[There and Back Again]

... boonie caps... well all of them save for the U.S. Marine Corp's issue (MARPAT) boonie. When did manufacturers start chincing on the brim material?

The MARPAT boonie is crafted perfectly with a wide brim like I remember my OD U.S. Army issue one having back in the late 1980's. Nowadays, every boonie cap I find and/or purchase has nothing but a short brim leaving the boonie caps looking like fisherman's hats rather than a practical campaign cover.

My hats off (once again) to the U.S. Marine Corp for doing it RIGHT through the years.

Propper... Crye Precision... SKD... all you other poser boonie cap manufacturers... take note. Follow the U.S. Marine Corp's lead and quit marketing fishing hats as being boonie caps.

Oh, and for those demanding a comparison "pic" I shall post one later on when I return home. As far as I can tell, non-MARPAT boonie caps have brims about an inch shorter (than that of MARPAT).

 

[semperpie]

MARPAT sombreros

"My hats off (once again) to the U.S. Marine Corp for doing it RIGHT through the years"

You must have missed one of the first run Marpat boonies that looked like a ladies sun hat. More like a sombrero. They were too stupid looking to wear. It might have doubled for an emergency parachute or sleeping bag.


Here is one now!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Combat_Utility_Uniform

 

[Sweets]

As a headshaver from way back, I needs my hats. Boonie hats are the survival version of what I normally wear. I found a good surplus one but it's in the milpat design that stands out everywhere instead of nowhere. Did get an apparently good but very lightweight one from Blackhawk but am waiting for the weather to recycle before I can review it (delivery took forever).

 

[cruciantime]

You looking for this? I have several of these. Wide brim and really nice.

http://www.charleyssurplus.com/woodland_jungle_boonie_hat?keyword=boonie

 

[There and Back Again]

Of course I haven't been around for every single Marine Corp. "innovation" as I wasn't in the Marine Corp.

That said... the newest Army boonie caps have such narrow brims they are unable to be molded to the user's liking. That is unacceptable in my opinion. Has the boonie cap fallen out of favor (by our military) or what?

 

[semperpie]

I loved wearing a good and salty boonie cover. The brim usually only became moldable after a good amount of sweat and filth worked its way into the fabric. The problem with boonie covers was getting permission to wear them anywhere. Even in the sandbox it was garrison covers or kevlar only. No skull caps after sun up. Boo.

 

[Dire88]

We were allowed to wear our boonies only in the summer months in Iraq. Winter months it was back to the PC. I rolled mine with one side rolled up, until I finally got my as$ chewed over it. Then want back to the front and back dipped like my stetson.

Brim did seem kinda small now that I think about it...

 

[GARRARD]

I just looked at my BDU boonie hat and it has the same brim as the ACU one. I think your complaint is about twenty years late.

 

[There and Back Again]

My complaint is twenty years too late?

LMAO!

I think not.

I purchased one recently thinking it was like the 1980's style/shape/size of my old Olive Drab J.O.T.C. I was wrong. That doesn't mean I'm twenty years too late. Thanks for your morale support though. /Not

 

[Freshman]

Out of the 6 boonie hats I own, my USMC issue desert MARPAT one has the shortest brim. The other 5 hats have another 1/4" material.

 

[There and Back Again]

Of the 6 boonies you own... how many of those are made by Propper?

Propper is the manufacturer for the ATAC boonies... and Propper seems to be saving money by leaving the brims of their ATAC boonie hats short. For example, my MARPAT boonie cap (which I thoroughly enjoy wearing thanks to its properly proportioned brim size) has a brim diameter a little less than an inch bigger than that of Propper's ATAC boonie caps.

I place a Propper boonie cap on my head and it is nothing more than a fisherman's hat... with brims so short they cannot be shaped nor molded.

 

[bigblock]

I would never wear a Marine cover if I was Never a Marine. It is a respect think. Wear your Army one.

 

[hammonje]

I'm a civie and will wear any darn cover I so wish. No one cares if you are wearing a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes and the sun from your rear sight.

I also like the wide brimmed boonies for the same reason and have come to the same conclusion as the OP. Contemporary boonies suck. The brim is too small and one looks like an idiot wearing one as it looks too small for your head. The last one I bought and was happy with was one I bought down at Ft. Benning during a competition. Local surplus store. Now they all have this tiny brim.

