Hats

RAB Mountain Cap (£30)

RAB Mountain Cap (£30)

TGO Rating: 5

Reviewing what is essentially the same cap twice gives me a little more space to comment about them.

BERGHAUS Pro Shell Mountain Peak (£35)

BERGHAUS Pro Shell Mountain Peak (£35)

TGO Rating: 5

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)

COLUMBIA Super Columbia Watch Cap (£18)

TGO Rating: 2

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)

EXTREMITIES Ice Cap (£30)

TGO Rating: 5

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)

INOV-8 Winter Peak 65 (£11.99)

TGO Rating: 4

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)

LOWE ALPINE Mountain GTX Cap (£29.99)

TGO Rating: 5

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)

MONTANE Featherlite Mountain Cap (£20)

TGO Rating: 5

This great little cap is an excellent lightweight variation on a traditional mountain cap design.

OUTDOOR DESIGNS MeanieUsh (£16)

OUTDOOR DESIGNS MeanieUsh (£16)

TGO Rating: 4

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)

OUTDOOR DESIGNS Topptur Inferno (£29.99)

TGO Rating: 5

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)

PÁRAMO Waterproof Cap (£32)

TGO Rating: 5

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.

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