Packing light is essential when you’re hiking as storage and weight come at a premium. Each item you bring or wear needs to be carefully chosen. The Buff Pack Trek Cap is a lightweight and packable hat that is easy to justify bringing along. Constructed with breathable side panels and ultralight fabric, the Trek Cap weighs only 28g. The cap also keeps you protected from the sun with UPF 50+ / UPF 40+ (side panels) and a well sized bill. If you do find yourself sweating, a low profile sweatband wicks the moisture to prevent it from dripping into your eyes. Buff only offers the Trek Cap in a black color and size, with an adjustable velcro closure and stretchable fabric to accommodate most head sizes.
With its lightweight and breathable design the Buff Pack Trek Hat is a great option to bring along on any adventure to stay protected from the sun.
| Category | Travel Gear |
| Rating | Design: A- Comfort: A Fit: A Value: A- |
| Retail Price | $30 |
| Measured weight (in g) | 28 |
| Likes | + Lightweight and foldable design + Bill provides good sun protection + Machine washable |
| Dislikes | – Premium price – Lack of color options |
| Where to Buy (US) | Buff |
DESIGN
The Buff Pack Trek Cap is constructed with multiple panels instead of a traditional single piece of fabric shaped in a rounded/bowl form. Unlike most hats that have in-your-face branding, the Buff Pack Trek Cap/Hat has minimal branding limited to the front left above the bill and the strap in the back. What makes this cap unique is the bill is soft enough to be foldable but stiff enough to stay rigid and block the sun. This also means that you can regularly machine wash it although we recommend you put it in a netted/washing bag to prevent the velcro from getting caught on other clothes. Also, don’t be fooled by the length of the bill out of the box as we initially did. Upon wearing it, we realized it was surprisingly long enough to provide enough sun cover. The cap is made of polyester/elastane fabric blend and provides UPF 50+ protection. The side panels which are meshed/perforated are rated to provide UPF 40+ protection. Unfortunately, the cap is only available in Black at the time of this review.
COMFORT & FIT
While the usual baseball style hats which are made of thicker fabric are intolerable to wear on hot days, the Buff Pack Trek Cap is made of lightweight polyester that has a 4-way stretch to conform to the shape of your head to ensure a comfortable fit. The cap is also very airy with vented side panels and has a sweatband under the bill that keeps perspiration from traveling down. We found the Trek Cap kept the sun out of our eyes and was comfortable even in a recent 100°F heat wave. Even though the cap is packable, the bill still held its form well over multiple uses and washes. Although the Trek Cap is only available in a single size, the adjustable velcro and stretchable fabric was comfortable for everyone who tried it.
THE VERDICT
Overall we found that the Buff Pack Trek Cap was an excellent lightweight and packable cap. The multi-panel construction and ventilated design made it comfortable to wear the Trek Cap in any weather condition. We appreciated the sun protection the bill offered, and the UPF rating of that fabric itself, particularly on hot days. It was also easy to justify bringing the Trek cap along for hikes and even errands as it was easy to pack away when not needed. While the Trek Cap doesn’t offer the multi-wear options that Buff is so well known for, the combination of sun protection, ventilation and packability make the Trek Cap an easy piece of gear to recommend.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Buff. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.