Felt hats in summer..

[Havana]

I agree. Aren't sweat stains composed mostly of salt residue? I don't see how adding more salt can help. I've experienced sweat stains which might be removable (mostly visible on ribbons) but I've also seen discoloration of the felt which is permanent, unless you somehow redye the whole hat.

 

[John in Covina]

Sweat

I agree. Aren't sweat stains composed mostly of salt residue? I don't see how adding more salt can help. I've experienced sweat stains which might be removable (mostly visible on ribbons) but I've also seen discoloration of the felt which is permanent, unless you somehow redye the whole hat.

**************
Sweat usually contains water, salt and oils from the skin. Water will take out the salt but the oils are the challange. The oils attract dirt too but if cleaned with naptha/coleman fuel, it should clear all or most of the oil portion of the stain.

Sweat can be pretty potent, i guess for some of us it may be more acidic or something and able to attack a variety of materials. My sweat has taken the outer coating off of a couple of wristwatches, right down to the brass body.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

The story has it that the way "Gatorade" was invented was that the Florida football coach scraped sweat off a player, and asked the Chemistry Department to duplicate it in the lab. Maybe we should wash our sweat stained hats in "Gatorade!"

 

[tm3]

I sweat a lot and I wear my felt hats regardless of the heat. I usually take two equally long pieces of duct tape and stick them together so there's no sticky part explosed. I then take that single piece and tuck it around the inside of my crown, behind the sweat band. I've found this blocks the sweat from reaching the felt and you can pull it out at anytime with no damage to the hat. I still have to watch for forehead sweat. If I look down, it can run down the brim which also leaves a stain. I am convinced that humidity is the real issue. I've been more sweaty and "hot" wearing my hat in 90+ degree weather and high humidity in South Carolina than while wearing the same hat in Africa in 120+ heat and very low humidity.

that is a great tip.

i have been applying the duct tape directly to my forehead. this works, but i don't like dealing with the residue when i try to remove it at the end of the day.

 

[FedoraFan112390]

The temps were up near 100F in Brooklyn this week, and the humidity was such that you could pour a cool glass of water, put it in a bowl, and in a minute you'd have another glass worth from condensation. But I didn't leave the house without a good piece of felt on my head.

Mostly I wore my Resistol Ten, because it's got a good brim, and is a lighter weight felt than some of my others.

Was I hot? Yes. Did I sweat? Yes. Did I take the hat off and wipe my head with a handkerchief often? Yes. Did I regret wearing it? No.

Hey, it's summer time- it gets hot. But I haven't found anything that keeps the sun AND the rain off as well as felt, at least nothing that won't scare little children.

I'll also note that I saw MANY Orthodox Jews wearing the same large fur hats and coats that they wear all year round. This leads me to believe that comfort level is really pretty subjective, or dare I say, psychological. If you decide it's crazy to wear felt, you'll feel hot and wish you'd worn something else. But if you're resigned to wearing it, you'll stop thinking about it, and it won't bother you.

Another Brooklynite here eh?

 

[FedoraFan112390]

Felt fedoras in the summer?

Here in NYC it gets to be about 85-95% as the summer really kicks in; I'm wondering if any of you live in a similar climate and if so do any of you wear felt in the summertime. I'd like to but I don't want to overheat!

 

[scottyrocks]

As I just wrote in another thread, I work outside in July and August, and the only time I can tolerate a felt is when when rain is imminent or its actually raining. Then, my hat of choice is a big old brown Bailey western I have.

 

[zetwal]

I do enjoy straws, but lightweight felt fedoras also suit me just fine during even hot summers. Of course it depends too on the amount time spent out doors and the activities involved.

 

[Alucard73]

I do enjoy straws, but lightweight felt fedoras also suit me just fine during even hot summers. Of course it depends too on the amount time spent out doors and the activities involved.

+1. I also go with felt during inclemente weather.

 

[Barrelhouse]

In the south the summers are not only hot as blazes but also very humid...not unlike the worst part of NYC summers. I personally never wear a felt hat in the summer unless its raining and even then i usually grab an umbrella instead. But there is certainly no rule of hat etiquette I ever heard of that says you can't/shouldn't wear a felt in the summertime.

Lets face it, if you go from an air conditioned home to an air conditioned car to an air conditioned destination what difference could it possible make? I think you should follow the dictates of your lifestyle and personal comfort level.

