User Review: Trailspace Trail Runner Cap

Summary

Lightweight, very breathable

My usual hat is a cotton 'radar' cap, which while it's warm in spring, fall and winter is too hot for summer. I'll wear it for the first hour or so, then once it starts getting warm out, it hangs off the strap on my pack. That's when I get that nice sunburn on my forehead, which seems to be a lot higher and more exposed than it used to be!

My test run was a 15 km dayhike, through mixed forest with sun getting through about half the time, carrying a 15 lb pack.  The temperature when I started was about 20°C but it warmed up quickly to around 24°. This time, my cap stayed on my head for the first couple of hours - nice ventilation through the coolmax fabric, good shade for my eyes (love the visor with the black underside!) and no weight to speak of.

What I DIDN'T realize was how well the hat was doing its job! I took it off at the rest stop, and enjoyed the cool breeze on my head. When I started out again I clipped the cap to a carbiner on my pack — within just a few minutes, my face was drenched in sweat and I took the hat to mop it dry. The hat had been preventing that from happening, but because it was so efficient, I hadn't even realized it! I put it back on, and while my bald spots weren't quite as well-ventilated, I could finally see again without having to squint through a salty blindfold.

Not for cold weather, of course, and I'll probably keep the old cotton hat around for cooler conditions or for rainy days, but the Trailspace hat is a great cap for summer hikes.