Bucket hat vs baseball cap

[soaringjac]

I just picked up a bucket had that pretty much every glider pilot wears, but I don’t want to wear is because I feel like it limits visibility way more than my baseball cap does. With the baseball cap basically visibility is only limited when looking up, but with the bucket had visibility is limited all around. I know clubs have ban wearing baseball caps, which I thought I understood why, but now I’m not sure why. Am I missing something here? Thoughts?

[Paul Agnew]

The issue is the button on top. Take it off with some pliers and go fly.

PA

[soaringjac]

On Monday, May 6, 2019 at 4:27:57 PM UTC-7, Paul Agnew wrote:
> The issue is the button on top. Take it off with some pliers and go fly.
>
> PA

i did take that button off.

[Andy Blackburn[_3_]]

On Monday, May 6, 2019 at 4:57:33 PM UTC-7, soaringjac wrote:
> On Monday, May 6, 2019 at 4:27:57 PM UTC-7, Paul Agnew wrote:
> > The issue is the button on top. Take it off with some pliers and go fly.
> >
> > PA
>
> i did take that button off.

Cycling caps have no buttons and a short brim that won't interfere with your upward visibility. I wear a wide brim had on the ground to put more shade on the noggin.

https://www.amazon.com/Slyse-Plain-Cycling-Cap-White/dp/B01H690CQ4/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=white+cycling+cap&qid=1557188166&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-7

Andy Blackburn
9B

[Charlie Quebec]

The short brim bucket hat works great, they are just hard to find these days, especially the best ones made from terry towel.
Hang gliders used to call glider pilots in Australia OFITTH, Old Farts In Terry Towel Hats. :)

[ripacheco1967]

What about a Panama hat? Cuban Hat?

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uHfbBWTNL._UX385_.jpg

I guess this is a no-no if visibility up is a problem.

need to learn all this stuff.... (lots to learn)

[JS[_5_]]

On Monday, May 6, 2019 at 6:21:17 PM UTC-7, ripacheco1967 wrote:
> What about a Panama hat? Cuban Hat?
>
> https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uHfbBWTNL._UX385_.jpg
>
> I guess this is a no-no if visibility up is a problem.
>
> need to learn all this stuff.... (lots to learn)


Agree with Andy, gliding requires more than one hat. One for rigging and one for flying.
SPF 30 or higher bicycle hats work well in the cockpit. Giro and others sell them.
The Bowlus Maxi bucket hats weren't bad, with a narrow brim. Do they still exist now that Mike has retired to Florida?
Once traded a Campagnolo bicycle hat for an official OFITTH hat. The brim is too wide for flight and like the Bowlus it doesn't provide much UV protection while on the ground.
Jim

[son_of_flubber]

On Monday, May 6, 2019 at 8:37:13 PM UTC-4, Charlie Quebec wrote:
> The short brim bucket hat works great, they are just hard to find these days, especially the best ones made from terry towel.

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=terry+cloth+bucket+hats+for+men&crid=24PY41HWWSCFC&sprefix=terricloth+bucket+hat%2Caps%2C156&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_21

[Charlie Quebec]

They still have too large a brim, we used to get ones with brim about 1” wide, which were ideal.
Ive got an official OFITTH hat too, and the brims are too wide.
Agreed about using a wide brim on the ground.

[Tango Eight]

On Monday, May 6, 2019 at 7:24:25 PM UTC-4, soaringjac wrote:
> I just picked up a bucket had that pretty much every glider pilot wears, but I don’t want to wear is because I feel like it limits visibility way more than my baseball cap does. With the baseball cap basically visibility is only limited when looking up, but with the bucket had visibility is limited all around. I know clubs have ban wearing baseball caps, which I thought I understood why, but now I’m not sure why. Am I missing something here? Thoughts?

You were supposed to buy the 2 gallon variety, not the 5 gallon :-).

The bucket hats that come from SSA are better for gardening. My wife has one, it's huge, I'd never use it for soaring.

T8

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

Or do what John Seymour did, get a bucket hat and cut a rectangle out of the brim over your eyes. Gives the up view with coverage in other directions.
It was called the "Darth Seymour" hat.

[[email protected]]

On Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at 7:55:43 AM UTC-4, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
> Or do what John Seymour did, get a bucket hat and cut a rectangle out of the brim over your eyes. Gives the up view with coverage in other directions.
> It was called the "Darth Seymour" hat.

Biggest hat possible on the ground, no hat in the sky. https://buffusa.com/shop-buff/men/multifunctional-headwear-category/coolnet-uv-family.html
Surprising how much more sky there is when you ditch the brim.

[MNLou]

I have a different opinion. I use a bucket hat because it has a smaller brim than a baseball cap (and, thus, better visibility) but still enough brim to shade my eyes so I'm not squinting all flight (especially on a blue day and even with good sunglasses).

If I am in a thermal with other gliders, I push the brim up (think Gilligan) so I have an unlimited upward view.

YMMV -

Lou

[Tony[_5_]]

I wear a bucket hat. It scares off all the groupies on the grid. Helps me focus on the task.

[[email protected]]

The terry cloth buckets with the narrow brim are the best. They can be soaked in water for a cooking effect, the brim can be bent out of the way and they shade your ears from sun burns. Unfortunately, the best source was 'The Vermont Country Store' which stopped selling them a number of years ago. Fortunately, I purchase a number of them before this happened and have been hoarding them. I still have three that are new. Hope they last me till I get too old to fly.
Tom
Boise

[ripacheco1967]

https://www.vermontcountrystore.com/terry-toweling-hat/product/69225