Who Among Us Wears a Smokey Bear/Campaign hat?

[The Latin Scot]

A good question I always had was when is it appropriate to wear these hats?   

 

Weekly Troop meetings?  COH? Only when hiking and carrying your hiking stick?  Sitting around at camp?  To the grocery?

 

I wear mine whenever I am in uniform, excepting of course places where it would be deemed in appropriate or unsuited to the activity (places of worship, eating places, any place my grandmother is around, etc.). But I look for opportunities to have it on, not for the times when I have to take it off. 

[mgood777]

Got mine!

 

[Eamonn]

I hate hats and caps.

Unfortunately I have to wear a ball type hat for work as it is part of our uniform.

Fortunately a couple of years back we were allowed to wear wooly type hats that do keep your ears warm.

 

I do own a campaign hat.

Bought it on line.

Can't help thinking it was from this site ??

Back in the day there was an area that you could buy stuff ?

But maybe I'm wrong!!

 

I have the BSA head band and seem to have lost the chin strap and rain covers.

It has lived very nicely hanging in a press for a good number of years.

Up until a few weeks back when I did the BP presentation at the WB instructional camp fire.

 

Have a distant memory of my brother trying to clean one over a steaming kettle of water back when he was a Boy Scout in London.

Can't seem to remember him wearing it!!

Not long after I became a Scout the UK uniform went to a green beret, with a fairly large metal badge you push through.

Then as now most of the time you will find my head cover pushed down the back of my pants !!

 

Eamonn 

[Stosh]

I tend to wear hats except when sleeping and eating.  I have a Smoky hat, well worn, flat brim went by the wayside within the first 3 months and now it has "character".  I wear the Expedition BSA hat for serious scouting.  It has the Philmont brands and 2010 Centennial brand burned on the brim.  I wear a Expedition style hat (black felt) when not scouting and a Expedition style hat (tan with mesh) in the summer.  Now all these hats have a ton of "character" and for some reason I get a ton of complements on all of them.  I have no idea why because my Mrs. thinks they belong in the garbage and is always bugging me to get a new one.  Maybe someday.

 

Just recently the people at the Red Cross Chapter where I volunteer called me a TV celebrity when I got back from Houston.  Unbeknownst to me, one of the networks video taped me at the Houston headquarters loading up my Emergency Relief Vehicle.  The people back home knew it was me because of the stupid hat.   

 

In my avatar picture is my $175 Civil War officers' hat.  It's the best looking of the bunch and after 10 years of reenacting it looks brand new.  Do I take care of it any better than the rest?  Nope, but it is made of beaver and of course it is waterproof, great for being outdoors in the rain.

 

All my hats are full brimmed.  Baseball caps are useless.  No matter how you wear it, you are either going to get rain on your glasses, sun burned ears, or water down the back of your neck.  Just isn't my cup of tea.

[eagle90]

In cleaning out my dad's attic after he passed away last March, I found my old campaign hat I received as a member of the New York World's Fair Service Corps in 1965!  And it still fit!

The rest of my body has grown tremendously since then, but the head is still the same size!

[CubDad240]

Yes, for sure.  I want my Cub Scouts to get the full experience, and that means a Cubmaster in a campaign hat!  Mine is a vintage Stetson Scoutmaster.  Judging by the felt, it's mostly rabbit/hare fur.

 

[WisconsinMomma]

My husband has a similar hat from the Army that he modified and wears occasionally. 

[cm289]

 My son (currently a Bear) and I wear ours on hikes, campouts, and other outdoors activities. Not so much for regular meetings; I have him wear the standard Bear baseball hat and I tend to go hatless. (The one in the pic is vintage US Army, not BSA)

Edited March 16, 2019 by cm289
Added info

[PinkPajamas]

Are there any rules against modifying a hat? .....like cutting a hole to pull a ponytail through? 

[ParkMan]

55 minutes ago, PinkPajamas said:

Are there any rules against modifying a hat? .....like cutting a hole to pull a ponytail through? 

In the BSA Guide to Awards and Insignia:

Quote

The Rules and Regulations and policy. The following pages contain our uniform policy as taken from the Rules and Regulations of the Boy Scouts of America. The chapters contain applications of the regulations to each program area. Neither the Rules and Regulations of the Boy Scouts of America, the policy, nor the program applications may be added to or changed in any way unless approved by the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America through its Pilots and Program Development Department.

 

In short - technically the BSA rules prohibit modifications to uniform items - like the hat.  So, technically no - you cannot cut a hole in it for a ponytail.

Now, in practice - I see uniform modifications from time to time.  You might get the odd look from time to time, but most Scouters wouldn't say a thing.  Some would even say - "great idea".

[Eagle94-A1]

I don't recommend it. The hole will get bigger and ragged over time. Only reason I keep mine with the holes is that A) it is a reminder to me to ALWAYS keep safety #1 when on the range and not assume that everyone is listening and following instructions and B) to show shooters on a range what could possibly happen when they are not paying attentions and following safety rules. Yes, my Smokey Bear has holes in it from a rifle range. My fault and I was lucky.

Thanks for the reminder, I got to pack that Smokey for this weekend.

 

[cm289]

My collection of BSA campaign hats (except the one in the very back, it’s US Army). 

[qwazse]

On 3/28/2019 at 8:03 AM, Eagle94-A1 said:

I don't recommend it ... my Smokey Bear has holes in it from a rifle range. ...

I think @Eagle94-A1, that speaks against the method. Not against hole punches in general.

However, I agree that these hats are not amenable to modifications. Holes in the brim = water straight under your collar on a rainy day.

@PinkPajamas, maybe some advice from National Park Service rangers might help. I have seen some pictures of rangers with their chin strap in back, and their bun/ponytail above that and below the brim. Any female rangers out there with other advice?

[Eagle94-A1]

1 hour ago, qwazse said:

I think @Eagle94-A1, that speaks against the method. Not against hole punches in general.

However, I agree that these hats are not amenable to modifications. Holes in the brim = water straight under your collar on a rainy day.

 

Yes, I do not think my method of putting holes in my hat is a good one. Being shot at by German Scouts was not fun. 

And yes holes in the brim and body lead to water under the collar and in your hair. Definately need a raincover when I wear it out.

 

My "new" Smokey however is still in it's press and only worn for ceremonial stuff. 25 years old and still looks new.