Living in Colorado, hiking, running and spending time in the mountains, we have become a hat wearing family. Having worn the Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat for quite a few years, I was familiar with the brand, but after visiting their booth at Winter Outdoor Retailer this year,
I was very impressed with the wide variety of full coverage sunhats for both adults and kids, along with a wide array of lightweight, breathable running/everyday caps and visors. When presented with the opportunity to review, I immediately jumped at the chance and was eager to see what Sunday afternoons had to offer beyond the one hat from them I was familiar with.
The Adventure Hat has been my go to for long mountain hikes, days at fairs, festivals, farmers markets, the beach, the pool or wherever I know I will have the sun beating down on me for a long period of time. Coverage is extensive, providing neck protection and a wide shadow that keeps me from getting cooked. For running however, the Adventure Hat is a bit too thick, bulky, heavy and keeping the sun off of my head becomes secondary to staying cool and ventilated.
Enter the Ultra Adventure Hat, which is not quite as airy and vented as a ball cap or visor, but provides an excellent balance of the wide brimmed sun protection that I have come to appreciate along with breathibility for those long runs in the hot summer sun.
The visor of the Ultra Adventure Hat is a bit thinner and more flexible than the Adventure hat, but provides enough structure to keep it from flapping in the wind and folds for easy stowing. The materials are very thin and quick drying with a wicking sweatband, ample venting on either side and an SPF 50+ rating. It also has an adjustable cinch strap in the rear to keep the hat secure, as well as an adjustable chin strap to keep it from flying away in strong winds (super handy on windy days and on high ridgelines).
A newer feature which also drew me in was the Sunglass Lock, small slits above the brim on either side of the head to slide the arms of your sunglasses into. Trying to insert the sunglasses while on the run however proved to be difficult for me and even a little futzy when stopped, but some glasses slide in easier than others. It is a great idea, but takes some practice to utilize. The Ultra Adventure Hat comes in 2 sizes, Medium and Large that will fit the majority of normal adult sized noggins and costs $42.
The sunglass lock helps hold glasses in place very securely.
Sunday Afternoons Journey Cap - $28
The Journey Cap is very thin, light and comfortable, breathable and fits well with an adjustable strap on the back. You can wear the Journey Cap for just about any activity, but I like the looks and comfort so much, I preserve it for my everyday cap.
Sunday Afternoons Eclipse Cap - $32
The Eclipse has become my favorite trail running hat and is especially handy, as it has flaps that easily flip back/forth to either keep out sun or keep out drafts when on summits with a cold breeze. The Eclipse cap has a very secure rear strap and the shape confirms perfectly to my head and works very well with the ends of my sunglass stems to help keep glasses in place (where some other hats I have had in the past have conflicted with my sunglasses causing them to bounce or shift awkwardly). Additionally, the bill folds in half, which is great when swapping over to a beanie, the cap folds and fits nicely into a pack or hydration vest.
The Eclipse works really well to help keep sunglasses secure.
Kid's Clear Creek Boonie - $28
Anyone with kids understands the challenges encountered with kids and hats. Too hot, too dumb looking, not enough coverage, too much coverage or they blow off in the wind, never to be seen again. The Kid's Clear Creek Boonie nails all of these points with stylish colors kids will like, are not too big, yet offer ample coverage. They are secure with a cinch strap, as well as a removable chin strap to keep them from flying off in the wind. The Clear Creek Boonie is also reversible to keep things fresh and interesting.
I can't say enough good things about Sunday Afternoon hats. They offer a wide range of hats for hiking, running, casual use or just about any outdoor activity for the entire family. Quality is top notch, as well as attention to detail and well thought out features/styles.
All Smiles in our Sunday Afternoon hats!
Jeff Valliere is a former pro cyclist who now runs and climbs the mountains of Colorado. He has been top 5 Masters, top 25 overall, at the Pike's Peak Marathon several times, finishing 2d Masters in 2015. Jeff loves vertical accumulating more than 500,000 vertical feet per year, has climbed all the Colorado 14's and 200 of the 13's and has held FKT on several.
The products reviewed in this article were provided at no cost. The opinions herein are entirely the author's
Comments Questions Welcome Below!
Visit our 2018 Previews Page here for 2018 run shoe, apparel, and gear previews.
Watch our YouTube Channel here for 2018 Run Shoe Previews and Wearable Tech Reviews
Visit our Index Page here for over 80 in depth 2017 & 2018 shoe and gear reviews
Like & Follow Road Trail Run
Facebook:roadtrailrun.com Twitter: @roadtrailrun
Instagram:roadtrailrun RTR YouTube: RoadTrailRun
RoadTrailRun receives a commission for purchases through the stores below.
Your purchases help support RoadTrailRun's work. Thanks!
2 comments:
Following
I just picked up the Ultra Adventure hat for Tahoe Rim Trail 100 race in another month and really dig it. It's light, comfy, lots of coverage and doesn't seem to bother me. While it certainly runs warmer than a Patagonia trucker, I don't think it'll be too bad.
Post a Comment