How to travel with hats

[dnjan]

What does the inside of your carrier look like? I was expecting something more to hold the hat in place than just that black piece of foam. The inside of the carrier looks like there could be something more as well.

thanks!

 

[Wildblue]

Here's a bunch of pics, hope this helps.

The basic carrier, with Bencraft's printing on top. You can see a smooth black area at the base of the crown, by the carry handle. I assume that this is so you could put a small piece of tape, and write your name on it. Wish there was a nicer way provided for, to put your name on it. The carrier itself is a really nice, study and thick black plastic composite.

Here's both of the carriers I bought, back-to-back. I guess I could tape them together like this, and try to use it as a carry-on. I'm thinking, though, that I might just put each one in a suitcase and pack around it. Since the brim is nearly flat, the crown area doesn't take up a huge amount of space, I think. We'll see.

Open, with my Akubra Lawson in it. This is one of my largest brimmed hats, at 3", and you can see that it fits just fine.

Close-up of the open top. It's difficult to take a picture of the inside of a black container. As you can see, there are these little black clips around the inside base of the crown area. They don't lock, but your can actually pull the entire crown part off the base. For this reason, although the rest of the carrier is nice and sturdy and could survive checked luggage, I don't think the carrier should be checked, unless the top is taped/strapped on.

This printing's on the bottom, made in Israel.

Just for kicks, here's my black Zoot Suit hat in it, my other large-brimmed hat. You can see my new hat stretcher in it, too. I'm liking the stretcher so far. Not only does it stretch, but it naturally stretches in the manner of my Long Oval head shape.

 

[Wildblue]

Here's a bunch of pics, hope this helps.

The basic carrier, with Bencraft's printing on top. You can see a smooth black area at the base of the crown, by the carry handle. I assume that this is so you could put a small piece of tape, and write your name on it. Wish there was a nicer way provided for, to put your name on it. The carrier itself is a really nice, study and thick black plastic composite.

Here's both of the carriers I bought, back-to-back. I guess I could tape them together like this, and try to use it as a carry-on. I'm thinking, though, that I might just put each one in a suitcase and pack around it. Since the brim is nearly flat, the crown area doesn't take up a huge amount of space, I think. We'll see.

Open, with my Akubra Lawson in it. This is one of my largest brimmed hats, at 3", and you can see that it fits just fine.

Close-up of the open top. It's difficult to take a picture of the inside of a black container. As you can see, there are these little black clips around the inside base of the crown area. They don't lock, but your can actually pull the entire crown part off the base. For this reason, although the rest of the carrier is nice and sturdy and could survive checked luggage, I don't think the carrier should be checked, unless the top is taped/strapped on.

This printing's on the bottom, made in Israel.

Just for kicks, here's my black Zoot Suit hat in it, my other large-brimmed hat. You can see my new hat stretcher in it, too. I'm liking the stretcher so far. Not only does it stretch, but it naturally stretches in the manner of my Long Oval head shape.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Thanks for the nice review of this hat carrier. Hope your trip goes well.

 

[dnjan]

Thanks! I was wondering if there was something that was supposed to be attached to those clips shown in the fourth picture. I guess they just help hold a piece of foam in place to keep the hat from bouncing around.

 

[Wildblue]

Yeah, those little clips on the internal base of the crown don't hold anything else, they're just little brackets that the crown piece set in. Dammit... one of my boxes slid off the top shelf today, as I was digging for something else. Landed on the hardwood floor on the crown piece. Several of the little black clips inside broke off, and the crown piece popped off. I put the crown right back on, and it still sits on there very securely. But that just confirmed for me, that the case shouldn't be used as a stand-alone piece of checked luggage without being taped shut.

 

[Levallois]

I just got this for a trip back east to pack in the luggage. It's good to know that if it falls out of the plane that the hat will survive ( they dropped this out of a plane!).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/60s-PLASTIC...?pt=US_Hats&hash=item53e966d610#ht_3118wt_922

 

[BR Gordon]

Thanks for the nice review of this hat carrier. Hope your trip goes well.

I agree, thanks for the review. In January we'll be flying south for the winter, and I'll need a couple of these hat carriers.

BR

 

[monbla256]

Been following this thread for the past few days and have to say the carrier from Bencraft is interesting yet with my KISS it way of traveling I would not need it. I usually wear the hat I'll have on the trip on my head and that's all. If it's a business trip, I wear busness atire and a business hat, conversley, pleasure trip, pleasure clothes and hat KISS it

 

[BR Gordon]

KISS is a great way to travel, but occasionally the length of the trip necessitates more than one hat.

