Boonie Hats

Can anyone recommend a company to get a very good quality Boonie hat? The few that are available locally are of crap quality. Preferably a 4" rim.

Thanks

Boonies don't have a 4" rim. That would be a cowboy hat or something ...
Typically they're 2.75 inches, IIRC.

Companies? The standard guys that make uniforms - Propper, etc.

Columbia microfiber is 3" brim. There was a guy making custom ones on the internet. They were the best looking ones I've ever seen.

The guy in this thread over on lightfighter will make you whatever you want. He has good reviews and reasonable prices (for custom).

The NRA. store has a boonie with a wide brim that is waterproof without the loops around the brim. It is a good cool weather hat but it is damn hot in the summer so I no longer wear it in the heat,just cool weather.

Better yet here is his Email
graywolf47@comcast.net <graywolf47@comcast.net>
He made mine and I love it . Extremely Well Crafted, Worth every penny . Made in the USA by an American

I have one goin on 12 years old I ordered from US Cavalry. I'd start there. Ripstop OD Green.

I have a few I rotate and they are well made. If you want a particular option added or deleated he is pretty good about that too.

I have a bunch of hats from him from when he started out on ebay years ago, They have all held up well and were made with good attention to detail. You can tell they are hand made by one person not slapped together on a sewing assembly line or sweatshop. He used to make other caps too, I'm not sure if he does anymore?

buy one of these Tilly Endurables


buy one, keep the reciept, fill out the gaurentee, mail it in and you cant lose a hat

I actually lost my first boonie looking over the side of a movine ship and as 40' above the water; asking them to stop wasn't an option

2 tap

Or, you know, the standard USMC issue boonie.

I like Tru-Spec boonies for mild weather hunting, shooting, and activity in the sun. Keep away from those $8 ones on EBay from Zchina.

For casual and more formal wearing, another vote for the Tilley!

Are these made in America??????

Yea, right off ebay, can't go wrong with issue, and they are relatively cheap.

2.25"-3" is acceptable. IMHO the stubby boonies with 2" brim don't give you enough sun/rain coverage and the one's that are jus under 3" are a little too "floppy" and limit your vision somewhat... YMMV.

I'm searching for a good boonie myself.

I found this review of several brands: Boonie hat showdown.

ALSO! LA Police Gear is clearing out the 5.11 boonies for $7:5.11 boonie @ LA Police Gear.

If I can find a good price on a genuine Crye boonie I'm gonna get one. Otherwise these look very nice, too: Tactical Performance boonie.

Which is 2.87"

4" is a very wide brim for a boonie.

Go with a Tilly. Best hat ever.

Made in Canada

One thing I've noticed is that the true spec hats seem to run small. Ironic I know given the name. Maybe it is only with the larger sizes?

Thanks.

I don't know what he was thinking - my boonie (woodland MARPAT) measures just shy of 3" from the tip of the brim to where the cap meets it. Maybe he's measuring up into the hat where the actual stiffener ends?

My Tilley is all cotton which means it takes a long time to dry out after a rain, unlike the 50/50 NYCO boonies out there. That also means it doesn't repel water either. It soaks it up.

Not really a huge deal but I expect a boonie to be rather weather resistant.

If Tilley makes a NYCo version then that would be a candidate for the ultimate hat.

Damn, when did Tilley start making 40 different hats? I've got one from when there were only two models, or something. I like it a lot.

What are his hits running?

When I first started wearing boonie hats I used go to great lengths to waterproof them but nowadays I forgo the waterproofing on purpose so I can soak them on hot days.

they were 20-25 when I got them but that was a couple of years ago

Or, you know, just guessing 4" since the brim on mine was wider than my hand, and my hands are a little under 4" wide.


Not the best pictures, and I lost my boonie a while ago (might pop up again) but it was bought at cash sales on Pendleton when we were authorized to purchase MARPAT and wear them to replace woodlands in IIRC 2002.


Where did you get yours, and when? Maybe there' variation between when and where they are purchased.



It's definitely much wider than the woodland boonies.

I have one of the really early MARPAT boonie hats somewhere. It is like a sombrero compared to more typical boonie hats. I don't know if it is 4" but it I remember thinking "WTF" when I got it...

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