Kaleponi Craig
A-List Customer
- Messages
- 418
- Location
- Just North of San Francisco
The unthinkable has happened. I finally broke down and bought a Tilley.
I travel a lot, much of the time to hot, steamy places like Hawaii, Bali and southern Mexico. Next month we're going to Angkor in Cambodia. For most of these travels I have worn a Panama. Last June, I wore my Adventurebilt to the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico, which was a big mistake. Harrison Ford said it best, you have to be nuts to wear a fedora and leather jacket in the jungle.
There are both positives and negatives about wearing your Panama hat to hot, steamy countries. The positive is that they just look really cool. Except to my wife, who thinks it REALLY makes me look like a tourist (hey, I AM a tourist). I just love that 1930s look that only a good Panama can give you.
And here are the negatives about wearing Panamas to these places, especially really good, fino Panamas. First of all, if it rains, you are out of luck. The hat just gets all warpy and you have to hope you can get Art to fix it when you come home. And it's hard to travel on the airplane with. When you put it up in the carry-on hold, you have to be sure another passenger doesn't smush it with his carry-on. And if you happen to come upon a big windstorm atop a huge cliff on the side of a caldera, the hat can easily whip off your head and drop down into oblivion (this almost happened to me in Bali, but luckily my hand was really fast and I caught it as it came flying off my head). When traveling with my Panama, I just think about it too much and my thoughts are usually how am I going to protect it from being ruined in one way or another. You should never really have to think about an article of clothing, especially while traveling.
For years, everytime we go to REI, my wife has pointed out the Tilleys and said, why don't you get one of those? Because they are bloody ugly!, I reply. Not any more then your silly straw hat, she says. It's called a Panama, not a straw hat, I say. And it's NOT silly (sheesh). Fine, have it your way, she says.
Well, today I finally relented. I now realize that she was right in some respects. Not about how the Panama looks, I still think it's the most elegant piece of clothing in the world. But practically speaking, when all is said and done, the Tilley is a better travel hat. No worries about getting it wet, smushing it in the luggage, sweating in it, or even getting it blown off on the cliffside of a caldera (it's got the little string thingy).
So I'll be wearing it in Bali and Cambodia in a couple of weeks. I'll write a report on just how it compares to traveling with a Panama.
Regards, Kaleponi Craig
P.S. Of course, this only pertains to hot, steamy countries. Any travels to cooler climates and I'll be wearing my Adventurebilt. I mean, this Tilley thing can only go so far.
I travel a lot, much of the time to hot, steamy places like Hawaii, Bali and southern Mexico. Next month we're going to Angkor in Cambodia. For most of these travels I have worn a Panama. Last June, I wore my Adventurebilt to the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico, which was a big mistake. Harrison Ford said it best, you have to be nuts to wear a fedora and leather jacket in the jungle.
There are both positives and negatives about wearing your Panama hat to hot, steamy countries. The positive is that they just look really cool. Except to my wife, who thinks it REALLY makes me look like a tourist (hey, I AM a tourist). I just love that 1930s look that only a good Panama can give you.
And here are the negatives about wearing Panamas to these places, especially really good, fino Panamas. First of all, if it rains, you are out of luck. The hat just gets all warpy and you have to hope you can get Art to fix it when you come home. And it's hard to travel on the airplane with. When you put it up in the carry-on hold, you have to be sure another passenger doesn't smush it with his carry-on. And if you happen to come upon a big windstorm atop a huge cliff on the side of a caldera, the hat can easily whip off your head and drop down into oblivion (this almost happened to me in Bali, but luckily my hand was really fast and I caught it as it came flying off my head). When traveling with my Panama, I just think about it too much and my thoughts are usually how am I going to protect it from being ruined in one way or another. You should never really have to think about an article of clothing, especially while traveling.
For years, everytime we go to REI, my wife has pointed out the Tilleys and said, why don't you get one of those? Because they are bloody ugly!, I reply. Not any more then your silly straw hat, she says. It's called a Panama, not a straw hat, I say. And it's NOT silly (sheesh). Fine, have it your way, she says.
Well, today I finally relented. I now realize that she was right in some respects. Not about how the Panama looks, I still think it's the most elegant piece of clothing in the world. But practically speaking, when all is said and done, the Tilley is a better travel hat. No worries about getting it wet, smushing it in the luggage, sweating in it, or even getting it blown off on the cliffside of a caldera (it's got the little string thingy).
So I'll be wearing it in Bali and Cambodia in a couple of weeks. I'll write a report on just how it compares to traveling with a Panama.
Regards, Kaleponi Craig
P.S. Of course, this only pertains to hot, steamy countries. Any travels to cooler climates and I'll be wearing my Adventurebilt. I mean, this Tilley thing can only go so far.
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