Boonie Hats
Our boonie hats are the classic wide-brim military field hat, built to shade your face, ears and neck in sun, rain and brush. The design goes back to the jungle hats of the Vietnam War, and it is still the hat many troops, hunters and hikers reach for when a ball cap isn't enough.
The lineup covers several distinct styles:
- Classic boonie hats in camo, digital camo and midnight camo, plus a 100% cotton rip-stop version that resists tears.
- Vintage and Vietnam-style boonies, including a Jungle Hat and a Vietnam Veteran Boonie Hat for collectors, reenactors and vets.
- Adjustable boonie hats that let you tighten the fit instead of buying by hat size.
- Bug and sun models: boonies with built-in mosquito netting, one with a neck cover, and a lightweight mesh boonie that vents heat.
- A Thin Blue Line adjustable boonie for law enforcement supporters.
A boonie hat brim runs all the way around, so it keeps sun off the back of your neck as well as your eyes. The traditional design adds a band of loops around the crown for local vegetation, a chin cord to keep the hat on in wind, and vents; check each product page for the features a model has. The soft crown folds flat into a cargo pocket or ruck lid.
A note for service members: DA PAM 670-1 treats the sun (boonie) hat as an issued field item that commanders may authorize in place of the patrol cap. The commercial camo boonies on this page aren't a substitute for your issued hat with the duty uniform, but they are a good choice for training, range days and the outdoors. The guide below covers the wear rules.
How to Choose a Boonie Hat
The right boonie hat depends on where you'll wear it most. Think about climate, insects and how you'll carry it when it's off your head.
Pattern and Color
Woodland-type and classic camo suits green, wooded terrain. Digital camo is popular with airsoft teams. Olive drab and vintage styles give you a plain, period-correct look, and midnight camo suits night games and low-light use. If you hunt, match the hat to the ground cover you sit in, not to your jacket.
Fabric: Cotton Rip-Stop vs. Mesh
Rip-stop cotton has a grid weave that stops small tears from spreading when you push through brush, and it breathes better than heavy synthetics. The lightweight mesh boonie trades some durability for airflow, which helps on hot, humid days and during hard work. In the heat, also look for side vents.
Boonie Hats with Netting or a Neck Cover
Mosquito netting drops down from the brim to keep bugs off your face and rolls up into the crown when you don't need it. A neck cover drapes over the back of the neck and ears, which helps in desert sun or on the water. Both are lighter than carrying a separate head net and sun scarf.
Boonie Hat Sizing and Fit
Fitted boonie hats are sized by head measurement. Wrap a soft tape around your head about an inch above the eyebrows and over the tops of the ears, and choose the size that matches. If you plan to wear a thin watch cap underneath on cold mornings, go one size up. Adjustable boonie hats skip the guesswork: tighten the band for a snug fit, and use the chin cord in wind. Expect a cotton boonie to shrink slightly in a hot wash; cold water and air drying keep the fit.
Boonie Hat Regulations for Soldiers
Paragraph 4-10 of DA PAM 670-1 calls the sun hat an OCIE item for the combat uniform. Soldiers wear it in field environments when the helmet isn't worn, on work details, or where the patrol cap is impractical, as the commander determines. Key wear rules:
- Wear it straight on the head with a snug fit.
- Wear the chin cord under the chin, around the back of the head and neck, or tucked in, but never over the top of the hat.
- Don't roll, shape or turn up the brim.
- Subdued insignia, when worn, centers on the front.
Can You Wear These Boonie Hats in Uniform?
The sun hat is OCIE, issued in the uniform pattern. The boonie hats here are commercial hats in older and civilian camo patterns, so don't wear them in place of your issued hat with the duty uniform. Use them for off-duty training, range days, hunting and fishing. Other services publish their own field headwear rules, and units often set stricter local policies, so check with your chain of command.
Boonie Hats Outside the Military
Fishermen, gardeners, birders, airsoft players and Vietnam-era reenactors all rely on the boonie hat. It costs less than most outdoor-brand sun hats and handles rougher use. Soak it before a hot hike and the brim keeps your head cool for the first few miles. Pair it with a shemagh for desert trips or a head net for summer in the swamp.