Most Important Hat

[Lightspeed]

and there was me thinking I was the only one with a hat fetish... Here I have hats for all seasons, none are fashion statements, all are functional and have specific uses. Which is the most important one? Impossible to say, but probably now that I'm somewhat follicly challenged, my most important ones are winter thermal coverings:

Cold weather hats:
Beanies of various types, lumberjack hats with furry ear flaps and a particular favourite if mine, a rather natty dark green, but now a little faded, Austrian waterproof felt alpine hat. I'm only permitted to wear the last one only around the property as my wife forbids me to be seen in it in public. The lumberjack hat tends to live over the headrest of my car's driving seat in winter months... a kind of Get-Home-Hat if you will.

Trekking hats
In the GHBs we always pack hats that are season specific. Ones that's always in there though are trekking hats that we picked up at an outdoor supplies shop in the High Tatra mountains a few years ago. These are synthetic windproof material, but also breathable, with neoprene peaks. They can be scrunched up into a very small space, but offer all season protection from the elements. Not the best possible in coldest conditions but a whole lot better than nothing at all.

Wet weather hat:
Without a doubt the best wet weather hat I've ever owned is my Australian oiled leather "roo" hat. (Kind of a small leather Stetson MB) In torrential rain it keeps the wet stuff away from my face (and critically my spectacles) and stops it running into my collar.

Sun hats:
Generally baseball caps and on occasion a very old and discoloured cricket umpites hat with a green-lined brim. This is great in hot laring conditions, but is another hat that falls into my wife's dictate of forbidden to be seen in public

Utility hats
Bump hats ( discovered from this site) and construction hard hats are a must if contemplating construction work