I hate it when people start a conversation by saying that they recently bought something that I’d reviewed. Running quite a few websites, I don’t often get time to write reviews, so tend to concentrate on the stuff that I use and like, but you still have the brief moment of dread. What if they didn’t like it? What if they got a faulty one? What if they’re going to ask ME to refund their £20? What if they punch me? Well, I’m happy to say that I’ve met a few people who purchased the Seaskinz Beanie Hat that I reviewed a while back (you can click here to read that review) and they’re all still friends, I’m not financially ruined and I still have all my teeth! In fact, they’ve all thanked me. Phew!
The Sealskinz philosophy appears to be simple – think of an item of outdoor gear that users really depend on, shake the Sealskinz ‘waterproof and windproof’ magic wand at it and come up with the perfect product. Their range includes hats, gloves, and socks in various different guises, all of which seem to do what they’re supposed to do superbly. In the past, I’ve tried out a number of items and never been let down.
The Sealskinz Peaked Beanie Hat is possibly the perfect wet weather fishing hat for me. I love the original Beanie, and it suits my carp fishing well (as well as every other time I’m out in wet weather!). The only thing it lacked, however, was a peak. A peak would have been handy, both when actually fishing in the rain (as opposed to sitting in my bivvy when it’s tipping down and only popping out when I hear the alarms) and also when the sunlight is playing havoc with my eyes.
Sunlight can be a real pain, even when on a boat or the beach, so the addition of a peak is the perfect remedy, and a great addition to what was already a perfect beanie for me.
As well as being waterproof and windproof, Sealskinz beanies are breathable. This is important – no point in stopping water from getting in from the outside, if all that’s going to happen is your head’s going to sweat and make your hair (assuming you have any) wet from the inside!
If you haven’t tried the Sealskinz range yet, have a look at their full range on http://www.sealskinz.com/. The prices are extremely reasonable, especially when you consider that the item you’re buying is built to do a job, not just look pretty. That said, the Sealskinz brand is becoming pretty trendy itself, so the fashion-conscious needn’t worry!
So, given the choice of a plain beanie or a peaked beanie, which would I buy? As this is a fishing website, I’ll say the peaked beanie. Think of it as a weatherproof baseball cap. It ticks so many boxes for me and I can see it being my regular fishing hat on most trips.
Ask me on one of my other websites, though, and I might plump for the plain beanie, simply because I wear it almost every day when out with my dog and feel perfectly comfortable wearing it in public. I’ve never been much of a ‘baseball cap’ man, so would feel a bit self-conscious popping down the shops in my peaked version.
The choice really is yours. You might even find one that suits you better on http://www.sealskinz.com/
Elton
November, 2010
