Patagonia Vented Spoonbill Hat - 2009 BCS

The 2005 version of the Spoonbill is my all-time favorite ball cap. Close and adjustable fit, a nylon fabric that dries quickly, sheds both rain and snow, keeps the sun off. The long bill that keeps the sun out of your eyes. Can get a bit sweaty when I'm active in hot weather, and has the stains along the crown to prove it. But overall a nice outdoors hat: a simple piece, nicely rendered.

The '09 version of the Spoonbill, now the Vented Spoonbill, replaces the nylon in the sides of the hat with some sort of mesh. This is chillier in cooler weather, but does ventilate better when it's hot. The mesh is fine enough that you won't sunburn through the mesh, and it seems pretty sturdy.

My main gripe about this version of the Spoonbill is that the fit has changed. The cut seems to favor those with rounder heads, whereas my longer front-to-back head seems to constantly be distorting the hat slightly. In a breeze the fit has to be really snug to keep the hat from flying off, to the point that it leaves an impression in my forehead. Not pleasant.

So, an OK hat, biased toward warmer weather use, but not (my opinion) as good as the earlier version of the hat. I'll be interested to see what the next version of the Spoonbill looks like.