 

[dhermann1]

I have to say, the moment I read the first post in this thread, I was visualizing someone strolling on the deck of a nice big ship with a fedora on his head, when a sudden gust of wind comes by and lifts the hat gently from his head. And I imagine the owner standing there watching his hat float gently down and away in the ship's wake.

 

[Wildblue]

Ack! I curse the thought! Have actually wondered about that myself, so I plan on wearing my fine panama while sitting on a deck chair, near the middle of the ship. No way am I going to be leaning over the railing while wearing it.

As for the KISS principle, I agree, and generally follow it for taking my normal business or pleasure trips. However, this time, doing 20 hours of travel each way, halfway around the world, then sailing a quarter of the way around the world for a total of 35 days, I'm not just going to take 1 hat, and wear it the whole time to get around storage/transport issues. Past my limit!

 

[Wildblue]

Ack! I curse the thought! Have actually wondered about that myself, so I plan on wearing my fine panama while sitting on a deck chair, near the middle of the ship. No way am I going to be leaning over the railing while wearing it.

As for the KISS principle, I agree, and generally follow it for taking my normal business or pleasure trips. However, this time, doing 20 hours of travel each way, halfway around the world, then sailing a quarter of the way around the world for a total of 35 days, I'm not just going to take 1 hat, and wear it the whole time to get around storage/transport issues. Past my limit!

 

[maxrob200]

Had a look at the Bencraft Hatters NY website but could not see the Hat carrier listed at all.

 

[jlee562]

Had a look at the Bencraft Hatters NY website but could not see the Hat carrier listed at all.

It's not on their site, but give them a call, they've got 'em.

 

[IsaacRN]

Air travel and Hats

I am getting ready for a trip to San Francisco in 2 1/2 weeks. This brought me to wonder about traveling with a fedora. I know going through the lines at the airport, no hats are allowed. Hats must be placed in the bins. Now, I wouldn't mind doing that, but there are the rubber, dirty, grimy strips before the entrance to the X-ray belt. I am afraid that swiping the black rubber against a gray hat might soil it quickly. Do any of you travel by plane wearing your hats or have any recommendations?

 

[Rudie]

Just put it into a plastic bag before having it X-rayed.

 

[jlee562]

The last time I traveled I put both a shangtung Milan and light colored felt through the x ray machine with no issues.

 

[Wildblue]

Back from the cruise, I can report that the Bencraft carrier worked GREAT. I ran out of suitcase room, as wasn't able to pack both carriers. I really wanted to still bring both hats, so I put the panama in the carrier in the suitcase, and wore the dark Akubra for all air travel. As nervous as I was, the Akubra made it okay. There were a couple times that it got pushed on in the overhead compartment a bit, but never got smushed. It was pushed on more, going through the TSA scanners, than it was onboard. The panama was just fine in the carrier.

 

[Blackthorn]

I am getting ready for a trip to San Francisco in 2 1/2 weeks. This brought me to wonder about traveling with a fedora. I know going through the lines at the airport, no hats are allowed. Hats must be placed in the bins. Now, I wouldn't mind doing that, but there are the rubber, dirty, grimy strips before the entrance to the X-ray belt. I am afraid that swiping the black rubber against a gray hat might soil it quickly. Do any of you travel by plane wearing your hats or have any recommendations?

I fly a lot, all over the world, with a VS custom fedora. I always have the plastic bag with me, that Art sent with the hat. It folds up very small and fits into the pocket on my cargo pants. When going through security, I take the bag out, unfold it, put the hat into it and put it into the security bin. No problem. On the other side, I take it back out, get all the air out of the bag, and fold it up very small again and put it back into the thigh pocket for next time.

I also carry a white 13 gallon garbage bag all rolled up tight and small, for the flight itself. During the flight, if the seat back is tall enough to be a nuisance, hitting the back of the brim, I'll take off my hat and put it onto the fold-down tray in front of me. When drinks or dinner is served, I take the garbage bag out of my pocket and put the hat into it and stash it below the tray and between my kneees, protecting it from coffee, food stains, etc. After refreshments I take it back out and put it onto the tray.

I use the clear plastic for security so it doesn't look like I'm hiding anything, and the white plastic to preserve the transparent ones longer.