I was born with a curse... male-pattern baldness.

At the tender age of 26, I realized my hair had to go, and that I would embrace a freshly shaven dome each morning. The only problem with that? I live a life of adventure. From hanging out in my backyard in Dallas, to trekking through the mountains of Ethiopia, I've always felt more at home in the outdoors. That meant my newly bald head needed some armor.

Enter the Tilley Endurables LTM5 Airflo. Its first test? Surviving my honeymoon to St. John and Jost Van Dyke in the US and British Virgin Islands.

The LTM5 performed admirably. My head survived the sun's tropical rays during hikes, the sea's salty spray while kayaking, and a thousand kisses from my beautiful wife. Sun burned and peely scalp? Not today. - Samuel Scott

Calloused hands, tanned face, a ready smile. And a Tilley hat. For as long as I can remember those traits are in my mind regarding my dad. I don’t think there was ever a time my kids didn’t see grandpa working hard and wearing his Tilley. Whether it was fixing a tractor at Rockwood Acres or leading a trip through Malawi Africa, there was “the Tilley”. It was like he was never really dressed till he had the hat on. To me it I has been a symbol of what real fatherhood is all about. You work hard, you love your family and you don’t hold back. That’s the legacy I want to pass on to my kids as well.

- Dad’s words by Matthew

As long as I can remember, I’ve loved being out of doors an out in nature. While that youthful appreciation of the outdoors never developed into epic trips to exotic and mysterious locales, it has fostered a sort of “layman’s adventurousness” that I’ve carried into my adult life and now aim to pass on to my children.

A big part of my outdoor adventures have always been my trusted Tilley hats, of which I now own three (excluding various caps and a toque) with my olive T3 being my go-to hat because I love it’s versatility. My wife owns two Tilley hats of her own and appreciates the quality and sun-protection, although she’s less enthusiastic than I am in terms of wearing it all the time.

My three boys started with your now-discontinued “Top-Notch Toppers” (which by the way you should bring back because I get so many compliments on the Sand/Navy one my 2-year-old was passed down from his brothers) and the two oldest have since graduated to their denim “My First Tilleys” which they love, although I had to get crafty and add some snaps because they wanted to copy my T3’s look. Once my oldest’s head gets a little tight in his current hat I’ll take him shopping for a Wanderer as the black snaps are very sharp and the weathered look is appealing.

I’ve turned many friends and family members into Tilley-wearers either through gifts or referrals, and my wife often jokes I should be a Tilley salesman, which is something I would consider were I not already well-entrenched in an rewarding career. Nevertheless I’m more than happy to spread the good word of Tilley to anyone who will listen.

Attached is a recent picture from a family trip to Hecla Island Provincial Park in Manitoba. My older boys, aged 4 and 6, were desperate for one last adventure before leaving for home. Happy to oblige, we hopped out of the van and explored the Grassy Narrows Marsh on the southern end of the island while snacking on some apples. This picture was taken on the boardwalk leading through the marsh to a deeper-water area where an observation post offers a stunning vista of marsh life.

According to my photo’s geotag it says that we are in the Municipality of Bifrost, so I call this photo “Crossing the Bifrost”. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks, - John Russell

As long as I can remember, I’ve loved being out of doors an out in nature. While that youthful appreciation of the outdoors never developed into epic trips to exotic and mysterious locales, it has fostered a sort of “layman’s adventurousness” that I’ve carried into my adult life and now aim to pass on to my children.

A big part of my outdoor adventures have always been my trusted Tilley hats, of which I now own three (excluding various caps and a toque) with my olive T3 being my go-to hat because I love it’s versatility. My wife owns two Tilley hats of her own and appreciates the quality and sun-protection, although she’s less enthusiastic than I am in terms of wearing it all the time.

My three boys started with your now-discontinued “Top-Notch Toppers” (which by the way you should bring back because I get so many compliments on the Sand/Navy one my 2-year-old was passed down from his brothers) and the two oldest have since graduated to their denim “My First Tilleys” which they love, although I had to get crafty and add some snaps because they wanted to copy my T3’s look. Once my oldest’s head gets a little tight in his current hat I’ll take him shopping for a Wanderer as the black snaps are very sharp and the weathered look is appealing.

I’ve turned many friends and family members into Tilley-wearers either through gifts or referrals, and my wife often jokes I should be a Tilley salesman, which is something I would consider were I not already well-entrenched in an rewarding career. Nevertheless I’m more than happy to spread the good word of Tilley to anyone who will listen.

Attached is a recent picture from a family trip to Hecla Island Provincial Park in Manitoba. My older boys, aged 4 and 6, were desperate for one last adventure before leaving for home. Happy to oblige, we hopped out of the van and explored the Grassy Narrows Marsh on the southern end of the island while snacking on some apples. This picture was taken on the boardwalk leading through the marsh to a deeper-water area where an observation post offers a stunning vista of marsh life.

According to my photo’s geotag it says that we are in the Municipality of Bifrost, so I call this photo “Crossing the Bifrost”. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks, - John Russell

My Tilley IS my Dad’s Tilley,

My father, Robert, always wore his Tilley and looked for any reason to tell people about how much he loved his hat. He followed the advise of always telling another Tilley wearer, “Nice Hat”. Honestly I thought my dad was losing it, but he loved his hat. All our family pictures had my father in his Tilley hat. He tried to talk me into wearing one, but for some unknown reason I always refused.

