How to travel with hats

[Anders]

Well...

My operative condition on a plane is asleep, and nothing makes the attendants leave you alone like a hat over your eyes.

 

[Edward]

Adds a bit of unpleasant irony to Statue of Liberty. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

Heh, yeah... TBH, one reason I've not been back to the US since 04 was that I was really put off by the aggressive OTT security.... I'm appreciative of the need to keep folks safe, but really, there's no need for the aggression and the arrogance that I experienced both there and on entering at JFK. Since I was there, they've started this business of fingerprinting people at immigration. All political issues I might have with the present administration aside, I really admire what the US is supposed to be about, many of the ideals it is founded on, but it does put you off going to a place when you get the feeling you're being treated like a criminal for daring to want to spend two weeks holiday and a fair bit of money there.... Eh well. Maybe things will improve soon. I've spent a little time over there - couple days in Vegas, Boston, and a week in NYC - really want to see more of the US in general plus the places I've been I want to go back to. NYC was especially incredible - so many things that I've grown up with in the movies, seeing it all for real....

I gather you can get closer to Liberty again now, though - they've reopened the base. I really want to be able to climb up to her head someday, I think the view would be great from there - loved the sight of the NYC skyline from the ferry.

As to the Borsalino pocket hat, I do wish someone would make them like that.

There must be enough of us in the Lounge would commit to buying one that somebody in a position to do so could commission a special run of them, presuming the rights to do so could be acquired and it was an affordable enterprise? A nice mid grey would go with most suits, and would be a fantastic option for going away on business or holiday without worrying about ruining a favourite hat...

 

[Twitch]

Like most I rest it on a knee or a foot. It's not a problem really.[huh]

 

[Mike H]

Just to clarify, I always put my hat in the tray with my shoes, etc. But I've been asked at least twice to remove my hat when I present my photo ID to the TSA before I even get to the detector.

 

[hatflick1]

Hats On A Plane

Typically, I like to include a favorite fedora when heading up to San Francisco to visit my son. Yet the problem always is, okay, I'm in my seat, now what?
If I wear the hat, I can't lean back. It gets crushed in the overhead compartment. I don't really want it in my lap, almost spilled "complementary" coffee on it once. Then there's under the seat which can work as long as I don't have a bag stuffed under there or I don't feel inclined to to stretch out my legs. A stewardess once wore my Stetson for a while which got some laughs among the passengers who needed a laugh as the plane pushed back two hours late.
Any thoughts? Maybe suggest to Southwest they offer a hat check girl?

 

[jimmy the lid]

Try a "Hat Can"

Hatflick -- This topic has been covered pretty exhaustively, so you'll probably be able to do a search and find lots of different ideas. That being said, I just bought a "hat can" last week so that I could finally fly on a plane without worrying about my hat getting mangled going through security, and without worrying about what to do with it once on the plane. I am really impressed with this product, and I think it will finally be the solution I've been looking for: Hat Can They are on sale for $29.99...

Cheers,
JtL

 

[thunderw21]

"I have had it with these $*@%*#&$ hats on this $*@%*#&$ plane!"

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Fletch]

I am really impressed with this product, and I think it will finally be the solution I've been looking for: Hat Can They are on sale for $29.99...

It ought to keep your hat fresh, but I for one would feel a bit stale carrying it, as if my hat wearing were an obligation rather than a style. (Then again, I usually fly with some kind of musical instrument anyway and like to keep it simple otherwise, so this may just be me talking.)

 

[vintage68]

My girlfriend bought me a hat can last year and I can attest to their value. We fly frequently and it IS a pain carrying it, but nothing compared to the pain of possibly ruining a treasured hat.

 

[Aerol]

Perhaps I'm just lucky,

or a fool, but I've never had any problem putting my hats in the overhead. Put them on something (ie. someone else's briefcase) and try to put them towards the aft end of the compartment. This will keep them from being crushed when the plane decelerates upon landing.

Two other observations: The better the hat, the better the storage results. An Optimo or a Fawcett will take this better than a Stacey Adams. And don't even think of trying this with straw. The downside risk is far too great.

