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Being a Winter outdoorsman, this means that some way to keep my melon warm is critical. There's a lot of debate among the medical community about heat loss through your head. Traditionally it's been set at 40-50% but recent research seems to suggest that may be high. Anecdotally, I find that many times when I'm cold all over, a switch to some form of head insulation makes a big difference. Conversely, when I'm too warm, shedding that hat for a few minutes helps me cool back down. I did a fair bit of this recently while floating the Pere Marquette river. Got hot while rowing, so off goes the hat. Stop to fish, hat goes back on. Perfect.
I have also fairly recently discovered that hoods do more than make your Simms Windstopper softshell hoody or your Patagonia Down Sweater hoody look cool, they also offer wind and cold protection. It seems you can actually put the hood up without looking like the Unabomber. I find hoods ideal when you need that little bit of extra warmth -- when you forgot your hat, didn't want to stop to put one on, or need a layer beyond a hat for the REALLY frigid temps. This has caused me to really consider the hood design as a key part of any garment I'm considering. How does the hood fit? Is it designed to retain good visibility when you put it up? Does it fit closely so wind doesn't just whip around inside? Can you put it up and down easily? It's surprising the number of garments that don't consider these factors. For me, I've found that three companies seem to have hoods down - Simms, Patagonia, and Arc'teryx. None of them are cheap, but you really can't put a price on the value of being warm and dry when you play outside.
For me some variety of insulated headgear is a must. but I've found a wide range of fit, warmth and other issues. My go-to is some sort of knit hat/beanie. What's interesting is that if fit is any indication, I have a gigantic cranium. Finding hats that fit is a frequent challenge. Odd, as in a fitted hat I'm a 7-5/8 -- certainly far from freakishly large.
My default setting has become Simms. My most recent addition is their Chunky Beanie (pictured above). Wool warmth with a trick fleece lining the eliminates the itch. I've also got several other prior-year Simms hats that almost all are top shelf. One suggestion I will offer -- if you find a Simms hat you like, buy a second one. They switch their patterns and styles up pretty much annually. I learned this lesson the hard way. Also, a bit on the "almost all" comment. The Windstopper flap cap is the one fail I've had from Simms. Beyond the goofy fit, I quickly figured out that you can't hear a damn thing when you have it on! Oddly, Patagonia never seems to fit me properly -- always too small. I see Arc'teryx offers a nice selection -- I'll need to try them.
So there you go - need a lid for Winter fun? Hopefully some of these suggestions will be useful.
-Sean-
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