Hats off to Tilley...

[potshotpat]

You need to be very careful with hats they can be killers. Anyone remember Fred Dibnah sat in bed in hospital with his striped pyjamas on and his greasy flat cap on top with fag in hand. Interviewer asked what had happened, Fred said his hat had nearly killed him. Seemingly Fred was working knocking down a chimney and he'd laid his hat down, not knowing that he'd put it on a load of pigeon Sh1te. He hadn't realised he'd cut the top of his head, hat back on, infection into cut. Cue TV interview in hospital. Classic.

 

[trickie]

I wear a tarp hat in summer, SHMBO was persuaded to buy it for me. I love it she not so much. However she will see it every day on holiday

 

[bowji john]

Sightron baseball cap and a Tilly for me

Sightron was a freebie when I bought a scope

The Tilly I found by the side of a trail

 

[Cyres]

The Tilley may have the owners name in it. May be inside the secret pocket. It would be a good gesture to reunite it with its original owner.
D

 

[Stalker62]

OK, it was a close run thing, but the Tilley just got lobbed over the hedge, just in time for departure.




Providing of course I do not lose it (@bowji john) at the side of some 'trail'...let's see what she looks like when we get back shall we...

 

[bowji john]

Have a bloody good trip mate

Not jealous or anything

J

 

[JockStalk]

if you want to get ahead, get a hat.

Have a great trip.

 

[Dunwaters]

That hat is too new for Africa, but it should be perfect once you get back.
Have a great trip and don’t forget, a hat does far more than just sit on your head.

 

[Stalker62]

That hat is too new for Africa, but it should be perfect once you get back.

My travelling companions have wasted no time is pointing out that very fact.

Seems I need to spend less time packing, and more time rolling my glorious new hat in the dirt...

I may just lock it in with the puppy overnight - that should add a sufficient amount of credibly "patina".

 

[Tom_Ov]

You need to be very careful with hats they can be killers. Anyone remember Fred Dibnah sat in bed in hospital with his striped pyjamas on and his greasy flat cap on top with fag in hand. Interviewer asked what had happened, Fred said his hat had nearly killed him. Seemingly Fred was working knocking down a chimney and he'd laid his hat down, not knowing that he'd put it on a load of pigeon Sh1te. He hadn't realised he'd cut the top of his head, hat back on, infection into cut. Cue TV interview in hospital. Classic.

‘Scapular cappyitis or summat…’

 

[NickJ]

A friend's Tilley lost a popper stud for the brim. They sent here a new hat with a big 'R' written on the old one!

 

[Stalker62]

Well the hat made it to Africa and (unsurprisingly) its "newness" was the source of much comment.

How to deal with that?

How to get some "street cred"?

How to get some "patina'?




I know!

Get the lads to drive over it with a Toyota Land Cruiser..





More than that. I then used @Stuart Mitchell knife to cut the stupid string off it.



Add two or three days of sweat, and now we are talking...

 

[opticron1]

Kick it around for a few months and it'll be fine for when you book your 2025 trip............

 

[Dunwaters]

A dribble of bug dope on the brim, then grind some African soil into it

 

[Colonel]

I have just ordered one yesterday for my African trip, from Tilley shop and it should be here Tuesday. There’s lots on EBay, but not the one I wanted, bummer I get 10% off on EBay.

 

[Cyres]

Correct they do write a big R in the old hat but they return it to you.
D

 

[VSS]

Correct they do write a big R in the old hat but they return it to you.
D

I had my old Tilley replaced under guarantee fairly recently. Didn't even have to send the old one away. Just sent photos of the damage, and once they'd assessed that they asked me to draw a big cross in permanent marker over the label, date it, and send a photo to show I'd done it. New hat arrived short afterwards.




I still wear the hat.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

I've got two. One is 21 yrs old, the other a mere 16 yrs old. I used to wear them all the time lure fishing but prefer baseball cap for stalking these days.

 

[Cyres]

So did I
D

 

[Dodder]

Love my Tilley hat - gutted when I stupidly left the last one in a Berlin Hotel room - called back and annoyingly it was never handed in...
Replaced it with another one from Go Outdoors.