Hats for Egypt

[MVPinBoynton]

We will be in Egypt for 12 days in mid-September. I know that it will be hot and I will need a hat to protect me from the sun's rays. I am assuming that a hat with a wide brim to protect as much as possible would be what is needed. My question is, should I try to find one here before I go or is there a type of hat that is sold in Egypt that I should get when I arrive in Egypt?

[Spikesgirl]

We plan to go with hats in hand purchased from REI. That's not to say we won't pick something up along the way. Lots of folks on a recent tour (friends went on a CGT -Egypt) also took travel umbrellas and said that they were a great help.

[MVPinBoynton]

Charlie,

Thanks for the recommendation. I hadn't seen the REI site. They do have a lot of choices. More decisions. :) We will be taking umbrellas too. We were very jealous of folks running around Ephesus with them. It did seem like a great way to get out of the direct heat.

[Sekhmet]

Also, if your guide decides the best place to stop and give you an in-depth talk on 3000 years history out is in the sun at midday, please don't be afraid to ask for a move to somewhere marginally cooler!

[MVPinBoynton]

Also, if your guide decides the best place to stop and give you an in-depth talk on 3000 years history out is in the sun at midday, please don't be afraid to ask for a move to somewhere marginally cooler!

 

Excellent point!

[Spikesgirl]

Charlie,

Thanks for the recommendation. I hadn't seen the REI site. They do have a lot of choices. More decisions. :) We will be taking umbrellas too. We were very jealous of folks running around Ephesus with them. It did seem like a great way to get out of the direct heat.

 

The great thing about getting older is that you no longer have to be hip (at least in our case) and can start to do things like tour with umbrellas and big floppy hats. When I was younger, that was so uncool! Now I can't believe how stupid I was! Age is the great educator!

 

Have an incredible trip!

[MVPinBoynton]

Ahh, the benefits of being older. Potentially looking silly is a lot better than looking like a lobster and ruining your trip on the first day. And I no longer think large hats look silly either.:) I see a large hat and think "Smart Person".

[Spikesgirl]

Mike - isn't it amazing how much smarter our folks are now than when we were younger? I used to think my mom lived in the dark ages and now admit readily that she was a hundred times smarter than me at the time. It's truly amazing any of us make it past our teens. So, remember to be nice to your mom (or dad) for one day, we are them! Remind me to call the boy and ask if he's had his eyes checked recently...

[freddie]

We've just returned from a 15-day Silversea cruise from Dubai to Athens, of which many days were spent on the Arabian Peninsula and in Egypt under intense sun. We used the Sunday Afternoons hats we'd bought several years ago for a French Polynesia cruise and were quite happy we had them. They're very lightweight, pack flat, and have excellent wide brims. Here's the website:

http://www.sundayafternoons.com/index.cgi

 

I would definitely recommend that you get your hats in advance, as the selection can vary depending on where you are in Egypt. Further, we did not see anything comparable to a good Sunday Afternoon or REI hat. Most of the hats at the shops in Egypt were baseball caps (not good for sun protection) or really cheap hats without sufficiently broad brims (kind of silly little straw gardening hats or straw versions of cowboy hats).

 

Have fun. The sun in Egypt is brutal; but the sights are fantastic. Cheers, Fred

[MVPinBoynton]

Yes Charlie, they were much wiser. I should have listened to them about my first wife. But when you know everything, you don't have to listen to parents. :D

 

Freddie,

Thanks for that link. I will check it out more tomorrow. They do look great for Egypt.

[MVPinBoynton]

Freddie and Spikesgirl,

We both found hats we liked on Sunday Afternoon. In comparing what was available on REI, I found the Sunday Afternoon hat I wanted on sale, so your recommendation and Spikesgirl's worked out. They look a bit silly, but I am betting that everyone on our trip will be jealous of them. Thanks so much to both of you.

[gdayhoff]

We did Egypt last Sept 16-Oct 2 and it was one of our best cruise/tour.You will enjoy it.A good hat is important but in my opnion sun glasses are a must.

I have a problem wearing sun glasses and normally don't wear them at home and as you know the sun is bright here in Texas.I found a pair slip over/on sun glasses[not cheap] that I really like because they were very easy to slip on or off.They worked like a charm.Definitely take sun glasses whether you wear glasses or not.

[MVPinBoynton]

We don't leave home without our sunglasses. I would imagine Egypt without them would be brutal on the eyes.

[Traveler50]

I would suggest that you buy a Tilley hat. My husband I both have one and we take it everywhere we travel. It might seem more expensive then the average travel hat but it is so well made and easy to pack and very durable so I think it is well worth it. They also have a lifetime guarantee. I copied the guarantee from their website http://www.tilley.com .

GUARANTEED FOR LIFE:

Tilleys are replaced free if they ever wear out, shrink or fall apart. They`re so carefully handcrafted by us in Canada, and made of such strong materials, that many outlive their owners. Final words in the Owner`s Manual? `Pass it on!`

When I send you the Egypt slideshow you'll see the hats. They are sort of a "Indiana Jones" looking hat but more lightweight and khaki colored.

[dpro]

I would suggest that you buy a Tilley hat. My husband I both have one and we take it everywhere we travel. It might seem more expensive then the average travel hat but it is so well made and easy to pack and very durable so I think it is well worth it. They also have a lifetime guarantee. I copied the guarantee from their website www.tilley.com .

GUARANTEED FOR LIFE:

Tilleys are replaced free if they ever wear out, shrink or fall apart. They`re so carefully handcrafted by us in Canada, and made of such strong materials, that many outlive their owners. Final words in the Owner`s Manual? `Pass it on!`

When I send you the Egypt slideshow you'll see the hats. They are sort of a "Indiana Jones" looking hat but more lightweight and khaki colored.

 

I second the Tilley Hat. We have 3 of them and they are exceptional. Even that Egyptian head of Antiquities, (forget his name for now) wears one. When you see him on TV around the pyramids, he has his Tilley hat on. They are rated very high for sun protection and are indestructible. Pack easy also.

 

http://*****.com/6gazac

 

RonC

[MVPinBoynton]

I was trying to find the kind of hat that Dr. Zahi Hawass wears. It looks pretty effective. Thanks for the tip.

[Spikesgirl]

Mike - I have friends who swear by Tilley hats as well.

[MVPinBoynton]

The Tilley hats look quite nice. The Sunday Afternoon Adventurer hat I ordered will be here on Wednesday. It looks like a perfect hat to protect me from the sun; but it is quite unusual looking. If I don't like it, I will try one of the Tilley's.

[cruisemom42]

Just in case there is anyone out there reading this thread who is a dedicated non-hat wearer, it is possible to do without. I took a hat with me on both our cruise stop and land trip to Egypt and never wore it. I can't stand hats but thought I "had" to have one. If you are putting on good sunscreen (several times each day) you will not get burned. Hats seem to make me feel hotter, not cooler...

 

Good sunglasses, however, I agree are a must!!

[MVPinBoynton]

The Sunday Afternoon hat was perfect for keeping out the sun, but it was just too unusual looking for me. We will be ordering a couple of Tilley's. Thanks for all the recommendations.

[tomko2]

Have a look at the "Tilley" style hats made by Columbia available at Sports Authority or Bealls. Columbia has a terrific line of sun protection clothing which was terrific for us on our Med/Egypt. cruise last summer.

Kathy:)