Outback TradingBroken Hill Hat

Comfortable fit all round the two little holes for the chin cord were in an awkward spot if you don't want the chin cord as it is too cumbersome to wrap around the brim of the hat Other than that a very quality product and have already field tested it on a rainy Irish holiday Exactly what I knew was needed

FINALLY! I have been looking for a western-style (or outback-style) hat for the winter months for the last 8 weeks. I’ve purchased 5...yes, FIVE different hats and returned them all for some reason or another. I’m VERY picky with hats, mostly because I know exactly what I want in just about every regard from brim width and shape, to crown size, color, material, and durability. This is the hat I’ve been looking for.Deep enough to fit my head and not feel like it’s going to slip off.Beautiful, SLIGHTLY upturned western-style brim (this was something that I really wanted in a winter hat) that is nice and wide to keep the sun out of my face. Majority of the other hats that I purchased and tried had brims that were WAY too short be useful for actual outdoor activities like trail riding which is what I needed this for.It came with a stampede strap, a MUST HAVE for trail riding. Nothing worse than a nice, long gallop down the trail and having to keep one hand on the top of your head the whole time to prevent your darn hat from flying off in the wind, possibly spooking another horse in the process. Lordy. So glad those days are going to be over. Stampede straps can also be pretty darn expensive if you have to buy them separately so the fact that this hat came with a stampede strap already hooked up and ready to go is really a fantastic feature in my opinion. I also love that it is a loop stampede strap. This means that it goes through two holes on each side of the hat’s brim and the string wraps around the back of the crown. These are much more sturdy and dependable than pin-style stampede straps which you push up between two seams in the sweatband and then spread/bend the two pins apart to keep it in place. The issue with these is that they tend to be flimsy and the hardware can fail causing the strap to come apart when you’re riding (or driving, boating, etc) at higher speeds.This hat is a gorgeous color. The perfect cool-toned medium to medium-dark brown. Going to match all of my cowgirl/riding wear perfectly.I love that it is 100% wool which means it will repel water naturally. I also purposefully searched for a winter hat that was 100% wool and not a blend of materials in order to ensure that my head would stay toasty warm during my cool weather rides. I live in Arizona, so winters here probably have some people wondering why in the heck I would even need a “winter hat,” but when you’re a desert rat like I am, basically anything below 70* F is cold enough for me to abandon my trusty summer straw hat and search for something that keeps me warm in the early mornings.I will comment on the fact that this hat runs a little on the large size, HOWEVER, not so large that I would suggest ordering a size down. I bought my regular size (medium, I wear a perfect 7, or 22”) and just added a couple pieces of adhesive-backed felt to the sweatband to provide a softer pad against my forehead and reduce the size to a fit that’s comfortable and more snug on my melon.This hat arrived JUST in time to take with me on a trip to Florida this week where I’ll be camping in the mountains and riding everyday. The forecast is colder than satan’s soul. Well, for an Arizonan, that is ;) so I can’t wait to see how this baby holds up in the lower temps. It is also supposed to be raining a good bit while I’m there so I’m interested to see how effective this particular hat will be at repelling the moisture. I am also going to test the “crushable” theory as I’ll be packing this on my carry on. Although, I like it so much, I may just wear it right onto the plane.I will post some pictures at a later date, maybe when I come back to update this review. In the meantime, 100 stars. I’m so pleased. The search is over.

Sizing chart is not accurate at all. My measurements dictated an XL, which was much too big. I returned that one and ordered a large, which is also too big. Very disappointed as the construction seems very good, and the materials top-notch.Maybe 3rd time will be the charm. Stay tuned.

Great hat, wears well. It is truly crushable and will return to shape very well. A caution - these hats run large. I measured my head and ordered a large and it was too big to even use hat tape to make it fit - had to return the large and get a medium. The medium is still a little on the big side but not so much that a little hat sizing tape created a nice fit.

Sizing runs very big. I was worried a med would be snug..nope I needed a small. Great hat though. Looks great and well made.