hill near Horn Pond
Review by Arnie P
The T4MO organic Airflo hat was provided by Tilley for the purpose of this review.
The Tilley Organic Airflo Hats are 98% organic cotton and are acknowledged to be the “Best in the World”. A hat with outstanding qualities. I will start off with some of the features.
Guaranteed for life not to wear out
Insured against loss
Engineered with Organic Cotton
Four page Owner’s Manual
Eight Brag Tags
Secret pocket
The hat protects against UVA and UVB with a rating of 50+, also known as UPF. The 4 page manual is interesting to read. It has useful information, humor and brief introduction about how the the company was started.
Trying it on
I put it on and it fit just like I would like it to fit. There is a space of about 1 in from the top of my sunglasses to the hat brim. The comfort is great, not long after I put the hat on, I could not tell that it was on. The first hike I wore the Tilley was on Horn Pond Reservation. It was a warm, and sunny day with a temperature about 80 F and very little wind for cooling. Besides wearing the Tilley, I was also wearing sunglasses, and,a long sleeve shirt, so I was well protected from the sun., Despite the heat, I did not over heat and was comfortable. I very seldom go outside without a hat and sunglasses on. This hat may replace the 2 hiking hats I have been using for several years.
Sizing
I had not thought about sizing for a long time. When I bought the last 2 hats, my size choices were too small or too big. It was not until I had worn a properly sized Tilley, that what I had been wearing was too big for me. I also realized in addition to not fitting properly they do not vent as well. I will have more to say about this in my next report.
I am very pleased so far, I have probably found a better hat to replace the hats I have been wearing for hiking. This hat has a tie downs so I don’t have to take the hat off when it is very windy and still need a hat. It ventilates better and is more attractive. The secret pocket is nice even though I have not figured what I will carry there. This hat is the heaviest of my 3 hiking hats but by only about ¾ of an once. It may weigh more on a scale but wearing the hat I sense very little difference, but experience more comfort. Check back in about a month when I will have more to say about the Tilley T4MO Organic Airflo.
top view
bottom view
Tilley T4MO Organic Airflo Hat update
7-4-10
looking at Silver Lake
It has been an especially busy month. Despite spending about 2 weeks helping with having the roofing on my house replaced, I hiked several times and was on a 3 day backpack.
Hiking
I have hiked several times with the temperatures being in the 80 F to 95 F range. The sun protection and ventilation are excellent. I have not felt the need to remove my hat due to overheating, nor have I noticed any sweating under my hat. The Tilley hat rides a little bit higher on my head than my previous hats, thus I have noticed that when I pass under low branches, my hat tends to get hit by the branch. As I encounter more situations, I get better at compensating for this added height.
Wilmington forest
Off trail use
I wear my Tilley to go to the gym, which is almost daily. On the way home from the gym I stop for food shopping. This month has been very hot and when I walk from the car to the supermarket I usually get really hot and sweaty. I am finding that with the Tilley-T4MO-organic-airflo-hat, I am not getting as overheated or as sweaty. Then once in the supermarket, it is so cold. But, I don’t feel as cold with this hat. While in a store I sometimes slide my sunglasses under my hat for added light. I have been surprised a couple times when an unexpected gust of wind occurs and my hat is lifted from my head. This has only happened in an open parking lot where there is no protection from the wind. Since this happens so infrequently, I have not yet used the wind cords.
Bushwhacking backpack
I backpacked with a friend for 3 days in the Pemigewasset wilderness of New Hampshire. The temperature during the day was about 85 F and it was sunny, very humid and no wind. We hiked in muddy areas where there was a lot of insect activity. I had less problem with insects, without the use of insect repellent on any of my clothing, than I had had with my other hat, using a spray insect repellent on the outside of the hat. We bushwhacked through thick brush for about 4 miles. During this time, my hat came into contact with a lot of brush and I was surprised my hat only came off once. I was not using the ties, because I was in an area where the hat would not go very far if it fell off. A few places I had to crawl under fallen trees. I had no trouble with my hat since the backpack offers a higher target. On the return trip, we decided to take the stream crossing instead of the bushwhack. This year the streams were a lot easier to manage than last year because the water level was lower.
