Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I recently left the US Army after several years. While in the service, I was issued a boonie along with the rest of my ACUs. I mention this because I am comparing this Tru-Spec boonie (Khaki) to my G.I. ACU boonie. First off, why did I spend money on a boonie when I already have 2 G.I. boonies? Honestly, because my woodland camo G.I. boonie sends the message "I'm a gun nut" and the ACU boonie sends the message "I'm a recent combat veteran. Please come ask me about Iraq or Afghanistan so you can be entertained by stories of how I saw my friends die". I don't want to send either message to the strangers around me. I love this hat design but the woodland camo and ACU digital camo don't really match well with any kind of clothing other than BDUs or ACUs. So I needed a different color. As far as boonies go, I have yet to find a more comfortable, functional, better designed hot weather hat! I've tried straw hats (cowboy hats, fedoras, etc.), I've tried baseball caps (one of the WORST hat designs EVER made...good for ONE thing only...shielding the eyes from sun while playing baseball). I admit, I haven't tried a pith helmet yet. They're supposed to be very good in the heat...if you can deal with the constant "safari" comments from everyone around you. Besides, you can wad up a boonie and stuff it in your pocket, backpack, or suitcase. If you wad up a pith helmet, you'll have to carry that wad around until you find the nearest trash can. The boonie is the most comfortable and coolest hat in the heat that I've ever worn even when compared with my straw hat. Boonies aren't especially "dressy" but if you're going casual, they're great. If you're going sporty/outdoor style, NOTHING beats a boonie, in my opinion. You can keep your oversized cowboy hats! Only guys I've ever seen who DIDN'T look ridiculous in a cowboy hat were either Texas State Troopers or professional rodeo cowboys. For the record, the rest of you look like clowns. OK, enough nonsense. Let's get on with the details of this hat. First, I bought this Tru-Spec boonie in Khaki color because it's a good, neutral earth tone that goes with a lot of different clothing colors. That and it still provides enough camouflage so I can hunker down and hide from The Law when I need to! (just kidding) Compared to the G.I. ACU boonie: FIT: The Tru-Spec boonie is sized accurately. I bought the Tru-Spec in my official Army hat size 7-1/4 and the two hats feel and fit identically. "Initial loose fit required for continued comfort" this notice is printed on the label inside both the Tru-Spec and the G.I. Be sure to buy your boonie in your accurate, official hat size. MATERIALS: Both Tru-Spec and the G.I. boonies are 100% cotton. The fabric is identical except for color. It is a rip-stop cotton material common in US Army hot weather uniforms. By the way, since this is 100% cotton, if it's really hot out, you can dampen the hat before you put it on and the evaporation of the water will cool your head. STITCHING: The Tru-Spec is assembled in Honduras from USA made materials. The materials (as mentioned above) are the same materials used in the G.I. boonie; however, the stitching on the G.I. boonie is much more uniform and neat. The Tru-Spec boonie has solid stitching that doesn't appear like it will unravel, but the stitch lines are not as even and straight as the US Army boonie. The overall stitching pattern is identical on the two hats. If anything, the G.I. boonie appears to be made on a factory machine and the Tru-Spec appears to be handmade on a sewing machine. For what it's worth, the sloppy looking stitching on the hat I received is only visible from the underside (near where my head will be). The stitching looks good from the outside. Anyone seeing this hat on your head will not see sloppy stitching. Just to clarify, the design and stitch patterns are identical on the two hats. The Tru-Spec boonie is identical to the G.I. boonie except for color. CARE & FEEDING (aka WASH & DRY): The G.I. boonie can be machine washed (even in hot water), machine spun, and even machine dried at moderate temp. The Tru-Spec boonie specifies that it should be hand washed in cold water with mild detergent, do NOT wring or wist, and hang dry it. The Tru-Spec label also states that it should be rinsed at least 3 times to restore water repellency. The G.I. boonie's label makes no promises of water repellency; however, from personal experience I can tell you that the G.I. boonie is water repellent. DESIGN: 1)Both hats have 4 brass screen vents around the crown. 2)Both have a nylon chin strap with a leather "lock" and the straps are indentical except for color (green on ACU; khaki on Tru-Spec). 3)The Tru-Spec boonie has a map pocket inside the crown; the ACU boonie does NOT have this pocket. The pro is that if you want to hide a map or something small and light, you can stuff it in your hat. The con is that you have an extra layer of fabric at the crown to hold in heat. It may not be enough to notice but I suspect the Tru-Spec may feel a bit hotter at times when the sun is beating down directly on my head. 4) The brim of the Tru-Spec is exactly the same size at the G.I. boonie. The thickness and stiffness of the brims feels identical on both hats. 5) The nylon branch loops are the same size and material and exactly the same on both hats except for the color. 6) Both hats have permanent fiber paper tags sewed inside designating their military inventory number and description. Overall, I'd say the Tru-Spec boonie is, in fact, true to military specifications (I'd challenge that hand washing business; I'll bet the Tru-Spec boonie would come out of a washing machine just fine). Would I recommend this boonie? YES! Without a doubt! I bought this Tru-Spec boonie because it was the only one I saw online that appeared to be constructed like my G.I. boonies. My side-by-side comparison shows me that it IS! I may try a boonie by another company (and another color) just to see how they compare. Otherwise, if you're looking for a military grade boonie in non-issue colors, go with the Tru-Spec. I think I just got my new favorite hat!