-Caps-Cowboy style hats-Safety hats-motorcycle helmets-Toboggans( that’ s what I call the pull over kind) or the more modern head socks-Coat hoods
Let’ s start with caps. I just counted, I have 45 on the wall in my closet. That’ s not including work caps in the garage and my rack of camouflage ones. I don’ t see how people make it without caps. Driving into the sun? Drop the bill of your cap and you’ re good to go. Hunting into the sun? No big deal, again drop your bill and you can see. I love hunting with the sun at my back right at daylight. Antelope don’ t wear caps so they can’ t make you out when you’ re approaching them with the sun at your back.
I won’ t buy a coat / jacket if it doesn’ t have a hood. If it starts raining / snowing it runs down your back. With a hood you just pull it up over your cap and strap it down. The bill of your cap sticks out and protects your glasses from the rain / snow.
On cowboy hats I vote for one with a 4” brim. If it’ s too short the water just runs down your back. Years ago Dennis Buhlke and I were bow hunting down in Colorado. It was hotter than blue blazes but suddenly the bottom fell out and the temp dropped. Dennis loaned me his Indiana Jones hat. It had a little 2 ½” brim. It felt like I had a garden hose pouring down my tail.
Hoods-as stated before, I won’ t buy a coat without a hood. They are just too important in protecting you from the wind, snow and rain.
But if it’ s bitterly cold I don’ t know of anything better than a toboggan. Katy gave me one years ago that is 4 layers thick. Slap on a toboggan pull over your hood and you’ re good to go.
They also make facemask that have holes for your eyes, nose and mouth. They fog up my glasses but if I didn’ t wear glasses you can bet that I’ d be wearing them though. On snowmobiles / 4-wheelers in frigid weather they’ re the ticket, glasses or not.
Safety helmets-I don’ t wear mine religiously but if you’ re smart you should. Nearly everyone I know that has a 4-wheeler has flipped it. Usually you can live through broken ribs, but a splattered head-you’ re toast.
Lastly let’ s talk about cowboy hats. I don’ t care who you are you can’ t diss a cowboy hat. The cowboy is an American icon. You won’ t see that replaced by an overseas market. I don’ t much anymore, but used to I wore an old cowboy hat when it got cold. I pulled the liner out so it’ d fit over a toboggan. The toboggan kept me warm and the cowboy hat protected me from the snow and wind.
To me you’ re nuts to go into the wild without any headgear. It may start off nice but how many times has a peaceful outing turned to near disaster? Proper headgear is the first step in surviving such elements. Everyone tells you that up to 80 % of the body heat loss is due to your head / neck area.
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