Even on the travel trail, fashions change. These changes are gradual, especially among backpackers, but then one day you look up and notice a certain item everywhere you look.
The most recent shift has been in headwear. It used to be baseball caps, bucket hats, sun hats, and ski beanies in cold places. Then it shifted to Fidel-type caps and…hats like the one pictured here. I’m not sure if it can be traced back to Justin Timberlake’s breakout or just fedoras coming around again in the fashion cycle, but now these small-brimmed classic-style hats are all the rage. Tourist shops from Prague to Playa del Carmen now have them in dozens of styles and colors.
Outdoor Research, known best for its rugged adventure wear, is treating this development with the appropriate sense of humor. They’ve put out a wool hat that is true to the style, but performs two other functions. Most notably, like the Reef Fanning sandals I love and my wife hates, there’s a bottle opener! If you’re out and need to pop the top off a bottle of beer, you’re all set. In this case it’s detachable from the elastic loop. (Handy when I’m walking my daughter to school and don’t want to look like a complete lush.)
The other bonus is a tucked away section that goes over your ears, keeping them warm when the temperature drops or snow starts blowing. There are even little pockets in said ear flaps that can hold your music earbuds.
If the weather gets warm, you’re set there too: there’s a built-in moisture-sucking headband to keep the wool off your sweaty brow. Hey, it looks better than a baseball cap and does a lot more too.
The Odd Job Hat from Outdoor Research comes in two old-school color combinations and lists for $45. It comes in several sizes for a good fit.
Search for the Odd Job Hat online
