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What hat do you wear while on the prairie?

Tommie

Sun protection is important (to me) during several days of prairie dog shooting. I’ve tried a few hats but haven’t found the perfect solution. Looking for face, ear and neck coverage.

Sun hats generally have either floppy or stiff brims. Stiff brimmed hats give great sun protection but tend to catch the wind and fly away. Floppy hats stay on my head in the wind but sun coverage aint happening on the upwind side. Is it an either/or situation or is there a hat that does it all?

Oh. And I refuse to wear sunscreen. It’s not an option.

Thanks guys!
 
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I've started wearing those hoodie type running shirts made from the quick dry/cooling material with long sleeves. The sleeves have the "thumbhole" to keep the sleeve down and the material will cover most of the back of your hand. I wear a baseball style hat, the hoodie is large enough to fit comfortably over the hat for neck/ear coverage, and then wear one of the "cooling" neck gaiters up over my nose to help filter out the dust & pollen and cover up my nose and lower face. Wear the same outfit when cutting the grass and fishing. Those wicking material shirts, etc., work pretty good out in the heat, but I still sweat like a pig.
 
I wear a fishing sun mask for the same reason when out on the water for long periods. Very lightweight and good UV protection. Regular hat for my forehead and SPF 50 or 100 for the tops of my ears and bridge of my nose. The mask will cover your ears and nose but sometimes I like to pull it down so I still use the sunblock. The mask gives full neck coverage as well.

Far superior protection compared to what any hat alone can offer.

Heres an example of the fishing sun mask I wear.

Screenshot_20190428-121755_Chrome.jpg
 
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It took a while but i learned to wear pants as well with my hat, the wind whistling between my legs would make me shiver and i kept missing my shots.
 
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The U.S. Military - style Pith Helmet is hard. Makes a good rest when shooting prone. A small sand bag can be placed on head and covered with hat. When i spot a woodchuck, place hat on ground . Sandbag on top of hat when shooting prone.

After getting cancer on my ear from sun damage, went to the soft hat with larger brim.

20190428_085901.jpg

Soft one is Sun protection Zone brand.
 
I wear a boonie style, but the winds do get to where they won't stay put. I double-up and usually wear sunblock also, so I don't get fried when the hat just won't stay on. I put on bug repellent and sunscreen then wash my hands-off before getting on the bench. Keep soft-soap and a towel by the water cooler.
 
Tommie said:
Looking for face, ear and neck coverage.
Click to expand...

I spend a month shooting colony varmints, so I have a lot of potential sun exposure. How do folks wear the wide brim hats with ear muffs? I just wear a baseball cap and ear muffs. I'm not opposed to sun block and use it on my arms and hands. Ears are covered. If I wanted to cover my neck, I would just wear a large bandana folded into a triangle and tied in the front.
 
I wear a Vapor Apparel Men's UPF 50+ UV Sun Protection Performance Long Sleeve Hoody https://tinyurl.com/y4dy2sv2.

It works really well. The hood is very large and can be pulled waaaaay forward (or not) to shield my eyes and cover the side of my face and I can wear my muffs over it.
 
jpx2rk said:
I've started wearing those hoodie type running shirts made from the quick dry/cooling material with long sleeves
Click to expand...

That’s a great idea. A hoodie shirt combined with a ball cap would provide great coverage regardless of wind conditions. There’s my answer. Thank you sir!
 
Tommie said:
Sun protection is important (to me) during several days of prairie dog shooting. I’ve tried a few hats but haven’t found the perfect solution. Looking for face, ear and neck coverage.

Sun hats generally have either floppy or stiff brims. Stiff brimmed hats give great sun protection but tend to catch the wind and fly away. Floppy hats stay on my head in the wind but sun coverage aint happening on the upwind side. Is it an either/or situation or is there a hat that does it all?

Oh. And I refuse to wear sunscreen. It’s not an option.

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
Ever since I saw an old farmer coming out of my dermatologists office without any ears and trying to calm the older woman in the waiting room about her melanoma consultation, I have become a real proponent of high SPF sunscreen!!
It’s a no-brainer to at least put it on your nose and ears.
 
Tommie said:
Sun protection is important (to me) during several days of prairie dog shooting......

.......Oh. And I refuse to wear sunscreen. It’s not an option.

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
As one who has had too many skin cancers cut off and too much chemo in the past, I will give you some advice. Sunscreen will wash off but cancer will not.
Spray on type sunscreen is usually less greasy and doesn't mean you have it on your hands when you handle rifles/ammo. Always wear pants to the field and, for further protection, wear a SPF long sleeve shirt like a lot of fishing guys do.
for me are cap sand I wear one that has the neck cover on back like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XV47D9S/?tag=accuratescom-20
 
Tommie , the best Hat I found for the Hot & Windy Prairies is a Straw Hat carried for many years by Wallyworld . Has a big 4 1/2 Inch Brim and something else for the Wind ...... a nice soft Chin Strap which will save you a lot of Hat chasing . A soft long sleeve shirt is required but I did use SPF 50 Sunblock on the exposed Hands too . My Shooting Buddy used a Muscle Shirt for a few days until he learned the consequences to us fair skinned Easterners . If you're Shooting off a Bench , a heavy duty Umbrella solidly mounted to your Bench is a great addition . I have also seen some Canopy arrangements which worked well anchored by Tent Stakes . I often used a smaller Umbrella attached to the back of a fold up Lawn Chair for walk-about Shooting . I really miss those Trips and envy those that can still make the Pdog Fields !
 
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My rat shooting started in 1968, and in that time I've learned the lessons mentioned in the above posts. For about the last 30 years, I've either worn my old worn out beater Stetson, or when it's bleed'n hot, a bandanna under my sun shade, anchored with stakes. That works good until the wind really gets frisky, say about 25+, then it's time to pack 'er up.

The old beater keeps the sun off the back of my neck while at my bench:



Then in the scorching hot weather, my sun shade and a bandanna.....I sweat like a pig: (It was 96* in the shade the day this pic was taken in NE CA.)



Another lesson learned years ago is that any shade device like an umbrella fixed to your bench is a very bad idea. Any wind or breeze whatever will affect steadiness and move the bench, and when seen through a scope, it appears like someone is deliberately shaking your bench about, making any degree of accuracy impossible. Try that in MT, WY or SD during summer.....seen it myself. :D
 
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