After my father passed in 2013, the only physical item I wanted was his Tilley hat. I slowly found myself wearing his hat although I had to knee stretch it out as it was 2 sizes too small! I found wearing the hat made me feel closer to my father. The icing on the cake was when my son asked to hike part of the Appalachian trail. I immediately grabbed my father's Tilley hat and wore it through the whole trip. After the hike, I broke down and purchased both a summer and winter Tilley. My Winter Tilley kept me warm during a family trip to Iceland and my Summer Tilley was perfect for Ireland.

I am now a full convert to the Tilley lifestyle and feel confident that my son will also carry on the tradition. When hiking in the woods, I can almost hear my dad say, “Nice Hat”. I also failed to mention that my father was Robert Sr., I am Robert Jr., and my son is Robert III. The name and simple tradition of Tilley hats will live on through my family for generations to come. - Robert L Bays Jr.

My Tilley hat that has travelled the globe and now has saved me from a very bad cut to my head. While spraying a wasp nest, unfortunately in the daytime, I had to run away quickly from the nest. While turning and running I ran into the metal eavestrough drain pipe which has a very sharp edge. Blood poured down my face while I raced in my vehicle to the hospital for repair. I kept the hat tight to my head to reduce the bleeding and it was blood drenched by the time I arrived. The Dr. said the hat potentially save me from what could have been very, very serious lacerations deep into my skull. The cotton sure took the blunt edge and protected my skull from being penetrated really deep.

The blood washed off, and the cut is my reminder of why you need the Tilley on outdoors, especially when you don’t have much hair. After telling many friends they suggested I share the story since hiking in the bush could have the very same potentially bad tree branch do the same thing. This hat has protected me from sun, rain, hail, and now a very serious injury if not life threatening injury. - Paul

On a recent canoe trip, down the French Broad River in NC, my husband and I hit a stationary log in the water and were stuck.We used our oars to get the canoe off of the log, but the canoe was quickly turned around sideways to the current and tipped over dumping us and our contents into the swiftly rushing river. My Tilley Hat stayed on, as I had just pulled the straps down under my chin.

My husband, righted the canoe. It was filled with water, which made it very heavy, but, was still floating.The current was swift, and started moving away. We grabbed on and floated down the river with the canoe.The river banks were 90° to the water, so we couldn’t get out of the river, as there was no shore. We kept floating. We saw an area ahead with piled up tree debris, so we steered the canoe over. We were exhausted but able to stand on the debris and tie the canoe to a branch. All we had to bail water with, was a water bottle. That seemed like emptying a swimming pool with a teaspoon. My husband looked at me and asked me to give him my Tilley Hat. He said it’s water proof and it might work to bail water. Well, the Tilley Hat worked as a bailer! It held about 2 quarts of water! Not only did it hold the water, but the brim was very sturdy and made dumping the water easy. The bailing went much faster, and we were able to climb back in the canoe and finish our trip.

We decided we needed to include a bail bucket on our next canoe trip. But after reconsidering, we decided buying another Tilley Hat was the better recourse.River canoeing has its hazards, and our day could have turned out differently.

I am grateful that I had my Tilley hat. - Sue Tice

On a recent canoe trip, down the French Broad River in NC, my husband and I hit a stationary log in the water and were stuck.We used our oars to get the canoe off of the log, but the canoe was quickly turned around sideways to the current and tipped over dumping us and our contents into the swiftly rushing river. My Tilley Hat stayed on, as I had just pulled the straps down under my chin.

My husband, righted the canoe. It was filled with water, which made it very heavy, but, was still floating.The current was swift, and started moving away. We grabbed on and floated down the river with the canoe.The river banks were 90° to the water, so we couldn’t get out of the river, as there was no shore. We kept floating. We saw an area ahead with piled up tree debris, so we steered the canoe over. We were exhausted but able to stand on the debris and tie the canoe to a branch. All we had to bail water with, was a water bottle. That seemed like emptying a swimming pool with a teaspoon. My husband looked at me and asked me to give him my Tilley Hat. He said it’s water proof and it might work to bail water. Well, the Tilley Hat worked as a bailer! It held about 2 quarts of water! Not only did it hold the water, but the brim was very sturdy and made dumping the water easy. The bailing went much faster, and we were able to climb back in the canoe and finish our trip.

We decided we needed to include a bail bucket on our next canoe trip. But after reconsidering, we decided buying another Tilley Hat was the better recourse.River canoeing has its hazards, and our day could have turned out differently.

I am grateful that I had my Tilley hat. - Sue Tice

My boyfriend, Troy, and I both have Tilley hats that we are always wearing on our adventures. Our Tilley hats have been all around the world with us, from a road trip from California to Ontario, every sailing adventure we go on, across Europe and all the way over to New Zealand. Our most recent trip found us in Newfoundland at the Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park on the west coast of the province. These hats have provided us with comfort and sun safety, (and made us fashionable!) while we are out adventuring and now we never leave home without them.

Neither of us knew that a hat could be so important to our lives. - Kaylee McDonald and Troy Pemberton

I am an avid outdoorsman who loves to fish, hunt, and go on ATV adventures. My wife and I are avid Tilley hat and clothing wearers.

My Grandmother always wore her hat around the camp and in her garden, this is why I am such a big Tilley supporter from a very young age. I will always wear my Tilley hat proudly; I own a few Tilley ball caps as well. I am a proud Canadian and proud of the Canadian quality made Tilley products.

Regards, - Jason Godin

Hat Stories

YOUR STORIES

Everyday people sharing their
#tilleylife stories.

Hat Stories

YOUR STORIES

Everyday people sharing their#tilleylife stories.

Everyday people sharing their
#tilleylife stories.