Boonie hat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A boonie hat is a form of wide-brim hat commonly used by militaries. Its design is similar to a bucket hat but with a stiffer brim. Often a fabric tape band of 'branch loops' is sewn around the crown of the hat. This 'foliage ring' is meant to hold additional vegetation as camouflage. A strap provides stability. The crown may be vented with rivets or mesh panels. Snaps may also be provided with which to fix the brim in the style of an Australian bush hat. They are also known as bush hats.
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[edit] U.S. Military Boonie Hat
The boonie hat was introduced to the U.S. military during the Vietnam War, when U.S. Army Green Berets began wearing them in the field, along with Australian and ARVN units.[1] These tigerstripe boonie hats were locally procured, the tiger stripe camo cloth was usually salvaged from other uniform items or made up by the tailor. In 1967, the US Army began issuing boonie hats, as the "Hat, Jungle, with Insect Net", made of cotton and wind-resistant poplin, in both olive drab, tigerstripe, and M65 ERDL.[2] It was meant to supplement and replace the fatigue hats and baseball style caps that had been in service since World War II. While it was liked by troops in the field, it was scorned as slovenly by spit and polish officers such as Creighton Abrams.[3] As the U.S. military evolved away from a garrison mentality, the boonie found a permanent place as part of the uniform of all services. The boonie has changed little through the decades since Vietnam and is still in use in Iraq and Afghanistan as an alternative to the Patrol cap. The U.S. Military boonie hat has come in a variety of camouflage patterns; the current assortment includes US M81 woodland, three-color desert, ACUPAT, and both desert and woodland versions of MARPAT. Early issue boonie hats were olive drab.[4]
[edit] Hat, Camouflage (Tropical Combat) Type II
In 1968 the Army authorized use of the woodland ERDL pattern (Engineering Research Development Laboratory) material, used in the 1969 and later production of hats in cotton rip-stop material. These were labeled, "Hat, Camouflage (Tropical Combat) Type II" with contract dates starting in 1968. They were in use from 1968 for both the Army and Air Force, and from 1969-70 for the Marine Corps and Navy.[5]
[edit] Hat, Sun, Hot Weather
Later boonies are called "Hat, Sun" or "Hat, Sun, Hot Weather", which is still the designation for this type of cover. They are made in various patterns, in cotton rip-stop or nylon blend cloth.[6]
