As we all know, the sun provides all creatures with warmth and heat. Without the sun, we cannot survive any more. But the sun sometimes is like a weapon that it can kill us and other creatures. Summer sunlight is quite harsh and it will make your eyes sting and you can only see things by squinting your eyes. When the sun is very hot, you will start to sweat that will run into your eyes. That will be sticky and uncomfortable.
Most hikers like to go some places with high altitudes; they think that would be more challengeable and more exciting. The World Health Organization has confirmed that “the higher the altitude, the thinner the atmosphere and the less ultraviolet light filters out. For every 1000 meters increase in altitude, the UV levels rise by 10% to 12%.” Therefore, hikers must protect their head by wearing a nice hiking hat when they are at the highest altitude.
Hats are a must-have accessory for hiking. You may be confused on how to choose a nice hiking hat. Here I would like to give you some guides to let you know what a good hiking hat is.
Protection Degree
In order to protect ourselves, we first have to make clear how much the amount of UV rays can be blocked by the hat. It seems that any hat can protect you from the harmful UV rays while these hats with different UPF rating show their own ability in blocking harmful rays. The UPF rating can measure how effective the hat is at blocking rays. Hiking bucket with 360 degree brim can offer us good sun protection.
Since hiking is an activity that needs you to stay in the sun for a long period of time, thus you must have a hiking bucket
hat with a UPF rating of 50, the higher the better. In fact, the UPF rating is determined by the fabric of the hat, some hats made of synthetic materials such as nylon and polyester that work well on blocking the UV rays.
Breathability
Breathability is one of the most important factors that you have to consider when choosing the best hiking hat. Pick one that is good at wicking away the moisture on your skin and with vents to keep you cool.
If you like to go hiking on summer days, you should pick the hat which is made of polyester and nylon rather than cotton. These synthetic materials provide good breathability that makes you comfortable to wear.
Durability
A hat may accompany your life if you keep it well. Once you don’t need a hat, it will be crushed and may be out of shape. If the fabric of hats become worn or faded, its ability to block rays will decrease as well. Hence, you should choose a hat with crushable features that you can fold it and place it into your bag.
Bucket hats made of nylon or polyester can be hand-washed or machine-washed. A washable hat has good ability to resist water thus it won’t be damaged by the heavy rain.
