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Safari Hat??
Do you consider a safari hat essential?
I expect 'll be wearing the typical safari garb- with a dash of Deet/Permethrin for flavoring, but my mental self-image does not include a hat. Except when I was in the Navy, I have never worn a hat of any sort, including a ball cap, etc. It is just not me. While shopping for other trip essentials, I keep trying on ball caps, floppy and stiff safari hats, outback hats, cowboy/Stetson hats, fedoras, Panama hats, etc., etc. , even a pith helmet. I'm not really into fashion, and while the man in the mirror won't use the word "dork", it is just not a good look for me. I'm no Indiana Jones. Though it is thinning, I still have (mostly gray) hair on my head.
So, what is your take on wearing a safari hat? Is it really more than a fashion statement? Is the sun really that strong? Any recommendations? Back flap?
Thanks.
p.s. I haven't worn a hat since I retired this one:
I expect 'll be wearing the typical safari garb- with a dash of Deet/Permethrin for flavoring, but my mental self-image does not include a hat. Except when I was in the Navy, I have never worn a hat of any sort, including a ball cap, etc. It is just not me. While shopping for other trip essentials, I keep trying on ball caps, floppy and stiff safari hats, outback hats, cowboy/Stetson hats, fedoras, Panama hats, etc., etc. , even a pith helmet. I'm not really into fashion, and while the man in the mirror won't use the word "dork", it is just not a good look for me. I'm no Indiana Jones. Though it is thinning, I still have (mostly gray) hair on my head.
So, what is your take on wearing a safari hat? Is it really more than a fashion statement? Is the sun really that strong? Any recommendations? Back flap?
Thanks.
p.s. I haven't worn a hat since I retired this one:
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Comments
Funny ... I retired that same hat. My wife and I both have Tilleys. Great hats that when worn properly will not blow off. The retaining device is a strap that goes behind your head an 'below' your jaw without being 'cinched' ... It is loose. And the hat itself is not sized to be tight on your head. You buy a size that allows room for two fingers flat against your forehead at the head band.
But! If you walked by in that lovely hat in your second photo, I would certainly sit next to you at dinner!
Isn't it a nobby one, and just the proper style?…"
I can see what you mean, British….;)
Good brain exercise Jan.
When it came to Africa, I broke down and bought the Tilly hat that you picture. My husband had smarted up and has been using that hat for years (his is the model that has a vented strip near the crown). It is not cheap, but after this trip, I am so glad I had it. The sun protection is excellent. The mesh vent keeps one's head cool. And, most importantly you really need both the chin strap and the back strap. We encountered some fierce wind (in fact, my husband did not have the back strap secured and his blew off as the driver was maneuvering the truck to get a better view of cheetahs on the prowl...fortunately, he got the hat back). You spend a lot of time in open vehicles and it's tough to predict where the sun will strike. The Tilly hats are also washable which is a nice feature AND they are guaranteed. My husband's first hat shrunk when it was first washed and they replaced it!
While the temperatures were fairly moderate while we were there (in the 80's), the sun was quite intense. As far as the neck...now, those with the neck cover are REALLY dorky hats!! My apologies to anyone who loves that style. My neck stayed protected with my buff, which I wore daily as the dust was so bad. Of course, the bee did get caught in my buff and stung me in the neck when I brushed it away...oh, well...nothing is perfect!! But, bottom line, Alan...bring a good hat!
Joyce
Sealord- yup, USNA followed by 22 1/2 years in aviation- EA-6B Prowlers plus the usual desk jobs in the Pentagon and afloat staff during Desert Shield.
British- An Officer and a Gentleman which was filmed near Whidbey Island, Washington where I was stationed (a couple of friends appeared as extras, one, a Marine had a speaking role!) and a few years later Top Gun sure boosted the image and perpetuated the myth of Naval Aviators. It had great transference for those of us who didn't look like Richard Gere or Tom Cruise, too! I got married in my dress whites.
Joyce- When I get a chance, I'll send you an email about the Galapagos. I'm not sure when we will go but it looks like the next US State Department posting for my daughter and son-in-law may be in South America next year. I am thinking about tacking a visit with them on one end of a Tauck Peru-Galapagos tour.
Speaking of dorky- today I tried on one of the hats with a back flap- my wife said the way the flap stuck out on each side of my head- like big, long ears- made me look like Jar Jar Binks! Ouch!
Of course the way I attract mosquitoes, I should get one of these
Cheers,
Jan
AlanS ... small world. EKA3-B's at Whidbey just before RAG moved to Alameda. I took my handle (Sealord) from the voice callsign of the Oriskany ... my first duty station at sea in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Our Tilleys are the vented TM10 model. My wife liked mine so she just bought the same one.
Which trip are you doing?
You were a few years ahead of me. I actually started in Whales at Alameda in '72, went through the flight/nav portion of the rag and actually went on a CQ det to the Lex off Pensacola (now that was scarey!) before they booted us off because we were too hard on the arresting gear and they had big backlog of students. A number of us were shunted early to VAQ-135 where we ferried a few of our birds to the boneyard at D-a-v-i-s M-o-n-t-h-a-n before moving en mass to Whidbey for transition to EA-6Bs.
I'll look at the T-10.
Happy Fleet Week!
Cheers,
Jan
Some coincidence ...i've been on that street in Frankfurt, but everyone else seemed to be leaving when I was just arriving. (;-)
I know ... it sounds like English but appears to be in code. I go to the Tailhook Convention in Sparks, Nevada every couple years, and even with 23 years in the Navy, I sometimes can only understand about half of what today's Naval Aviators are talking about. We should probably take this offline as it is a bit off topic. trijet0 at comcast dot net the 0 is the numeral zero. For AlanS ... which safari and date are you doing? I worked out of Hanger 39 from 1970 through 1973 so we may have actually met.
Additionally, you might wish to stuff your "buff" in the little pocket inside the Tilley just in case you run into tsetse flies. Nothing can be more aggravating than the persistent tsetse....Leo M
Allen R.
To the point at hand......I (actually my sister got it for me) took a Tilley hat similar to the one pictured. It was necessary and worked great. I even wear it now when I am driving around in the convertible. It is floppy, easy to wash, and even has a manual and warranty. The strap is not a "chin" strap, it is to be worn behind the head. It works well in keeping the hat on your head. One of the early postings talked about the fitting and you need to have a hat that you can fit two fingers comfortably inside the headband when it is on. The people who sell it to you will know all of the fitting stuff, just trust them.
Enjoy the trip!!!!
Still 78 days, 23 hours and 11 min. to go (who's counting?), but yesterday I decided to dress out in my safari gear, Tilley and all but sans buff- I forgot to put it on (a bit out of focus):
Joyce- I'm bringing 3 camera's- GoPro just in case we get some up close action, Canon DSLR w/medium lens - my go to camera, and another Canon DSLR with telephoto lens so I don't have to swap lenses in the dusty environment.
Yep, the tilted hat made me think of you looking dapper!
There's still time to brush up on your Swahili, Alan, before you go. Here's a phrase for every safari occasion:
Gari langu linaloangama limejaa na mikunga which translates very neatly as:
My hovercraft is full of eels.*
Cheers,
Jan
*Thank you Monty Python. Where would we be without you? http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hovercraft.htm There are lots of other, really useful, phrases, too, mostly not as funny as this one, though.
Health warning: Those who do not appreciate satire should perhaps not follow the link to the actual sketch. Just sayn'.