Best Crushable Travel Hats: Tenth Street Hats

“Did you feel that?” asks my second camera operator, “I felt a few raindrops.” No sooner has he said it than it begins to downpour.

“Quick, throw a tarp over the gear and raincoats on the cameras!” I exclaim. We are standing on the top of a mountain in Granby, Colorado with no shelter in sight. We’re filming a show on building off the grid, and this is the last place you want to be unprepared for.

Best Crushable Travel Hats

I’m dressed accordingly, though, so all I have to worry about when the rain starts is keeping the gear dry. In years past, it’s been hit or miss with how my hat fared in these spontaneously wet conditions. Thankfully, my Outback hat, which is part of the Scala Hats Collection from Tenth Street Hats, has me covered. It’s become my go-to for outdoor film sites.

Filming on set wearing a Tenth Street Hat. Photo courtesy Benjamin Rader

A water-repellent wool felt hat, the Outback has a 3-inch brim that keeps the sun and rain off my head and neck. When we were getting pounded with rain on top of the mountain, the Outback kept my head dry and stayed on nice and tight.

While the hat has a chin-cord which I don’t use too much, it came in handy as it was a windy day atop the mountain. Tenth Street Hats also included foam inserts I could use to get the perfect fit for my head type.

A Hat That Holds Up Well

What I like most about the hat is that it is crushable, meaning I can wear this hat all day while shouldering a video camera. The brim can be crushed against the camera while I’m working and when I put it down, the Outback hat brim resumes its shape, keeping me from getting a sunburn.

Crushable for most of us though means you can pack it into a stuffed suitcase without regard and pull it out at your destination in its original form. This is helpful for me since I do a lot of traveling for work.

Working in the Everest, a travel hat from Tenth Street Hats. Photo courtesy Benjamin Rader — Working in the Outback, a travel hat from Tenth Street Hats. Photo courtesy Benjamin Rader

The last thing you want when you reach your destination is to open up your suitcase and find your hat has lost its shape.

On a recent work trip to a festival in Ohio, the Outback packed right into the corner of my suitcase and came out ready to work. Everyone on set loved the look. Best of all is I only had to pack one hat for both work and play. The hat worked well with my evening attire when we walked Main Street for some local grub.

When you’re on the road as much as I am, it’s nice to have travel gear you trust to perform. My Outback hat is a good example of that.

Women’s Travel Hats by Tenth Street Hats

Tenth Street Hats also makes a full line of women’s hats. Many are suitable for travel, including the Raffia hat, a lightweight hat that holds up well in a suitcase. Go World editor Janna Graber recommends filling the hats with scarves or socks, then surrounding it with soft rolled clothing in your suitcase. The hat arrives in perfect condition at your destination.