HEAD GEAR

It may seem odd to many to see a prepper post on head gear. Well, if you look back at history you will find that a piece of head gear was worn by just about every outdoorsman, every warrior, every adventurer, etc. In the “modern, civilized world” headgear is often unneeded in everyday life. Such is not the case when you venture outside - especially in inclement weather.

When the modern conveniences - such as central heat and air conditioning - go by the wayside you will soon find that having quality headgear - multi-purpose and several if possible - is a must for surthrival. A variety of special purpose head gear is fine if you bug in; but, if you bug out you will need to limit your choices according to usage, weight and space. As with all prepper gear the more uses an item can serve the better it is. We will address a few options here.

Bandanas: although a versatile device these are not much use as a stand-alone piece of headgear; however, they are a great (if not essential) addition to about every other piece of head gear there is. They have too many uses to be forgotten - head cover, scarf, dust mask, sling(s), bandage, tourniquet, sediment filter, garrote, blackjack, etc.

Baseball caps: the common baseball style cap worn by many is a bare minimum. It offers very little protection from heat, cold, or rain; and, offers little in the multi-use department - i.e. most can’t be used to carry or filter water very well. There are some exceptions of course. The “hunter style” baseball caps are different. Many come with ear flaps too; and, some higher dollar caps have polar fleece liners, Gore-Tex, etc. I even have two baseball style hunting caps that have built in LED lights (which were on sale and cheaper to buy than an LED headlamp).

Trooper’s Caps: these, like many hunter style baseball caps, have earflaps and offer better cold weather protection. Quality examples even do well for limited wet weather protection. On the downside most are too hot for warm weather. Most do not store well due to excessive bulk.

Boonie rat/safari style hats: these hats are good for warm or wet weather but most offer little if any help for cold weather. Depending on the material they are good for carrying or filtering water. They are also easy to store. Quality hats have a strong tie down strap that makes them useful for carrying miscellaneous items - i.e. when collecting wild edibles. My own “desert rat” hat has a section of material that can be used to cover the back of the neck.

Knit caps: these are good for cold weather. Quality wool caps even work when wet but none offer true wet weather protection. They do make for a makeshift pillow though which can make a big difference for quality sleep. They also store very well.

Balaclavas: these are great in cold weather and have multiple uses - depending on material and design. They store very well. Mine can be worn as a neck warmer, knit cap, facemask, used as a sack, etc.

Helmets: If you are bugging in or in an urban environment it might be advantageous. My experience is that helmets are seldom worth the weight in field operations.

Head gear is a very personal choice. I have many for everyday use. I spend a lot of time backpacking out in the boonies - desert and mountains - and always carry my balaclava. I wear a bandana either around my neck as a scarf or as a hatband on my desert rat hat. My desert rat hat has sides that can be snapped or tied in the up position. I keep the sides up and stuff a small pepper spray on one side and an emergency whistle w/ a mini survival kit on the other. It gets a lot of use as a potholder too! With these few pieces of head gear I have all weather conditions covered and a lot of uses for them all - combined they even make a great pillow. Each is also a different color scheme for a variety of camouflage situations.

Choose what you will but note that many headgear items are like a new pair of boots and you should break them in. Some folks not used to wearing head gear even get headaches when first wearing head gear for any length of time. Don’t delay - don’t just survive - surthrive!