I think I will get some of the camo wide brimmed variety from Charlie's surplus. Have several Multicam Propper versions. Too small a brim. I wear military uniform parts while I shoot b/c the butt has a lot of room. Not that I have a big ass or anything, but the room makes for comfort and movement while in the shooting positions. These clothes are made so folks can be outdoors, be mobile, and shoot. Same stuff I am doing. I'll continue wearing them and if anyone has issue with it they can kiss my butt.

 

[bigblock]

I'm a civie and will wear any darn cover I so wish. No one cares if you are wearing a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes and the sun from your rear sight.

I also like the wide brimmed boonies for the same reason and have come to the same conclusion as the OP. Contemporary boonies suck. The brim is too small and one looks like an idiot wearing one as it looks too small for your head. The last one I bought and was happy with was one I bought down at Ft. Benning during a competition. Local surplus store. Now they all have this tiny brim.

I think I will get some of the camo wide brimmed variety from Charlie's surplus. Have several Multicam Propper versions. Too small a brim. I wear military uniform parts while I shoot b/c the butt has a lot of room. Not that I have a big ass or anything, but the room makes for comfort and movement while in the shooting positions. These clothes are made so folks can be outdoors, be mobile, and shoot. Same stuff I am doing. I'll continue wearing them and if anyone has issue with it they can kiss my butt.

Next time you are at the surplus store get yourself a Marine or Army expert rifleman badge for shooting competition. You don't get it. You have the right but you look silly in the eyes of ex-military. That is if they know who you are. The Bass Pro shop sells camo for outdoorsman.

 

[2336USMC]

I noticed this in the early 1980's when I bought my first boonie hat. There were 2 common styles, one with a narrow brim (fishing hat) and another style with a much wider brim. they were pretty widely available at the PX and all the local surplus stores. I still have a couple of them somewhere. See "Heartbreak Ridge" for examples of the old woodland camo wide brim style, and see the famous Max Crace painting of the Army sniper team with M21 in Viet Nam for the "fishing hat" style. For some reason most of the boonie hats you see today are the narrow brim style.

As far as modern military camo items, it used to annoy me when I saw civilians wearing US military camo, but I got over it a long time ago. As a citizen, it's your military, you pay for it in taxes, you paid for the development of the clothing designs and camo patterns, and if you want to wear it for your own reasons I say go for it. It's kind of like a football fan wearing a Raiders jersey.

I draw the line at a civilian wearing official US military insignia or rank on the clothing. Don't wear it if you don't rate it.

BTW, if you look closely at official USMC MARPAT, it has Eagle Globe and Anchor USMC emblems concealed within the pattern. Most if not all "MARPAT" you can buy in the civilain world does not have the EGAs, and is unofficial fabric.

 

[danthman114]

when we were issued the the original marpat boonies they did indeed have a wide brim but for some reason they stopped selling them. they all went to a smaller brim. alot of marines didnt like the big brim covers because they would block eyesight when the wind or rain pushed it down. so they made smaller ones that held shape better. now im talking about the originals with the ega on the front and in the pattern and with a terrycloth sweatband not the look alikes.

 

[PhrogRider]

It's possible to get the real deal and not have the EGA in the pattern. I was disappointed to not be able to find one on the desert print one I picked up on my last visit to MCRD. My woodland print has them. I do like the embroidered EGA they have on the front. Nice touch.

 

[danthman114]

It's possible to get the real deal and not have the EGA in the pattern. I was disappointed to not be able to find one on the desert print one I picked up on my last visit to MCRD. My woodland print has them. I do like the embroidered EGA they have on the front. Nice touch.

the little ega is every 18" in the material, if it does not have it its fake. however, i guess its possible that the cuts of the fabric just missed it. or if it doesnt have and embroitered ega it is indeed fake.

 

[chickenfried]

Not even in the same ballpark. Boonie hats are good, cheap, and easy to find. Doubt many ex-military grind their teeth at seeing a civilian wearing a boonie hat. If buying a surplus boonie hat is bad what about a surplus garand, lol?

Next time you are at the surplus store get yourself a Marine or Army expert rifleman badge for shooting competition. You don't get it. You have the right but you look silly in the eyes of ex-military. That is if they know who you are. The Bass Pro shop sells camo for outdoorsman.

 

[danthman114]

Not even in the same ballpark. Boonie hats are good, cheap, and easy to find hats. Doubt many ex-military grind their teeth at seeing a civilian wearing a boonie hat

i dont care if they do unless they start saying they were in. then the questions start...