Ultra Adventure Hat UPF 50+ Sun Hat

On a week of open desert or an alpine traverse above treeline, the Ultra Adventure earns its keep by covering exactly what sunscreen keeps sliding off - ears, neck, and the back of the scalp - under UPF 50+ fabric, with a vented crown that keeps it from becoming an oven. It weighs 79 grams and it means reapplying sunscreen far less often. The drawbacks are worth naming. Sixty dollars is a lot for a hat, and the neck cape that does the real work is also what makes it look absurd in a diner and what traps heat on a humid, windless day in the East. The wide front brim catches gusts and will flip up or leave your head entirely unless you use the chin cord. It does not pack down cleanly either; crush it in a pack and the brim keeps the crease. If your trails are forested, most of this is wasted.