Hoods vs. hats

imported
#1

Two questions for cold weather hikers, which I here define as 30*F or colder:

  1. Do you prefer hoods or hats and why?

  2. If hoods, which jackets with hoods do you like?

Thanks.

Conan

Conan

#2

If it’s not snowing, I wear a wool cap pulled snug over my scalp and ears. If it’s snowing, I pull up the hood of my Precip jacket, both to keep the cap dry and wet stuff from going down my neck and back.

insure ants

#3

The key word of course is “Hiking”. I find that whatever I wear when hiking… it soon comes off. I always start with a navy watchcap like the Turtle fur one but it soon ends up in my pocket as I heat up. On long trips this is all I take. But on days when the Weather Channel is predicting snow in NY’s Harriman Park, I like to hike in, set up camp and put on my down jacket with a hood. Nothing beats standing around a fire snug in a hooded down jacket. Back on my thru-hike I was given a Gerry down jacket without a hood and those cold drafts were annoying.
As my parents always said, “If you’re cold… Put on a Hat!”

CitySlicker

#4

I’ve backpacked over 7000 miles, including a thru-hike of the AT in '91, and most all of that in cool/cold weather…in my opinion the most versatile piece of headgear available to backpackers is the synchilla balacalava…its light, dries quickly even after a thorough soaking, and can be used in a wide variety of ways…start those cold mornings with the balacalava all the way on(even with only shorts and a midweight capilene shirt on you’ll be surpised at how warm the balacalava keeps you); as you get in that first 1/2 mile and begin to warm up roll it down to wear around your neck or roll it up and wear it like a watchcap; mid-morning stuff it in an outer pack pocket; put it back on as you stop for lunch, etc…on milder nights stuff it full of clothes to use as an unbelievably soft pillow; on colder nights wear it to extend the range of your sleeping bag by at least 10 degrees…despite the advances in technical gear I still don’t think they make a product that will consistently keep a long-haul backpacker dry…there are products that will keep the rain out, but you’re goint to sweat at any pace over a mile an hour if you’re hiking any grade above 5%, so you’ll likely soak yourself from within despite grandiose claims of “breathabililty” by manufacturers…for the most part on my thru-hike of the AT I saved my rainwear as something dry to slip into once I made camp…there were times when the danger of hypothermia forced me to wear my GoreTex rainjacket as I hiked (especially in Maine) but that was a rarity…I’d say any hood that fits your head would do…go with what feels comfortable as far as hood jackets, but don’t even consider leaving home without that balacalava! Hope that helps!!

Okie Dokie

#5

Thanks for your responses.

My experience is that a jacket with a hood is infinitely warmer than a jacket and a hat.

Conan

Conan

#6

Conan, a jacket and a hood is warm. However, out in the wind with a minus freezing termperature, its hard to beat a Balaclava. I can go out jogging when it gets down to the single digits wearing a Balaclava. It’s not possible with a hood on. Okie Dokie made a great case for bringing a balaclava along for the hike. It’s a versatile piece of equipment with multi-uses. Can’t wait until I get the opportunity to go back hiking in the snow up in Vermont. :pimp

Bilko

#7

paw-ee and i started both our AT hikes in mid february so we had plenty of cold weather hiking…sometimes in the south in february, though, it can become quite "spring-like during the day…(but wind can still be brutal on ears)…so paw stitched a lightweight hood onto a long sleeved duofold shirt and used that more than anything (he loves hoods!)…i don’t care for hoods much during hiking…(they seem to obstruct movement and views for me…i preferred a simple fleece cap which i found to regulate body temperature very well simply by moving it upward or downward…(i also made a tiny fleece neck gaiter that weighed nothing and kept the wind out beautifully, but could be removed to a pocket later in the day)…on VERY cold AND windy days, i agree, the balaclava works wonders (the lightweight poly one is enough)…at night,though, you need a hood (or balaclava) as a hat tends to slip off…paw made us these neat “poofy” hooded jackets out of a pre-quilted nylon material that were so snuggly (we slept under a “jardine style” quilt)…a ball cap with a bill keeps the sun off your face if that’s important to you…we carry umbrellas so we didn’t need heavy gortex jackets for rain (SOMETIMES we’d pull out our little nylon, hooded rainjackets which also weigh practically nothing, if it was a cold, blowing rain or sleet)…hiking as you know can really heat you up even in winter and we thought it was great to go under our “brollies” with only a smart wool shirt and no hat (or just a headband or bandana if it was chilly)…remember, the HEAD is where body heat is regulated, so i think an “on and off” hat helps…i kept mine in my front pouch on my waist belt and sometimes when i got cold i’d put it on and then not even need a jacket! (until we stopped to rest or got into camp)…and also, don’t forget to drink lot’s of water…even in cold weather, that helps, too!..this is awfully long…did i cover evrything?..(yes,maw-ee!..EVERYTHING!)

maw-ee

#8

lids
conan~ i find it extremely difficult to hear with a hood on…let alone combine it with some gutsy winds… hats i say!.. leslie

*just thought it made more since to put it here

:pimp

Leslie

#9

I guess if one is generating massive heat by walking hours upon end with a pack, uphill and downhill, the greater efficiency of the hood wouldn’t be needed until the hiking was done; or before it began, in the morning.

In the end, there’s a place for both, with the hood winning out beyond all else if the temperature goes low enough.

Thanks again for your responses.

Conan.

Conan

#10

Style over all other factors. It’s the hiker with the coolest hat that is hot! Either a minimalist smartwool beanie or a whimsical madcap haberdashery works for me. (I’m serious) Long trail hikers often and with great results carry ridiculous functional accoutrements. The hat is a great place to start. In the end, get out, cover your head when needed, and have fun.

Ablejack