Tilley Tec-Wool cap front view
Tilley Tilley Tec-Wool cap side view
by Arnie P
The Tec-Wool cap was provided by Tilley for the purpose of this review.
The TilleyTec-Wool Caps are acknowledged to be the “Best in the World”. I will start off with some of the features from the manufacturer’s hang tag.
“Temperature control” comfort makes a stylish statement
Guaranteed for life not to wear out
Insured against loss
Wool blend is lightweight, adjusts to current outdoor temperatures, keeping you warm in cold weather, and comfortable when your temperature starts to climb
Quilted lining, with discreet tuck away ear warmers
Secret pocket
Sizing and color
The sizes that are available for the Tec-Wool cap are S, M, L, and XL. The color listed on the web site is black/brown and is the only color available. I would call it a charcoal black. It is a color that I really like.
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 time I wore the Tilley was on a trip to my book club meeting. It was a cool sunny day with a temperature about 57 F and very little wind. Despite the coolness outside, the transition to the warmer indoor temperature was not noticeable. I did not feel warm and was comfortable. Shortly after the book club meeting I wore my Tilley to a doctor’s appointment. Again there was the contrasting temperatures and I was comfortable both indoors and outdoors.
I very seldom go outside without a hat and sunglasses. I am looking forward to wearing the Tilley Tec-wool cap in the winter months when my ears would be better protected. I think it will be interesting to see how this hat handles cold strong winds when I am using the ear warmers. I tried the ear warmer flap. It opens easily and once it is in place over my ears, my ears are completely covered. It also appears the cap requires more effort to take off than to put on. The hat will probably be stable in the wind.
The secret pocket
The secret pocket is easily opened and is quite spacious. When hiking I intend on carrying items like my driver’s license, Golden Age Pass, credit card, and some cash. There seems to be ample space for these items.
I will be going on a week long trip to northern New Hampshire for a lot of outdoor activities in the mountains. Please check back in about a month for an update on the Tec-Wool cap.
Tilley Tec-Wool cap provided by Tilley for review purposes.
Tilley Tec-Wool cap inside view
Tilley Tec-Wool cap inside view of ear warmer
Tilley Tec-Wool cap outside view of ear warmer
update 11-22-10
- This past month has passed by especially fast for me with temperatures ranging from highs in the lower 70′s to lows below freezing. I have managed to wear the Tec-wool cap almost every day of this period and my head has been comfortable as I encountered the different temperatures while going from inside to outside and then into a car that had been heated by the sun. This experience has made me a believer of the claim that this cap has temperature control.
- Shortly before I received the Tilley Tec-Wool Cap, I had a nasty fall on Temple Mountain where I overstretched my right quad. Though my recovery is coming along very well, I have been limited in the number of hikes I could do because of a lot of rain and recovering from the fall.
New Hampshire trip
- I did spend a week in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire. Except for one day, the skies were overcast, often with precipitation. On a raw, cold, rainy day, my wife, son, and I toured the Cabot cheese factory in Vermont. I wore the cap for all of this trip. After spending about 90 minutes in a warm car during the drive to the Cabot cheese factory, I went through an outside temperature of about 50 F, to a much warmer gift shop. This was followed by a tour of the factory where the temperature was probably about 40 F and a return to the warm gift shop for more cheese sampling. I was totally comfortable in the hat, and most of the time did not realize I had it on.
- On a relatively pleasant afternoon, we drove to trail-heads of the Rails-to-Trails in our area that my son had wanted to bicycle if the weather had been nicer. There was a slight wind that day and the cap stayed firmly on my head. On the one sunny day, my wife and I went on a hike near the trail head for Skookumchuck Trail for about 2 hours. On another day, we drove to Littleton New Hampshire to do some shopping. I was in light rain or a drizzle a few times and when I got back inside where we were staying, the cap did not appear to be wet or only slightly damp.
Great Brook Farm Carlisle Massachusetts
- I have hiked with my wife and a hiking friend, in this conservation area which is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The hike was 3 hours over rolling hills with a few short moderate inclines. During this hike I did lower the ear flaps because there was wind. My ears were not really cold, but I was concerned that the cap might lift off my head. I found that wearing the Tec-wool cap with the ear flaps down was comfortable, and my ears did not feel hot or cold. We bushwhacked for a short distance. I noticed that the top of my cap did get caught on branches. Since the cap is shaped like a cylinder with a bill and does not follow the contour of my head, it extends beyond the top of my head. Thus, I am slowly getting used to lowering my head a little lower than I normally would when passing under branches. Since most of the time I am not aware I am wearing the cap this will not be easy for me to accomplish.
