A Hat for Camp

[Tango Yankee]

As a former Boy Scout leader (Scoutmaster, Wood Badge, Order of the Arrow) I would agree that the campaign hat is second to none for any BSA activity.

Sadly, it appears that BSA does not agree with you. They do not sell a BSA campaign hat nor do they have the old garrison cap. At least, not on the BSA store's website. They do have plenty of baseball caps, boonie hats, and a few non-fur felt Stetsons, though.

During my stint in Scouting in the late 60s-early 70s I was saddened to see the emphasis on looking sharp fading away. (Yes, during, not in retrospect. I thought blue jeans with a Scout shirt was just wrong. Part of the casualization of America, I guess.

By the way, my godson's brother and two of his friends made Eagle a few months ago. Three in one troop at the same time! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Regards,
Tom

 

[Fredthecat]

BSA campaign hat and expedition hat:


http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply...L&ctgy=PRODUCTS&C2=UNIFORMS&C3=UHATS&C4=&LV=3

 

[Fredthecat]

BSA campaign hat is listed under Scoutstuff.org / Uniform not under apparel.

The only Scout uniform personalization we were allowed was neckerchief slide.
Ahh, the times they are a changin

 

[Tango Yankee]

The Official Scout catalog still offers campaign hat and a decent looking (spelled cheap) $35 BSA wide-brim, brown wool felt, camp type hat called the Boy Scout Expedition Hat with BSA emblem on front. Besides it’s “Ruggedly handsome”.

I stand (or sit, rather) corrected.

I went back to the BSA store site and did a search for "campaign" and the hat came up. I had made the mistake of bringing up the wrong category--I was in "apparel>hats and caps" and not "Uniforms>hats and caps." That's a relief! Still couldn't find the garrison cap, though.

Here's the link to the campaign hat.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Nick D]

...a decent looking (spelled cheap) $35 BSA wide-brim, brown wool felt, camp type hat called the Boy Scout Expedition Hat with BSA emblem on front. Besides it’s “Ruggedly handsome”.

(bold mine)

Not expensive, but that hat is tough. In my troop the boys get one from the troop when they reach Life rank, so I've had mine for around 7 years. I wear that hat all the time, not just with the uniform, I've brought it with me everywhere, in town, hiking, camping, archaeological digs, and it still looks great. It's not lost its shape, nor its color.

If you want an official BSA hat that'll really shrug off a pounding, this is it. It's wool felt, I haven't had any problem with it being to warm, and I wore it while working at Scout Camp during the summers.

I have a campaign hat as well, but at nearly $100, I usually wear it when in full class As for something.

 

[lairddouglas]

Campaign Hat

I think it would be a awesome look to do the Indy Jones Campaign look. In Last Crusade Indy as a youth wore a campaign hat which the brim was not stiff and flat.:fedora:

 

[Fredthecat]

Righteo

Affirmative! We’re all in the same troop. Scouts and hats lovers. No correcting, just helping Chris find a good camp hat.

Sounds like Nick’s worn the Boy Scout Expedition Hat with great results. May have to grab one of them to try, sans BSA uniform.

Anyone tried Stratton law officer uniform hats rebashed?

 

[indycop]

Start off with the campaign hat but after you discovering someone stealing artifacts you will end up with a fedora!

 

[MagistrateChris]

Back in my day, I had a red beret with the all green uniform. When they went to khaki over olive, the beret went away, and I didn't get another official hat until our whole troop bought matching olive Ranger hats.

well, with the votes in, I guess I'll be shopping for two hats. A campaign hat for uniform, and a second hat for non-uniform wear. thanks for all of the input. And, I must say that I agree, a uniform should be proper. Coming from West Point, I should not have had any other thought.

 

[norton]

How about the red beret?

Just kidding.

My son was given a stetson brand campaign hat when he was a senior patrol leader for a national youth leadership course. Its a very nice hat.

 

[big kahuna]

I have two Strattons...

...the wool and straw models. I have worn the straw in all seasons (with the plastic cover thingy in the rain) and prefer it because I sweat in any weather above 68f and because it is a light weight hat.

The "official" scout hat is available in sizes for "normal" folks, but for us "bucket heads," they offer the only alternative. Please note that the stamped BSA leather hat band is too small for larger sizes.

I think the hat represents a badge of authority and a tangible link to the early days of the scouting program.

 

[Nick D]

How about the red beret?

Just kidding.

My son was given a stetson brand campaign hat when he was a senior patrol leader for a national youth leadership course. Its a very nice hat.

Welcome to the Lounge!

There's a troop in my council that all wear the red beret (since a troop can decide which will be their official headgear if they choose), but since it would be difficult for all the boys to get originals they wear berets that are almost identical to the official one with a similar emblem sewn on.

 

[OldSkoolFrat]

In a couple of months, I will don my adventuring gear and head off to camp with my Scouts. As you can no doubt sense, I'll be facing great danger along the way.

What I need are some suggestions for a hat to wear at camp. I'm partial to the Indy type fedora, but frankly expect that June in Central Ohio will be hot and humid enough to make me sweat right through any hat I wear, so I'd prefer to keep expenses down. Also, being at camp, maintainance will likely be taking it off at night, and putting it on in the morning. Also, bear in mind that on occassion, I'll be wearing the hat with a Scout uniform, so I'll be wearing a khaki shirt and olive pants with the hat, so a dark brown hat is probably the best bet in terms of color co-ordination.

Suggestions?

Yeah, Don't raise a tent pole so that it hits a power line. And get a Federation "Coober Peddy" David Morgan sells them

 

[mingoslim]

Let me tell you a scouting tale . . .

In the mid-1960s I wanted to join the Cub Scouts . . . The local troop met at our elementary school and part of the attraction for me WAS the uniform, which other kids wore proudly to school on days of scout meetings.

