Boonie Hat

Having a bit of difficulty finding this one out through Google, some hopefully someone at GRM knows. I'm looking for a boonie hat, like the Special Forces wears. It's durable, you can crush it into your backpack without messing it up and most importantly, it covers the back of my neck and ears. I'm outside too much to keep getting burned like that. I already had a pre-cancerous thingy (doctor's terms, not mine) removed from my arm last October, so I don't need any more.

All I've turned up are 100% cotton knock-offs made by the "fashionista" brands and expensive surplus camo US military hats. I'm not going to be walking around town with it, but I don't want to look like I'm ready to repel the Tet Offensive. Who the heck is the official contractor for the Gubment? If I can snag a government-issue hat in plain khaki, I'll be happy.

I bought mine at Ramsey Outdoor store (which is less than a mile from me). But you can order online too. Wore mine in the MGB yesterday. Here's some of their selection.

http://www.ramseyoutdoor.com/category/g-696/index.aspx

sportsman guide?

us cav?

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=440749

Pick your pattern (digital, woodland, etc.)

No Sir, what you need is this-

Click here to see it in the GRM Store.

Check REI? I had an all black one that I had purchased from a military surplus location.

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My Desert Storm - issue chocolate chip boonie hats are now retired, a little too crusty to wear. I MUCH preferred those to my other headgear choices at the time.

Edit: No, that's not me in either photo.

slantvaliant wrote: My Desert Storm - issue chocolate chip boonie hats are now retired, a little too crusty to wear. I MUCH preferred those to my other headgear choices at the time.

I know a place that still has some NOS chocolate-chip boonie hats sitting around from Desert Storm, still in the plastic packaging. If you want the link to the place, just let me know

my uncle wears one to car shows and the track - good call as it keeps the sun off everything above the shoulders. unfortunately i believe his came from his buddy who - borrowed it permanently from the army while he was in iraq so not sure what they cost.

i'm guessing any army navy surplus store should be able to hook you up. we have one here that has all kinds of things from militaries all over the world, got some east german army coats after the wall came down that are so warm and still being worn 20+ years later.

I don't kmow if the military-issue ones come in anything but camo. If that's the case, I'd need to try and find out who makes them and see if I can get one in solid color. Although I am tempted to get one of those Desert Storm-era hats, chocolate chip pattern and all. I don't know if the funny hat community would flip if I opened up a NOS hat, like chopping and rodding an original, survivor Model A would be to us.

I've got one at home that's really nice. Very light weight and fabric that dries super-fast. I can't remember the brand, but I'll check when I get home.

REI carries what you're looking for, i have the (cheap) rei brand hat, but you can spend upwards of 80 bucks on the gilly brand hats.

I buy solid colored boonies at the army surplus shop.

I got a couple made by Columbia sold at Kohls. I've seen similar, and better selection, at Bass Pro Shops.

Desert Camo boonie FTW. I got mine way back when I was in high school at an Army-surplus vendor in a flea-market... This was some years before Desert Storm... I have a oiled canvas version for wet-weather and a wool one for the cold.

Should I feel bad about getting a NOS booine from a surplus store, that was made in 1990, packaged up for Desert Storm and never opened. then opening it and using it?

Eh... I wouldn't... they made millions of them...

You could always go for the wannabe explorer look:

http://www.tilley.com

Tom Heath wrote: No Sir, what you need is this- Click here to see it in the GRM Store.

Two questions:

Does it have a lanyard strap?

Sizes other than L and XL?

My father had a pith helmet... I bet that would have made for an interesting auto-x worker-hat.

Two answers-

Lanyard Strap- No.

Sizes other than L and XL- Not at the moment. These also tend to run small (at least for my football-styled melon.) so people with really big heads might be SOL.

JeepinMatt wrote: Should I feel bad about getting a NOS booine from a surplus store, that was made in 1990, packaged up for Desert Storm and never opened. then opening it and using it?

Heck no. It's a hat. It was designed, sewn, and packaged. It was meant to be worn. It's not some antique toy that's gonna lose it's value because the original packaging is gone.

NYG95GA wrote:

JeepinMatt wrote: Should I feel bad about getting a NOS booine from a surplus store, that was made in 1990, packaged up for Desert Storm and never opened. then opening it and using it?

Heck no. It's a hat. It was designed, sewn, and packaged. It was *meant* to be worn. It's not some antique toy that's gonna lose it's value because the original packaging is gone.

I'm likely going to order one anyway. I would assume few would care, but I would also (incorrectly) assume that there wasn't an active community of flashlight enthusiasts.

Chin strap is a must-have. I always come close to forgetting to take off my hat when in a boat so it doesn't blow off. Already lost a hat like that in a Jeep once. And I don't need the fabric loop that goes around the crown to hold vegetation for camoflauge.

In reply to Ian F: Have a friend that has a Pith Helmet, keeps it in his MG Midget and wears it at shows.

I wear my Desert Boonie I got in Desert Shield/Storm back in '90 at autocrosses. Even have crossed flichet darts on the front. Does a good job of protecting my bald head, ears and neck.

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong pictures but... unless you're wearing the boonie hat on the back of your head(instead of the top), how's it supposed to keep the sun off your neck?

I wear a safari type hat with a semi mesh top and wide brim, or a hat my son made for me out of straw in one of his field classes(it's really "cool", as in keeps my head cool), and the hat is really soft. I don't tan at all, this despite 20+ years of tennis... hair just bleaches out.

Mark