Outdoor Research Nimbus Sombrero - 2007 BCS

Nice wide brim. It has a very comfortable headband. Brim configuration does not interfere with backpack in the rain. I bought a second one for my son.

On the island of Kauai we have the wettest spot on earth, Mt. Wai'ale'ale, where in March over 90 inches of rain fell. Rainfall records have been broken in every town. But no one sells rain hats. An avid hiker, my research led me to Outdoor Research where I found the Nimbus. I've never found a better all-purpose rain hat. I needed a hat that keeps my head dry when it rains like a waterfall yet doesn't make my head hot, I could adjust to stay on in high winds, and I could stuff in my pocket. The added bonus is the brim doesn't get floppy.

Wore the Nimbus through a heavy wet snow squall yesterday. The Aussie-shaped wide brim did the job and kept me dry neck up...though it did drain all the snow on the back onto the top of my pack, but that was a given. Chin straps annoy me so I tightened the headband's quick cinch system and the wind couldn’t claim it from my head. Despite the good breathing system I have reservations about it being a bit too warm in the summer sun. I like the packability and the foam/plastic brim that can be shaped, crushed, and reshaped. The snaps are well placed and snapping the sides up doesn’t misshape the crown the way Marmot's comparable sombrero does. Did I mention that for what it is, it looks dog-gone good?