, Stormy Kromers, etc., but I always go back the Tilley.

!

I'll bet you have long arms too, hands hang down buy your knees?

That would be the one!

You should contact them and offer to sell them the picture of your dog rockin' that hat!

Humour on a website is a good thing!

Seriously.



John

Never read about an Arab dying of skin cancer.

Not many live to be over 30...

In a cold clime get a Stetson, in warm get an Akubra, for hot go cloth as it soaks up the sweat...when it is stinking hot and miserable like it is here this week then stay inside and turn the air-con down to 18 Celsius.

And when you want some serious information offered by fellows that really know their stuff look to the Fedora Lounge.

[color:#CC0000]FEDORA LOUNGE[/color].

LOL

Typing on the damned Android!

This one's a favorite of my buddy LDD.

I'm having 2 custom made 50x hats done by a guy in Hooper UT, named Kevin Mark.

They're not cheap, but they're made to fit my big fat head.

And I'm a redhead too ! I've had cancer removed also.
Living in Arizona, one needs a good supply of QUALITY sunscreen, and a good hat.