Hats and wearing them

I'm a hat wearer. I wear mostly broad brimmed hats, "Cowboy" hats some people call them. Not all broad brimmed hats are "Cowboy" hats. I wear mine because I am prone to skin cancer. In a survival situation it is logical to me that a hat is needed. It's hard to tell how harmful that long exposure to the sun will be.
    When I first came to California in 1970, the intensity of the sun was immediately a dominating factor as far as I was concerned. That was prior to the bare head look. Still, a lot of people went hatless. I am now bald but back then it was a work in progress. I sunburned my head to a tomato color. The pain escapes words.

Owww!

That is when I decided to wear a hat, forever after, when I'm in the sun.
    I wore "baseball" caps for a long time, switching between broad brimmed and caps, until I got skin cancer on my ears and nose. (Check out the precautions here). That incident told me to wear only brimmed hats. Now, for the most part, I do. I prefer during the winter a wool hat with a 2 1/2" brim. It has fold down ear muffs and a forehead muff as well. It does OK in the rain, or the heat. However, in the rain I prefer to wear a leather fedora style hat with a 2 1/2" brim. During the winter the sun is not as intense. I have several hats I wear during the summer.  I prefer 3 or 4 inch brims and a lighter constructed hat in the heat. I have what I call an Arizona Sombrero. It is not the typical rolled end Sombrero. This one has a floppy 12" brim, Huge. I wear it when the sun is extremely hot (August, September) and I want to protect my neck and shoulders as well. It's great for gardening. I look a little strange but, Oh well. My prefered summer hats are made of straw or a similar material. My "go to hat" is constructed of Palm leaf fiber, in true "Cowboy" hat style. The brim is 4" and offers very good protection of my ears, nose and neck. Due to the wind where I live, I make sure to have a chin strap. A chin strap can be wide and bold or like all of mine a rawhide boot lace. Anything to keep it from blowing away. It is automatic for me to flop my hat on as I'm leaving the house.  I don't leave home without it. I look at wearing hats as a survival requirement. In the winter I want the warmth to stay in. During the summer I want it out. I don't want to sunburn my bald head ever again. Skin cancer hurts when it's frozen off, and the shade is great. Sunglasses work better under a hat.

I don't look as dazzeling as the Duchess does, but
I bet she is striking standing in the garden.

    Everyone is different (thankfully), hat wearing is one of the differences. If you're like me and wear them all the time, or a person that never wears one, we are well advised to put one in our Emergency Responce kits. We  need one in a disaster situation.
    Are you a hat wearer? Love them or hate them I'd like to hear about it.

Thanks for reading jimandkate
emergencykitsplus.com