 

[jimmy the lid]

It ought to keep your hat fresh, but I for one would feel a bit stale carrying it, as if my hat wearing were an obligation rather than a style. (Then again, I usually fly with some kind of musical instrument anyway and like to keep it simple otherwise, so this may just be me talking.)

I have always carried my hat onto the plane, and I have always simply worn it through the metal detector at the airport -- all without incident. Last week, however, for the first time ever, the screener forced me to take my panama and put it in a bin so that it could be x-rayed. Imagine my horror as those dreaded black rubber strips made their way across my hat and rolled it around the bin. Then, on the back end, the same thing -- the hat barely made it through the second set of black rubber strips. The hat was resilient and made it through OK, but I just don't need this kind of stress. I just don't want to take the chance that some random decision by a screener is going to ruin one of my lids. So, I immediately ordered the "hat can," and I can tell you that I will certainly be breathing easier on my next trip.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[deanglen]

Merged with two previous threads on the same subject.

dean

 

[HamletJSD]

Had to run my Federation through the x-ray, too. After walking through the metal detector multiple times and stripping down until I felt nude, it still beeped . The TSA gentleman said, "if it beeps one more time I have to do a full cavity search on you, so you'd better try the hat, too." Sure enough ...

Do they actually have metal somewhere?

 

[Edward]

Had to run my Federation through the x-ray, too. After walking through the metal detector multiple times and stripping down until I felt nude, it still beeped . The TSA gentleman said, "if it beeps one more time I have to do a full cavity search on you, so you'd better try the hat, too." Sure enough ...

Do they actually have metal somewhere?

Not examined one myself, but..... I've seen fedoras here and there that have a tiny little bit of wiring inside the bow to help hold its shape, maybe that's what was picked up?

 

[carter]

You may have a wire in the brim.

 

[Sefton]

My Akubra Federation that I purchased about three years ago had a small piece of wire inside the sweatband. They may still come that way. Glad to hear that you were able to avoid the "full cavity".

 

[analogist]

SECURE HAT STORAGE

I don't know if anybody mentioned this but our very own sponsor besdor (Steven) sells a light weight molded plastic hat carrier which not oly can be placed in any baggage storage or overhead compartment but can be placed inside the suitcase as well.

Just returning from a trip myself, the two containers I took survived and protected my hats without a lick of trouble.

You can generally find him at 718 438-9649 in his establishment which is like a candystore to us hat enthusiasts. Check him out,.......and
SUPPORT OUR LOUNGE SPONSORS.

analogist

 

[RBH]

I don't know if anybody mentioned this but our very own sponsor besdor (Steven) sells a light weight molded plastic hat carrier which not oly can be placed in any baggage storage or overhead compartment but can be placed inside the suitcase as well.
....You can generally find him at 718 438-9649 in his establishment which is like a candystore to us hat enthusiasts. Check him out,.......and
SUPPORT OUR LOUNGE SPONSORS.
analogist

You can find him here....

http://www.bencraft.com/

 

[dr greg]

why?

My basic question, after being very aggressively made to take off my hat and have it x-rayed on a DOMESTIC flight, is: what am I supposed to have in there that wouldn't be revealed by my just taking it off? Aging musicians in Hawaiian shirts don't spring to mind as fitting your basic suicide bomber profile as far as I can gather. What about Hasidic Jews, how do they react to taking their hats off, isn't it something they don't do in public...then again....they do have BEARDS!

 

[Edward]

My basic question, after being very aggressively made to take off my hat and have it x-rayed on a DOMESTIC flight, is: what am I supposed to have in there that wouldn't be revealed by my just taking it off? Aging musicians in Hawaiian shirts don't spring to mind as fitting your basic suicide bomber profile as far as I can gather. What about Hasidic Jews, how do they react to taking their hats off, isn't it something they don't do in public...then again....they do have BEARDS!

Yeah, well. It seems to me that looking in any way different is usually enough to get you treated as a suspicious customer by security pretty much anywhere. It seems to me that for the most part they don't pay security to think.