About Sunday Afternoons: Located in Southern Oregon, Sunday Afternoons was established in 1990. The company name was derived after the time of the week when most people head to outdoors. The hats are so effective in providing coverage for UVA and UVB, even doctors recommend using one when doing outdoor activities. With their success, Sunday Afternoons also offers a designer line of picnic blankets, leisure accessories, and other sun protection products.

Attractive and effective in providing sun protection, the Adventure hat uses Supplex nylon that has an UPF rating of 45

Impressions: With the constant exposure to UV light while fishing it's important to cover up. Anglers look to high SPF sunblock, wearing long sleeve clothing, and wearing head protection to keep those damaging rays off our skins. Sunday Afternoons Adventure Sun Hat is designed with functionality in mind, but off the bat was among the most attractive hats that we have seen to date.

Supplex: Engineered by DuPont, Supplex Nylon provides the soft supple feel of cotton with the strength, durability, and performance advantages of nylon. Supplex is currently used in many articles of outdoor and active wear and is designed to be ultra lightweight, breathable, water resistant, and won't wrinkle, shrink, or fade.

Using a Supplex nylon material provides many benefits to this hat.  Also notice the rear sizing tape for a custom fit and the side mesh panels for good ventilation

Design: The well thought out construction of the Adventure hat is designed to maximize the protection to both your face and neck while you're fishing. To start off, the material plays an important role in the makings of this hat. As you have read above, the Supplex material has many advantages over standard nylon. The 2-ply Supplex nylon has a tight weave that holds a rating of 45 Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF). Unlike a SPF rating used for lotions, the UPF rating refers to the weave and construction of the fabric which means it will provide permanent protection without washing off. In addition Sunday Afternoons applies a reflection agent to repel the UV light. With this combination the overall protection is excellent.

The Sunday Afternoons outdoor hat has a flexible 4" brim that incorporates a downward slope to further assist in shading the entire face while still allowing adequate vision. In addition, a foam core is added to the brim and allows the Adventure hat to stay afloat if it ever falls into the water while you're fishing. In our tests not only did the hat float, but the Supplex nylon didn't soak up water like cotton would.

Backpacking and fishing for a few days, the Adventure hat has many features that provided good sun protection

With a nice long brim that goes from ear to ear to provide a 360 degree sun protection, the Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat uses a 7.5" veil that completely covers your neck. If the veil is not needed there is an option to raise and attach it via velcro. While the veil is long enough for good coverage the light weight does create problems when the wind picks up. During the tests we found that heavy wind would blow the veil upwards, exposing the neck to the sun.

While most hats will wrinkle and distort after being packed in the bag during travel, the Sunday Afternoons hat will not look awkward if properly packed. The only thing you need to do is fold the veil towards the brim, then roll the brim up before throwing it into your bag. If you want to prevent the rolled up Adventure hat from springing up, simply place a rubber band around it. Once you arrive to your destination unroll it and the hat will be in good form, and ready to wear.

A Coolmax sweat band is used to wick away the moisture from your forehead

Comfort: Aside from its primary goal to delivering sun protection, comfort was also an important requirement when developing the Adventure hat. Sunday Afternoons designed this hat so you can wear it for an extended period of time without any unnecessary discomfort. With a total weight of only 3 ounces you never feel like you are bearing a heavy load. Another element in comfort is a good fit. The Adventure hat comes in only two sizes and they will fit most adults with ease. The sun hat also has an elastic band and a rear sizing tape for minor adjustment.  The operation of the rear band is simple and can be tuned using just one hand.

Rolled up and ready to be packed for traveling, the Sunday Afternoons hat will not wrinkle or get distorted unless you really smash it flat

Aside from having a light load and a firm fit, other features such as an oversize crown and side mesh panels allow proper ventilation. Keeping the heat from being trapped under the hat is critical in feeling comfortable while fishing all day, and in my case, fishing and backpacking the in the backcountry. While baseball caps often will give me a headache towards the end of the day, the Adventure hat was very comfortable throughout many fishing expeditions. The hat is designed with a moisture wicking sweat band that uses a material called Coolmax.  Coolmax is also widely used in sport apparel and effectively keeps sweat away from the human skin. A big bonus if you perspire during those long treks to secret waters.
  
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Conclusion: Sunlight-induced advanced aging and the skin cancers are increasing in many areas of the world, and for anglers this concern shouldn't be overlooked. Normally when we go fishing it's during the daylight hours when ultraviolet rays are at their strongest. One way you can begin to fight the sun's radiation is by providing a layer between you and the UV light, either in a form of clothing or lotion. Aside from applying a high SPF sunblock to your face, ear, nose, and neck, wearing a hat is a great way to keep the sun from damaging your skin any further. Sunday Afternoons makes many outdoors hats, and for anglers the Adventure sun hat is designed with quality materials and features that will not only protect you from the UV light, but also make your next angling adventure even more enjoyable.