camping in Pemigewasset wilderness
I am very pleased with the performance of the Tilley-t4mo-organic-airflo-hat. It keeps me cooler in the sun and warmer in cold areas. It is comfortable and fits so well that sometimes I forget that I have it on. Please check back in about a month when I will have more to say about the Tilley-t4mo-organic-airflo-hat.
leaving local fores
Tilley T4MO Organic Airflo Hat: a last look
08-08-10
In this period the temperatures were consistently over 80 F and the humidity was always very high. Aside from using the Tilley daily, I was on a hike in Harold Parker State Forest, attended the Lowell Folk Festival from its start on Friday till the end on Sunday, and backpacked on the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway Trail and Jackson New Hampshire.
Harold Parker State Forest
This was a 2 hour hike in Harold Parker Forest on a hot and humid day. There was a moderate amount of insects and I was not bothered a lot. There were a few insects around my head but I have had a lot more in the past. This area is a blend of ponds, streams, a few steep hills and a lot of wet areas. It is an old forest and there is a lot of cover from direct sunlight. I bushwhacked in some areas and the Tilley stayed on my head almost all the time. When it was coming off I was able to reach it before it touched the ground.
Harold Parker State forest
Lowell Folk Festival
I attended the 24th Annual Lowell Folk Festival from start to finish. This festival takes place in downtown Lowell and is on the streets and in park areas of the city. The weather was hot and humid. It was raining on Friday night at the start of the program, so the outdoor stage was relocated to the auditorium of a nearby high school. There was a passing shower during the last hour of the festival. Despite the rain, the high humidity stayed throughout the weekend. I was in the sun most of the time and was very comfortable and well protected from the sun. I was surprised at how well the Tilley T4MO organic airflo hat handled the rain. The rain did not soak through and dried out fairly quickly when the rain stopped.
Weekend backpack on the Monadnock Sunapee Trail
The daytime temperatures were in the high 80′s (F). On the first day there was very little shade and it was hot and very humid. The difficulty level of this trail is moderate in some places. I was hot and I did sweat but was not uncomfortable. The second day of hiking was a lot longer and there was more shade. This backpack involved spotting cars at each end. To make things complicated the roads were closed for a town celebration, near where my car was parked. I had to hike with my backpack from my car to where my ride was picking me up. This is when I decided to use the hidden pocket in the Tilley T4MO organic airflo hat. I was able to carry cash, credit card, a coffee card, driver’s license, Golden Age Pass, and a few dimes. My wallet always seems cumbersome in my pants pocket and it gets damp most of the time. Using the hat for these items worked out so much better, that I will be doing this on more hikes and backpacks.
Fox hill tent site on Monadnock Sanapee Greenway trail
Backpacking in Jackson New Hampshire
We got a late start and when we arrived at the parking lot we were in a hurry to get started. My map indicated only one trail leaving this parking lot. We did not read the signs carefully as we left the parking lot. Some places on the trail the vegetation was shoulder high and at some point my hiking friend lost her hat. This was just before we concluded that we were on the wrong trail. On the way back we did recover her hat. My hat was stable at all times during this hike. This ended up being a very nice hike in the forest with lots of moose prints and hiking on a seldom used trail in the summer. Arriving back at the parking lot later in the day we discovered that the other tailhead sign was partially obstructed by branches. It was too late to start hiking to start on the intended trail as we were too tired, so we opted to find a campsite in the Gale River area. We pitched our tents and just before sunset the temperature had dropped from 89 F to 50 F in about 2 hours. The inside of my tent had a lot of condensation. On this trip I decided to use my hat to hold small items including ones that I may need during the night. These items were sunglasses, compass, watch, paper towel, and a headlamp (if I had not forgotten it). This light weight tent I am using does not have pockets so the hat is an excellent replacement for the pockets.
Tilley T4MO hat with small items
I am very pleased with the Tilley T4MO organic airflo hat, it has exceeded my expectations. The comfort and sun protection is outstanding. It takes a lot of abuse and still looks very good. I am looking forward to using this hat on all my hikes, backpacks, and daily for a long time.
