NEWBIE: I need help finding a fedora

[mageemm]

Help for a Fedora Newbie

I am looking for a hat for the outdoors. I will be using primarily for either hiking, backpacking, or fly fishing. I don't really like the western style of hats, the less cowboy looking the better for me. I also would like a quality hat that keeps it's shape, and that I can keep for a long time. I live in Colorado, so the primary purpose of the hat is to shade me from the sun in all directions from the extra UV we get at altitude. Also, living in Colorado, I would like it to withstand rain, but it is not usually long lasting rain. Mostly it rains hard for only minutes, then stops. I would rather go with water resistant over water proof so that the hat would "breathe" better. I would also be using this hat in the outdoors in all seasons. From what I have read the fur felt is water resistant (able to shed most rain that we would get here), breathable, adds warmth in cold days, removes heat in hot days, and it will keep it's shape. Additionally, I have measured the bill on my baseball cap I am replacing, and it is about 2 5/8". So, all of that has lead me to the Temple from Stetson. I like the style, and it seems to have all of the features I am looking for. I would like to have the brim turned down to be more in line with a Safari type hat, which I understand is essentially a fedora that has it's bill turned down. When I brought this up to our local hat shop they were trying to point me towards another style saying that the Temple is a dress hat. They said it was too nice of a hat to be wearing outdoors. Is that only preference, or is there any legit concerns I should have over choosing this style? Is there any other hats that I should consider on my quest? Any help would be appreciated in my quest.

 

[St.Ignatz]

I've been wearing fedoras for several years now but am by no means an expert. I'm not among the Stetson haters either. The Sovereign quality felt is a real favorite of mine. I like the weight, feel and suppleness. You can get a great deal on an Akubra from HatsDirect or Everything Australia. I just received a Camp Draft shipped for about usd 95.00. You can find the brim width and style you desire for your purpose.....but I sure do like that Stetson.

 

[carldelo]

The Temple should be fine - if you like the style and it works for you, it doesn't matter if it's a dress hat or not. There is also the Stetson Bear Creek, with the same felt quality as the Temple, but with a sweat band designed to wick sweat, and a leather band which is outdoorsy:

http://www.noggintops.com/page.cfm?p=52

People on the lounge think highly of Akubra - they are known for their durability and the exchange rate makes them about half as much as a Stetson these days. I am waiting on one myself. There are many different Akubra that would work for you. For your purposes, it would be hard to beat the Camp Draft - it's an open crown hat that you bash to your own liking. The thin ribbon is one mark of a more casual hat, and it is similar to the Stetson Open Road, a popular hat out west. There are a couple of active threads on this hat right now which show the variety of colors and bashes that are available:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=34439
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=39021

Two of the more popular vendors for this hat are here - you could just about get two Camp Drafts for the price of a Temple or Bear Creek:

http://hatsdirect.com/cgi-bin/products.cgi?view=19&returncat=Akubra+Hats&returnpage=1
http://www.everythingaustralian.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=19

Happy Hunting.

PS - I see you're in Colorado. For years engineers at the Colorado School of Mines would buy a Stetson Open Road in silver belly for their final year of college and first year of work. The OR is not available open crown - but a Camp Draft in SB is a good stand-in. The light color should work well in the summer.

 

[Pduck]

Welcome to the Lounge from another newbie!

I can't speak directly about the Stetson Temple, but longtime users (who I'm sure will chime in soon) have commented that the Temple tends to shrink and lose its shape from rain. It may not be the most rugged hat on the market. I don't know. I did just buy a Stetson Chatham, which uses the same grade of felt and is very similar in style. It's really beautiful, but I haven't had it long enough to know about how well it stands up to the elements.

I would, however, disregard what the people in the store told you. If you like the style and fit of a dress hat, go ahead and use it for fishing or hiking. What difference does it make how you use it as long as you're happy?

Here's a nice photo of one of our members (shoelessjoe) fishing in a dress hat. Looks right at home to me:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=744507&postcount=8553

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Nothing against Stetson, but their non-cowboys can be a bit hit-or-miss in terms of durability against the elements, regardless of the felt grade. If it's going to be used the way you describe, I think it would be safer (and probably cheaper) to pick up an Akubra. The prices are great, even with over-seas shipping, and they have plenty of styles to pick from. Hatdirect and Everything Australian are the vendors most mentioned (and have good track records), but there are a few others - Noggin Tops, Morgan, and numerous others.

 

[jpbales]

i would second Akubra

Akubra is famous for high-quality, rugged hats designed specifically for using outdoors. They have a large selection of hats to choose from, from Western to Country to Dressier styles, all of which would hold up well against the elements. I got mine from hatsdirect.com
I can't really speak for Stetson tho, but from what I've read here on the lounge, I would have to +1 what NB-13 said above.
Good luck on your search!

 

[handlebar bart]

Welcome to the FL first off, now...........what kind of hats do you like? Wide ribbon, narrow? Bound edge, raw edge? Tapered crown, straight? Maybe skim the threads here and direct us to a style you like and it may help us help you. Welcome to this addictive hobby.

 

[Daoud]

Welcome.....I have quite a few Akubras and a few Stetsons......And I haven't, by any means, put this to an sort of scientific test, but I have a gut feeling that Akubras are more rugged than Stetsons. They just feel that way to me.

The Akubra Federation IV is similar in appearance to the Stetson Temple, and has a stellar reputation hereabouts. There is no doubt in my mind I could wear mine in the backcountry and it would hold up as well as any hat I own, and look damn good doing it.