I was all set to join . . . but my Father found out somethign disturbing.

There were two brothers in my school, one in my class, and one a year older, Ricky and Charlie. I was friendly enough with them but they weren't close friends. But my Dad found out they also wanted to join the local Cub Scouts, and were turned down . . . seems the local council thought there father was a Black Panther (and perhaps he was).

Did I mention that these were the only two African-Americans in my school? Indeed, the first two African-Americans (we called them colored, but it was considered proper) that I ever knew?

So my Father went to the local department store (which had a Scout Department . . . a lot of Department stores did in those days) and bought Scout Handbooks, Uniforms, Badges . . . you name it . . . everything scouts needed . . . and he started his own troop.

He was not a wealthy man, but he thought we were worth it.

There was me, Ricky and Charlie, John Sullivan, Gary Baker and Mike Burke.
We wore Red Berets, and Neckercheifs . . . along with the navy blue blouse and trousers . . .
We had our Den number on our sleeves, and worked hard to earn merit badges.

We wore our uniforms proudly on the days our troop met after school, in my parents basement . . .

Two years of Cub Scouts and one year of Webelos . . . I might have become an Eagle Scout in our little troop, had we not moved north.

The BSA never recognized us.
My father underwrote virtually the whole troop.

I am proud of my days as a scout.
I am more proud of my father . . .
But I have never overcome my general feeling of shame for the BSA.

 

[leo]

...So my Father...started his own troop...

Wow! I cannot even find the words to show my respect for your father. I can see why you would be proud of him.

As far as the hat selection: I don't know much about scouting so I cannot address the appropriateness of the campaign hats, but I must say that the Tilley is a purpose-built outdoor hat that is appropriate in many venues and weather conditions. I've worn mine in heat and cold and it never disappoints. You would probably want the khaki or mocha colors instead of the beige/tans that are popular in the mid-summer tourist spots.

Bill

 

[RobFedoraField]

I would second the idea of a Campaign Hat. Nothing is going to look more "right" with a Scout uniform. Just make sure you get it long enough ahead of time to kind of break it in and get rid of the glass flat brim. They're kind of "dude" looking when brand new.

-Dave

That's an awesome add, I"ve been looking for a campagin hat since I became a den leader. when i was working on my eagle, we had the "red beret's" they were awfull.

 

[1961MJS]

...
I am proud of my days as a scout.
I am more proud of my father . . .
But I have never overcome my general feeling of shame for the BSA.

Hi, sorry to hear about your experiences (beating a very dead horse). One of the guys on the Scouts-L forum has a tag line of "All Scouting is Local" and it is. There are a few (a very few) rules that flow down from on high, but most of the great things that happen, and the bad things that happen are the work of a few great (or annoying) individuals. One great thing about the BSA as opposed to the GSUSA (here in Wichita) is the ability to more from troop to troop until you find one that fits your personality. GSUSA Has a waiting list and you get the next opening.

Stratton makes a nice hat, but it's roughly $30 more than the Scout version. You might call and ask if the scout campaign hat is wool or fur. It makes a HUGE difference in durability.

Later

 

[David Conwill]

In the mid-1960s I wanted to join the Cub Scouts . . .

I missed this when it was first posted. What a great story, and what a great guy your father was.

 

[Edward]

My troop were Sea Scouts.... Great uniform for the Winter, less so in Summer (shirt from the regular uniform was replaced with a heavy wool sweater). The one really negative aspect was the hat... we got stuck with those ridiculous sailor hats. big, clunky (and expensive) things you'd never wear otherwise. Regular scouts in my day wore the green beret. Given the choice now, I'd opt for a campaign hat (both for dress uniform and camping). I'd suggest making sure there are eyelets in there for breathability. I have an Akubra Riverina that I safari-ised (as did many of us on here a couple of years ago) and have worn that in extremes of both heat and rain, and it is ideal. The eyelets make a world of difference in coping with heat, and it is far superior to ant straw / polystraw / "Summer" hat when the rain comes down hard...

 

[johnnycanuck]

About camp hats…… Yes if you are a scout master by all means go out and try and find yourself a lemon squeezer. Keep in mind if you are a long oval hat shape like I am, your hat brim will try and dip down at the front and back like a Australian hat. So make yourself a hat press and take it with you to camp. You can keep your hat in it at night. That’s what I did when I was a scout leader.

Second option I would choose is a Tilley. You can get it wet, crush it, get it dirty, sweat threw it, throw it in the wash when you get home and it will come out like new.

Third option is try and find a Akubra on e-bay. You used to be able to go online and find lots people brought back from vacation and never wore. They wanted to get rid of them for $20-$50. Now you have to hunt a little. If it’s for camping in tents I would look for one with a flat brim. Better sun protection and if you roll over it at night you don’t crease the brim. Cattleman is one of my favourites.

Fourth option is find a old cowboy hat. E-bay, Kijiji, whatever. Usually get a good fir felt for under $50 and you can soak it and style it any way you want. Trim the brim shape the crown whatever floats your boat.

Fifth option would be pith helmets. Great hats, fantastic hats, best in hot sunny weather. Two negatives. 1. when it gets cool at night they do nothing for you. 2. It’s a rigid cork like material, it can be crushed. I bought one for my little girl when she was 2 she is now 6 and has never managed to break it but no one over 50LB has sat on it yet. Just saying.

Last notes: Eyelets are good for hot weather. If it’s a cowboy hat and you want some added you can usually get them added at any alterations shop. Also lighter colours don’t get as hot. Straw, panama type hats rarely have a SPF rating on them, felt is a safe bet its 100% UVA blocking. Tilley and Akubra test their hats.

Enjoy camping this summer.

Johnny