 

[jpbales]

In the south the summers are not only hot as blazes but also very humid...not unlike the worst part of NYC summers. I personally never wear a felt hat in the summer unless its raining and even then i usually grab an umbrella instead. But there is certainly no rule of hat etiquette I ever heard of that says you can't/shouldn't wear a felt in the summertime.

Lets face it, if you go from an air conditioned home to an air conditioned car to an air conditioned destination what difference could it possible make? I think you should follow the dictates of your lifestyle and personal comfort level.

Yeah, it's really about what the situation dictates. Right now, it's still cool enough that felt can be worn in the evening or during inclement weather, but in the middle of a humid, east-coast summer it's almost always out of the question. I wore my Sunbody in the rain a week or so ago and it performed wonderfully. I put eyelets in it (at someone else's suggestion) and it keeps the hat pretty cool as well.
Sunbody + light rain jacket = dry, cool, happy camper.

 

[Bingles]

Even though it is the middle of May.. on Sundays.. I find myself using my felt hats because the temp doesn't get above 52 degrees... the rest of the week is in the 60s and 70s, but on Sundays, for whatever reason... it stays cooler.

Yeah, it's really about what the situation dictates. Right now, it's still cool enough that felt can be worn in the evening or during inclement weather, but in the middle of a humid, east-coast summer it's almost always out of the question. I wore my Sunbody in the rain a week or so ago and it performed wonderfully. I put eyelets in it (at someone else's suggestion) and it keeps the hat pretty cool as well.
Sunbody + light rain jacket = dry, cool, happy camper.

 

[John in Covina]

For me it does not matter whether the hat is furfelt or straw.

If it is the summer then my head is going to sweat with either of them on my head OR off.

THe thing is to take the hat off now and again to let your head get some air and cool off via evaporation. Having a hankie or bandana to wipe ones forehead and neck helps too.

But when it's hot out, unless the hat is made of ice, I am prepared for the idea of sweating profusely. And it is quite a bit less humid here than there, usually.

 

[kaosharper1]

Having lived a long time in humid Massachusetts, and one summer here in the LA area, I can say that wearing a summer weight felt here is fine as long as its less than 90. Above that, its a panama.

In Massachusetts its a panama from June until September. Of course here it can be in the 90s until October.

 

[indycop]

I wear felts year round.[huh]

 

[WideBrimm]

Humidity ?

What humidity? Thank goodness for DRY HEAT here in the West

 

[Goose.]

I wear felts year round.[huh]

Ditto.
Yesterday, just under 90F. Felt.
Today, felt (same lid) until it hit about 94F.
Then the Capricorn went on when I started working in the backyard and while grillin'. I was chillin'

Here ya go...but keepin' in mind that humidity was about 25-30%. Black Fed on my head...

 

[Edward]

Wearing felt this last couple of weeks in Beijing, with a lowish humidity and heat generally around the upper 20s / low thirties c. The felt in quseti0n is my safari-ised Akubra Riverina, which does at least have a couple of air-holes in each side. I would be more comfortable in straw in this heat, but it was only really pracitcal for me to bring one hat, and so the felt won out as being also suitable should it rain.

 

[duggap]

I started my hat wearing career several years ago with Panama hats. The truth of the matter is that a good Panama hat is way hotter than a light weight felt. My light weight Art stays in my summer rotation. If I am going to be outside for an extended period of time I wear the felt. It is cooler.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

For me it does not matter whether the hat is furfelt or straw.

If it is the summer then my head is going to sweat with either of them on my head OR off.

THe thing is to take the hat off now and again to let your head get some air and cool off via evaporation. Having a hankie or bandana to wipe ones forehead and neck helps too.

But when it's hot out, unless the hat is made of ice, I am prepared for the idea of sweating profusely. And it is quite a bit less humid here than there, usually.

Sums up my view perfectly.

From 3:30PM (peak heat of the day) to about 9:30PM, almost every day, I am outside doing caricatures. If there are handy chores to do, I'm outside all day. And I'm in one of the hottest, most humid states goin'. Still, it's both straws and felts for me throughout the summer.

In addition to occasionally removing the hat and wiping my brow with a bandana, I find that carrying a pocket comb helps a bit. To be able to drag the course tooth part through the hair and sweep it back seems to create ventilation to the scalp. After a minute with the hat off, I'm ready to plug it back on and go for another hour or two.