[pct-l] Chrome-Dome vs Kavu Chillba Hat

[Heather]

John - thanks for the post and your blog entry - that i just discovered earlier today!! - on the hat versus the umbrella! (Sorry , I'm way behind on my reading!!) I had wondered about the weight trade-off when I read your blog, so I tried to find the weight of the hat. The ONLY site that gave a weight that I could find, of the 10 or so I checked, listed it at 8 oz. Do you have a specific model that is the 4.8 you listed? They also list the diameter as 16" - is that the same as yours?
Hey, and I loved the idea of Cuben overlay! But couldn't you use the same technique to gather water?! Just lay a round or strip in the hat when it's upside down to collect? That way the water wouldn't have hair-residue on it, either, right? But I'm probably missing something, and I hope you'll enlighten ;) me! 

Or maybe even using a super-long strip of Cuben, you could rig your own chin strap and ditch theirs, so it could be used on either side of the hat? I don't know - kinda shooting from the hip here. I love your ideas!!

''There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.''

Colin Powell
1937-, American Army General, politician

Message: 9
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 03:49:32 -0700
From: John Abela <abela at johnabela.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] GoLite umbrella
To: PCT <pct-l at backcountry.net>
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   <CAJZPo3W-4MFuR8YC3GcFB6aQDzW+Rute7Udyp0ZrFHDZ9e=JQg at mail.gmail.com>
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I have used a GoLite Chrome for a few years now (even back when
everybody would laugh at you for having an umbrella) and love it. Sun,
rain... spiderwebs ;) ... extra bit of protection for your shelter if
you need it... a way to a collect decent amount of water when it is
raining at night (if you do need it for your shelter, turn it upside
down and let it collect rain water - granted, the PCT rarely sees
rain, but take advantage of it when it does, eh!)... they have so many
uses.

This year, however, I have ditched the Chrome and have been giving the
"Kavu Chillba Hat" an honest chance at performing some of the same
duties. It has a strap inside so it sits up off of your head (and is
also nice because you can tighten it down in the wind so it does not
go flying). Threw some 0.34 cuben fiber onto the top of it so it would
be able to not get soaked in the rain. Provides more than enough
coverage in the rain for my head/shoulders (does not cover lower arms,
which the Chrome can some times do). Does not work at all for rain
water collection hahah. It is 126 grams verses the 230 grams of the
Chrome Dome (4.8 oz versus 8 oz). Anyway, so far it has been working
out rather well. I used it down in Death Valley earlier this year when
it was 122(f) and it seemed to work just as well as the Chrome which
another hike had and I had a chance to try for awhile (we swapped gear
to test out how things worked in 120+ degree weather). And of course,
the hat does not require the use of hands to constantly hold it up ;)

-Abela
HikeLighter.Com