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

I'm relatively new to wearing fedoras and came here seeking advice also. I'm not a collector, although my wife might disagree with that, I just liked the fedora style and wanted to get the best hat(s) for the money. I think Akubra certainly fits the bill. They can stand up to the weather and because of the exchange rate, they are a great bargain now. Checkout Hats Direct for the Campdraft or Federation IV.

Glen Grey Campdraft...

Tawny Fawn Campdraft...

Brown Federation IV...

 

[RBH]

Welcome to the Lounge!
Whatever hat you choose... please let us in on the results!

 

[avedwards]

The idea that dress hats are not suitable for outdoor use is ridiculous in my opinion. Indiana Jones wears a dress hat and it survives all the abuse it gets. I'm quite sure an Adventurebuilt or Fed IV (the most Indy-like hats currently being made as far as I know) would hold up fine. Often it's just the width of the ribbon that determines whether it's a dress hat or not, and that will hardly alter its durability.

As for a Stetson, I have a Chatham which is the same felt quality as the Temple (although I have heard that the Chatham is more durable despite the fact that it's supposed to be the same). My Chatham hasn't been tested much, but the few times it has got wet it has been OK with it. So if it will only be short showers a Stetson might be alright for you, although I still think an Akubra is probably even better (I will have to find out when I decide to get one). Also though, in recent years Hatco's (modern Stetson) quality has improved apparently, so a Stetson ordered now may be better than what you see on reviews which were written a few years ago.

Most of this is just an educated guess, so please will someone correct me if it's wrong.

 

[gtdean48]

What hat size are you? You may be able to get a nice vintage hat for a lot less than a new one which is just as rugged & with lots of character & style.
Here is my favorite hiking, fishing, camping, etc. hat, probably an late 50's/early 60's Royal Stetson Casual...

I also have modern Camp Drafts, a Riverina, a Kiandra that are all good outdoor hats, the last 2 have more of a western look to them but then I ride & raise quarter horses, too.

 

[CRH]

The fedora style is versatile - dress down, dress up. Most fedoras will look good in a suit and tie or jeans and a t-shirt and any combination there of.

 

[carldelo]

...in recent years Hatco's (modern Stetson) quality has improved apparently, so a Stetson ordered now may be better than what you see on reviews which were written a few years ago.

I think this is accurate, based on reading a lot of reviews and owning 5 Stetsons myself - there's much second-hand Stetson-bashing (eek, did I just write that? multiple puns not intended) that is probably not justified. The price difference between Stetson and Akubra is significant and persuasive, however.

 

[HatFan]

You might check this out at Cabelas, good for outdoors:

http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0036548951128a.shtml

 

[ryang]

I'll also throw in my vote for an Aukbra. I got my Federation IV regular for less than $100 including the shipping (which only took about a week). It is specifically my outdoors hat. I am into backpacking, camping, spelunking, rock climbing, and the like. I'm looking forward to my fed getting a bit more of a "worn-in" look. Here's a picture of my son and I in a cave in Arkansas.

Let us know what you decide. One other thing you might want to consider is whether or not you want to be able to "crush" your hat. Most of these fedoras are not squash/crushable. I did consider a Christy's Foldaway. Similar look but you can fold it up to pack it or put in a pocket. But I personally don't know much about them, having only seen them on the internet.

Ryan

 

[Randal]

I own 2 Stetson Temples (brown and gray) and one Akubra Federation IV. I love my Stetsons. But the leather sweatband isn't very soft even after being well broken in. The sweatband issue was the only reason I went with the Fed IV. Now that I have the Fed IV, I see it's much more durable for everyday wear (especially for what you want a hat for). I'm not putting down Stetson. I still love my Stetsons. I wear them when I want to dress up a bit. It's not that they wouldn't make a great outdoor hat, because they do. It's just that Akubra hats are more durable. And for the price, you could almost get two Akubra hats for the price of one Stetson. If I'd known that a year or so earlier, I'd probably have a few more hats

 

[jazzncocktails]

Go Akubra

I agree with others regarding the Akubra for regular, rugged outdoor use. I have a Stetson Chatham (and a Saxon), and the felt is very soft and luxurious. But it also feels much more formal because the felt is so thick and supple--I tend to reserve it for more formal occasions. There's no reason or requirement to do so, although many on the site report some problems with the modern Stetsons holding up to the elements over time. But I'd have no qualms about a cross-country hike in my Fed IV standard...even though I've had it a relatively short amount of time, it has become my general purpose go-to hat.

You can check out my comparison of the two at this link, as well as several others' thoughts on the Stetsons vs. the Akubra Fed IVs:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=35989&page=3

Welcome to the Lounge!

 

[Dewhurst]

It seems you have your mind set on a fur felt dress hat, but have you considered a Tilley hat? They make their hats for EXACTLY what you are wanting to do, and they come with a lifetime replacement guarantee. Hows that for long life?

For the outdoors person, there really isn't much better than a Tilley hat. End of story.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

It seems you have your mind set on a fur felt dress hat, but have you considered a Tilley hat? They make their hats for EXACTLY what you are wanting to do, and they come with a lifetime replacement guarantee. Hows that for long life?

For the outdoors person, there really isn't much better than a Tilley hat. End of story.

I don't know where mageemm stands on this, but I have to say; Tilley's may do their job, and very well, but they are not for everybody. I have yet to find one I'd want to be seen wearing. I know, utility should come first. But when dignity can had by way of a slight compromise... [huh]