- I will summarize by saying I have been very pleased with the fit, and the ability to control the temperature when the cap is on my head. I did not sweat wearing the Tec-wool cap under the varying temperatures I subjected the cap. The ear flaps worked better than I expected. I had never used the flaps on previous caps I have owned. I was complimented by the receptionist at my gym. She said that I looked like a conductor on a train. I have worn this hat almost every day for a total of many hours and the cap is still as clean as the day I received it. I really expected this hat to catch a lot of lint and I am amazed that is does not. I am very pleased to have been chosen to test the Tilley Tec-wool cap. Check back in a month for final report.
looking at remains of an old stone foundation
leaving the remains of an old stone foundation
A last look
12-21-2010
- This past month was very good in terms of weather, timing, and four great hiking hiking days to put this hat through a lot of varied conditions. I hiked in the Billerica forest, and in New Hampshire.
Billerica forest
- I hiked with a friend of mine on a fairly sunny day. The temperature was a humid 50 F and the dampness made me feel cold. I used the ear flap on the cap for this hike and I was warm during the whole hike but never overheated.
Billerica forest
Bald Mountain and Artist Bluff
- I was alone on this hike and found out too late that I had not brought any traction devices for my boots. This was a very cold day at near 0 F and a 15 mph wind and and about 8 inches of powder snow. I had the ear flaps down on my cap and still was a little cold but did not have any major discomfort like I usually have on days like this. This may have been a good time to have a jacket with a hood to cut down on the wind to exposed areas. I had to turn around on my way to Bald Mountain when I got to a very steep rocky section which was covered with snow. The risk of injury was too great since I was alone. I then proceeded to climb Artist Bluff which was a little easier but there was a lot of snow in the evergreen trees making for a very beautiful scene. I was glad to get back from this hike as the cold was starting to get to me.
turning point near Bald Mountain summit
view of Cannon Mountain from Artist Bluff
Blueberry Mountain
- I hiked this with 2 friends of mine from the ski club. The temperature was about 12 F and there was a slight wind at the summit. I was able to borrow traction devices for this hike as there was about 6-10 inches of snow on this trail. This was a 5 mile hike which we did in about 5 hours. There were several steep areas near the summit where the traction devices were necessary. At the summit, we made tea with my friend’s stove. The sky was slightly overcast but the views were very nice. This is very near Mt Moosilauke, but not nearly as difficult to climb. I kept the ear flaps on the cap down most of the time, a few times I did put them back in place as I was getting quite warm, probably from the exertion. This was my first major hike in snow this season.
Blueberry Mountain trailhead
Lincoln Woods
- I again was with my 2 friends from the ski club. It was overcast and a light snow was falling. The weather forecast was for the light snow to turn to rain. The temperature was 30 F and there was no wind. About an hour into the hike the light snow turned to a light rain. It was so light it was not very noticeable. A some point I did put my hand on the ear flaps and they were soaked; however my head and ears did not feel or get wet. The top of the cap was wet but the inside seemed almost dry in comparison. The total hike was over 3 hours and at least 2 of them were in light rain. When I got back to the ski club, I noticed the cap was a lot wetter than I had thought. The inside was a little damp. My guess is it took some time for the moisture to soak through to the inside of the cap. It did take the cap about a day to dry in my house. I was very pleased with the Tec-wool cap under these conditions.
view of Lincoln Woods trail
Daily use
- I have used the cap daily during the test. I go to the gym, shopping, doctors appointments and short walks in the neighborhood. I have been comfortable in all of these activities.
Summary
- I have found the cap very comfortable during this evaluation. I have used it under a variety of conditions from 0 F with a 15 mph wind to 70 F and have not been overly cold or hot. This cap does well in adjusting to a wide range of temperatures. The performance in light rain was better than I expected. I am very pleased and highly recommend this cap. I wish to thank Tilley and 4alloutdoors.org for the opportunity to review this wool cap.
