Hats
RAB Mountain Cap (£30)
Reviewing what is essentially the same cap twice gives me a little more space to comment about them.
BERGHAUS Pro Shell Mountain Peak (£35)
The Pro Shell Mountain Peak – good peak, good ear protection – has undergone a few tweaks since I received this sample to test: gone is the elasticated chin strap, in its place a couple of attachment loops for you to attach your own.
COLUMBIA Super Columbia Watch Cap (£18)
Revealing my prejudices here: I’m no fan of knitted style hats. The Watch Cap (named, apparently after the type of hats issued to members of the US Navy) is a heavy, unisex model with a roll-up cuff.
EXTREMITIES Ice Cap (£30)
With its Paclite shell and thick fleece liner, the Ice Cap is instantly warmer-on than the Montane Featherlite cap. It’s also slightly heavier – though few would baulk at 8g – and £10 more costly, which might prove a bigger crux.
INOV-8 Winter Peak 65 (£11.99)
I’ve mentioned elsewhere in this feature that I usually carry a beanie everywhere I walk. Well, the other thing I usually carry is a baseball cap to keep the sun out of my eyes and to prevent any wind-blown waterproof hood flapping across my vision.
LOWE ALPINE Mountain GTX Cap (£29.99)
Several years ago, Lowe Alpine introduced the classic Mountain Cap and sparked a raft of copy-cat designs, many of which can be seen on these pages. Warm, protective and practical, it was the hat to be seen in on the fells.
MONTANE Featherlite Mountain Cap (£20)
This great little cap is an excellent lightweight variation on a traditional mountain cap design.
OUTDOOR DESIGNS MeanieUsh (£16)
Skull cap? It’s an advanced beanie really, featuring two different fabric areas and an elasticated chin cord to prevent it blowing away.
OUTDOOR DESIGNS Topptur Inferno (£29.99)
Okay, I give in. Other than the lack of a corresponding trim panel at the rear, I can’t spot any difference between Outdoor Designs’ Topptur Inferno and Rab’s Mountain Cap.
PÁRAMO Waterproof Cap (£32)
Baseball caps (or similar) form part of my year-round backpacking load. They shield my face from the sun and, worn under poorly-designed hoods on certain waterproofs, they prevent the wind-blown peak obstructing vision.
