To hood or not to hood

A comment on the Aqua0 raincoat review post decried the garment's lack of a hood. In my experience a hood is fine on the trail or in very familiar territory. In a strange place or a very intense urban area it's a hassle at least, if not an outright hazard due to the limiting of peripheral vision. Therefore, the smart money (what little I have) is on the hat. For eyeglass wearers the brim keeps the windows a good bit clearer too.

Comments

[Dan]

I agree -- a hat woul be my choice instead of a hood .

Infact even though my Gore Tex jacket has a built in hood

I seldom use it. A Tilley hat or a Seattle Sombrero ( Gore Tex )

has worked well for me.

[Buzz]

I'm the one that mentioned the hood. The reason was simple. I travel to places where you might get a 20-30 minute shower. A coat like the Aqua0 is great because I can fold it up and put it in my daybag/briefcase. Having to keep a hat with me as well--just in case--takes up extra room.

Instead of the hat, I'll just keep carrying my handy dandy 6 inch collapsible umbrella. Anyway, I don't look good in hats.

[Alan Birnbaum]

"Tilley hat or a Seattle Sombrero ( Gore Tex )"

I have BOTH. My wife doesn't like the look of either one, prefers to see me in a lightly waxed cotton cap I picked up in Ireland 2002, BUT, if it was really raining, I like the Seattle Sombrero, which I have in black. Actually, I have a couple of the Tilley hats. I don't know why they don't make them in a more urban gray or black.

[Alan Birnbaum]

I should point out that Tilley actually makes more than FORTY different hats and caps, without even considering various colors, not to mention a very broad range of sizes. Regardless, if the London forecast is for rain EVERY day, I am likely to pack my Seattle Sombrero, along with a Kangol cap for better weather, either of which can inhabit the interior of a carry-on suitcase without complain. Today here in Fresno the weather was bright and sunny. so I was out photographing a kids' triathlon race, and opted for one of my Kangol caps, which doesn't get in the way of my larger camera.

[Scott]

Each to their own.

I prefer hoods; one less thing to pack and to worry about.

[Monte]

In Britain and Europe I always take a flat cap, and my raincoat has a hood. I absolutely hate umbrellas on the streets. People who use them are always having to dodge each other, other people like me, signs, doors, posts and poles, etc. They just plain get in the way.

There are times a cap is enough to ward off the weather, but is you get into a squall between the bus terminal and the hotel you really need a hood.

[Paul Z]

I hate umbrellas; it's just one more thing to carry and lose. I always have a hat with me anyway, though, so that's never an issue. I do find that baseball-type caps work better under a hood, so if I'm wearing my rain shell I'll tend to also wear a Filson ball cap in case I put up the hood.

[Greg]

I too, fall in the minimalist camp. No hat, no umbrella. For formal work travel, I bet on never being exposed long enough to need to cover my head. For casual travel, I have a very lightweight alpine shell (Derizaz EV) with a hood.

[Till]

I'm with Monte, I hate umbrellas in urban settings.

In the summer I will have my travel jacket/anorak, the Cole Haan. It has a hood. The hood is adjustable so that it doesn't hinder visibility too much but I very much know what you're talking about and dislike the effect also.

In the summer I will also carry a Kangol VentAir cap to shelter my balding skull from the sun. I've never tried it in the rain. I suppose it would be better than nothing but not really good because as the name indicates it is rather porous.

In metropolitan settings I wouldn't be seen dead with a Tilley or similar hat. ;)

In the winter I will wear a thicker jacket or a long coat plus a fedora hat. They are really quite good at keeping you dry.

[Brad]

Till, re: Tilley
http://www.1bag1world.com/blog/when-you-see-the-tilley-hat-shoot-me.html

[Alana]

Umbrellas. I have 2, one's broken, and I don't think I've used either in years. Lest you think I live in Arizona, I don't - I'm in Seattle when I'm not on the road.The only umbrellas you see here are in the hands of tourists. Umbrellas sideswipe others, wind turns most brands inside out, and face it, the good ones aren't light AND small.

I have 2 Seattle Sombreros and a Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat. Yes, the SA hat can look dorky, but when I use it (Hawaii, Disneyland, boat trips, etc.) I'm the only one in the group not burned to a crisp!

FYI: I don't like the look of Tilleys, but people who have them are absolutely, militantly eloquent about how they'll never wear another hat. I've yet to see that about any umbrella!

As far as jackets with hoods go, both my REI jackets (one winter, one shell, both Gore-tex) have them and I only use them when I'm out in the woods. I never use them in town, ever, because it's just too dangerous. Get it tight enough to keep the rain out of your ears, and the drops off your glasses (good luck with that), and you lose most peripheral vision and a lot of hearing ability.

If the wind/rain's coming down that hard, the drivers have a hard enough time seeing you cross the street. Add in the fact that most hooded jackets nowadays have built-in pockets and routing for headphones and you're really asking for trouble.Every single case of near miss car vs. Seattle pedestrian I've seen has been with the walker wearing a hood, not a hat. IMHO: Hood + City = ER

[Laurence]

I don't get you. The hood should come with EVERY top. Period put the hat under the hood no hood leaks crap wind proof lousy bug protection. One piece shell with hood is hugely more efficient as warmth protection everything needs a hood rainwear parkas light wind shell fleece good for sleeping on plane makes cocoon stops neck exposure to drafts you name it it needs hood if you don't need it don't use it if it's not there you can't use it hello