Headwear

The Head is often overlooked when putting together your equipment for a trip in the beautiful mountains. Never forget to bring an appropriate headwear...

low temperaturs:

Our head is heavily supplied with blood and poorly insulated. When you have sweat a lot, wet hair won't help with insulating and our body loses a lot of warmth. Even with good insulated clothing on the rest of our body we can't compensate this loss. 

A very important fact: you never freeze on your head, so you won't even notice that you lose so much warmth over your head (and warmth means energy). Wearing a cap in your sleeping bag also reduces the heat loss of your body. 

Caps/hats for cold weather:

You can use all sorts of fleece or wool caps you like. They should cover your ears and be thick enough to be windproof. 

Examples

• Merino Wool watch cap: I have two of these and I like them very much, comfortable to wear, very warm... a normal wool cap, but it's made from merino wool... nothing much to say...
  Merino Cap (recommended)
  surplus watch cap

with a merino wool cap, you are resistent against low temperatures

• Fur Hats: Very comfortable, very thick, very warm. If you buy some surplus stuff, you will get quality stuff for a decent amount of money. Well, you have to like the look...
  Some Examples
• fleece caps: lightweight and small packing size. Quick drying materials. I prefer woolen type caps, because the fleece-material will pick up the smell of your sweat.
  bw-surplus
  
  Special types of "cold weather military caps"
  - bw cold weather cap (ugly)
  - austrian winter cap (better looking) 
  The military caps offer some sun-protection for your eyes. But when you are surrpunded by snow, the problem won't be solved by a visor.
  Also notice: even if only the top of your head is covered by a cap (no ears), it's better than having no hat

during sunshine: 

Also direct sunlight on your head can be very dangerous. A heat shock or a sunstroke can be very serious and maybe even lethal. In the mountains there is often air movement (wind) and you may not even recognize the danger, because you never feel overheated.
Another advantage of wearing a cap or a hat during sunshine: the provided shadow on your eyes and the skin lowers the UV-radiation and also the shadow on your eyes makes it easier to look around.

If you have no cap with you and you feel like you are about to get a heat shock, take a triangular bandage, a triangular scarf or a shemagh, drench it in some water and wrap it around your head (as a kerchief), this will cool your head down and offers some protection.
Just to mention, a triangular scarf is also a great item to have with you, also a very versatile pice of equipment! (and very cheap)

Caps/hats for hut/sunny weather:

The cap should not be to thick or to warm, also some breathable material would be recommended to prevent heat build-up under your cap - this could lead to a heat shock!
Examples: 

• Maybe the perfect hat for this circumstances: a proper boonie hat! They provide a lot of shadow all around your hat and they are breathable. You just have to like the look...
  Or you modify them: if you make them wet and put them in a gap (behind a radiator, in your cargo pockets etc...) with the sides rolled up, the hat will keep this shade (sides somehow flipped up)
  Or you just use the neck-strap to tie the sides up
  Result looks like the last picture here
  Be sure to pick the right size!
  Some Examples

With a boonie you can reach the top of every mountain. Also under direct sunlight... 

• Field caps: They provide shadow for your eyes. Be careful, some models have their shields in a very low angle, so the could reduce your field of vision. Furthermore, most field caps do not have some holes for air ventilation (like boonie hats)
  Be sure to pick the right size!
  Some Examples
• Baseball caps: To get a good ventilation, choose one with ventilation holes (most caps should have them I think). Don't choose those which are made from mesh: they are not so durable (a branch could rip them) and the mesh does not provide cover against the direct sunlight. 
• If you want some classic style hats, go with a proper woolen hat. You will look like a cowboy, but the hats offer you great protection against sunlight, they are breathable (almost) and they are waterproof. Don't buy some cheapo stuff. 

during rain: 

I dont't think I have to explain why wearing a cap during rain is useful. Also when you have a hood, a cap can help to prevent water droping in your face, so you will keep a clear field of vision.

There are no special caps for rain, just take whatever works best for you!

My personal favorite: the M36 Field Cap 

left: Särmä M36 Field Cap - right: Surplus M36 Field Cap

The history of this style of headwear dates back even beforeWorld War 1.

Originally designed by the Austro-Hungarian empire for infantry-troops 1870.
In 1871 the "Feldkappe M.1871" was issued to the troops. The visor was made of black shiny leather, to give soldiers protection against sunlight. Inside the cap was a black leather band against sweat.
After the M.1871 Cap, which had a light blue colou, the empire changed the colour to "Hechtgrau" - a grayish colour type... Same as the Finnish M36 Field Cap.
This Model was named M.1908 Cap and was issued in 1908.
In 1915 the cap had to go through other minor changes. Buttons had to be gray (not golden anymore) and the material had to be a little bit cheaper (because of the great war)

In 1916 the cap looses its black visor, which was replaced by one made out of wool.

So the M36 Field cap from Finnland is more or less an accurate copy of this M.1916 Model which was used in the great War in Austro-Hungary...

But enough History, lets talk about why i like it...

Well first of all: I think it looks pretty cool. Headwear like this is not produced anymore. So you somehow get some attention...
Another fact for me: This type of headwear has a lot of history to it.

side view of the M36 

front view of the M36 

But thats not all:

Material:
- grey Diagonal Wool, with a liner of polyester on the inside (not originally used in the M1916 model )
- Leather sweatband inside
- hard visor, made from leather with a diagonal wool cover

Polyester lining inside, you can also see the brown leather sweatband

Features:
- fold-down ear and neck protectors. These protect your ears from cold (like in the winter, or against wind, when you are on the top of a mountain). When you fold these protectors down, you will look like a knight in a fluffy-helmet  -  so they are best kept up.
- hard visor: the visor is much bigger than the visor on the reproductions.

M36 Cap with folded down ear and neck protectors

It's pretty hard to get some original stuff. I bought mine obviously on varusteleka, and it cost me about 10 euros. Totally worth the money.

Surplus M36 Cap

                         Me, wearing the M36 cap (summer and winter) 




Since it's pretty hard to get surplus (and because it's pretty demanding, to wear such a woolen cap in the summertime) I bought the Varusteleka Särmä M36 Field Cap made from Polycotton Rip-Stop material. This Cap looks as cool as the original, but is much more breathable and much lighter.
Only downside: The visor is smaller and not made from stiff material.
I have bended my cap, like the field caps used in the Austrian Bundesheer, to give the cap a much cooler look.

Front view of the M36 Polycotton reproduction (note the bended visor)
Cap in OD-green

Side View

Cotton lining on the inside 

Also, the reproduction is, just like the original, pretty waterproof.

Testing its waterproofness

Result: the cap is on the outside somehow dry, except some dark areas... obviously, the inside was completely soaked

The Särmä reproduction of the M36 Cap is just a very modern piece of Headwear with a classic Old-Style charme. Although it's pretty expensive (30€) I think it's worth the money.

Of course, it is possible to fold down the protectors of the new M36 cap...

I personally wear this new M36 now over the summer time on my mountain trips

That`s me, with the super cap...

Särmä Polycotton M36 Cap

Note: I am not sponsored by varusteleka, I just think they have very good descriptions and pictures and a very wide range of products.