Tilley Airflo Hat

Grade: A+

I have a big head. I mean that literally. I wear a size 8 hat. As a result, I have a hard time finding headgear. One size fits all doesn't fit me.

I also don't really like baseball caps. They're too ordinary. A big fan of Humphrey Bogart, I've always had a preference for fedoras.

I've also become concerned -- like many -- about the dangers of skin cancer. My wife had a bout of it a few years back, and I sure don't want to go through that. I looked at several of the "sun proof" hats that are on the market, but decided that they all looked goofy.

So when I learned about the Tilley hat, I decided to try one. I ordered it through the website, which has explicit instructions for mesuring the size of your head. It's one of the few hats I own that actually, really fit. As Tilley says, it's designed to fit low, and loose, held on by gravity, not pressure on your skull.

The Airflo looks a lot like a wider-brimmed, tan fedora. It has a ventilation mesh in the crown that makes it cool to wear, even in the hottest weather. The mesh looks a little goofy close up, but from a few feet away, it just looks like a darker band at the top.

The brim is wide enough to shade your eyes, but not so wide that it gets in the way. And it definitely keeps me from getting my face sunburned. The hat has a UPF rating of 50+.

To keep it on in high winds there are adjustable, "fore and aft" wind cords. I just tuck these up inside the hat and they never get in the way. This thing never blows off my head, but just in case, it has a foam liner in the crown that keeps it afloat if it falls into a water hazard.

Inside the hat is a anti-sweat band. If the thing gets dirty or sweaty, just throw it in the washer. In the inside top is a small secret pocket with room for cash, a credit card, your driver's license, etc.

Getting a Tilley is less like buying a hat and more like joining a family. Along with the hat, you get a set of eight "brag tags" -- little business cards that tell of the virtues of the hat. They're good for passing out to people who ask about it. (And people WILL ask about it). There's also a four page "owner's manual", and a two year all-perils insurance policy. Its guaranteed for life against wear, shrinking and mildew. If you lose it, they'll replace it at half price.

I'll tell you how good this hat is. A fellow member of my golf club saw me wearing it earlier in the season. I let him inspect it and told him about some of the features. A week later he was wearing one. A month later, I saw him and his usual playing partner also wearing one.

It's infectious. Like the flu, only lots, lots better.

Tilley AIRFLO Hat The new, lightweight Tilley AIRFLO Hat is perfect protection from the sun. Alex Tilley's hot weather hat is made from an extremely lightweight Supplex nylon with a mesh ventilation band for superior breathability. It repels rain and mildew, blocks UVA and UVB radiation (UPF 50+), and is machine washable. For a perfect fit, give us the measurement around your head and we will match you exactly. Lifetime Guarantee. Available in sizes 6 7/8 - 8 in Natural with Green underbrim. (4 oz)

Stormfit Goretex Rain Jacket
Grade: A-

I invested in a Nike Storm Fit rainsuit after being disappointed by the Sun Mountain suit. And I do mean "invested" because this sucker wasn't cheap. It was so expensive, in fact, that I hesitated for a long time before buying it. But my wife, the ski bum (we're a mixed marriage -- I golf, she skis), told me that  I wasn't going to be comfortable unless I got a suit that breathes (all her stuff is Gore-Tex).  And she encouraged me to buy one (Gee, I love that woman).

The Nike suit, while not Gore-Tex, is made of Nike's proprietary fabric that essentially does the same thing: it keeps the rain out, while allowing inner moisture to pass out. It's a neat trick. And it works. I can wear this suit and stay dry even in warmer weather.

The suit is well-designed. The legs have a zipper up the side that allows you to easily get your shoed feet into them. The pants pockets allow you to reach through to your pants underneath. Both have enough room in them to allow you to easily make a full swing.

The jacket, in particular, is good looking, and I often wear it as an around-the-town cover. The pants don't look to bad either.

If I have one complaint, its that the sleeves don't fit tightly enough. I think that if the fit a bit more tightly, I could give this suit an A+.

Sun Mountain Provisional Rain Suit

Grade: D

My complaints with this rain suit come down to one thing: it's too hot because it doesn't breathe. Oh, it keeps the rain off you, but on any slightly warm day, you end up just as wet from the sweat. I guess that's why they bill it as "for cold weather play."

There are a couple of good things about it. It fits very nicely into a very small zipper package, and it doesn't weigh very much. It's also very durable -- much more so than rainsuits that I've owned for camping.

Still, the lack of breathability kills this product for me.