tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5444915056320730048.post5478717151900014767..comments2023-09-15T08:54:37.714-07:00Comments on The Texas Perimeter Hike: The HatSmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728966785725757302noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5444915056320730048.post-28956318373523859542009-08-27T21:28:09.597-07:002009-08-27T21:28:09.597-07:00I've been wearing straw Panamas for about 5 ye...I've been wearing straw Panamas for about 5 years now. I'm not a hiker by any stretch, but I like protection in the sun that includes ear coverage. I've had some veritable woven straw Panamas from Ecuador (which is where the Panama hat is originally from), but here in the States I can only seem to find synthetics, which don't breath as well, but are slightly more durable--a little over a year of wear on a synthetic versus a little less than a year on straw. Having a baby around the house has definitely decreased the life span of my hats.<br /><br />My brother in New York has been trying to revive the coolie hat, the conical straw hat Asians are famous for wearing, however, other than novelty ones, like for Halloween costumes, they are totally impossible to find, and neither of us has any straw weaving skills. The simplicity of the design is so elegant, completely shading the entire body from the sun, easily shedding rain water, and providing total head ventilation (the cone does not rest on your head; instead, the cone is connected to a band with column-like supports--the height varies with the breadth of the hat--allowing air to pass over the top of the head, and not just the sides). Still, for all its excellence, I'm not sure if my ego could stand being seen in public wearing one.monsieurtinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16841591577828037982noreply@blogger.com