# ? Waterproof western straw hat for tropical rainy season?



## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Does anyone have any experience with tightly woven, western straw hats? I'm looking for a good quality one that will turn water and stand up to the tropical rainy season in the Philippines. Sometimes it's the all day, all night downpour of a monsoon. I'm rarely out in those conditions unless there's an emergency. Mostly, it's hot and partly cloudy, with the heavy downpour of a tropical thunderstorm followed by more hot and partly cloudy. It rains like this every day until the dry season picks up again. 

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Up here in arid Wyoming/Montana I do not deal with that. But...

I have friends who claim that any palm leaf hat is good to great in rain. I wore a tightly woven Sunbody when I was in SC and FL and it would eventually leak but was better than nothing. I really wanted my felt, but it wasn't scorching hot, either. 

I know several people that have been in tropical places with horses and they wore whatever the local farmworkers wore. Figured those folks knew how to get along with the climate.


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Thanks boots,

The hat I use now is a basic Filipino farmers hat that I've blocked out western style. Good for the sun, but the open weave lets ALL the rain through. Over time, I've gone to steadily wider brims. Haven't yet gotten to the sombrero style like this one, but I suspect it won't be long. 


If I go Native for the rain, it may end up being this conical one. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_conical_hat


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I second Boots' suggestion of a palm leaf hat. I used to wear those and they held up well in what rain we did get...but they (along with any other straw hat) don't tend to work well in high winds so I transitioned to wearing felt year around.


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Thanks smrobs. I googled palm leaf hats, and saw a bunch of nice ones. I'll check a couple of local Virginia shops before we head out. I hate to buy hats or shoes without trying them on.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

The sombrero style you show is what they wore. And a couple of them still wear them here in the summer.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Palm leaf cowboy hat are the way to go. We get major rain here at the end of the summer, and that's what our local guys use here because that's the only thing that will survive the rain.


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