How does a quality made acrylic beanie perform when soaked?  I can get a merino wool one, but I'd sure like to try my new Bowyer's Journal beanie.

Can't say. I'm "Old School" whe something works, I stick with it. Love wool clothing and wool crushers..PR

Wool, the only thing better is another layer of it. If you like the beanie you should get one, but nothing works like wool!!!!!    ron w

Wool. Get the beanie, but put wool over it.

I use a lot of wool and synthetics. the synthetics (Thermax and Polartec) do great, but do better with wool over them. You are in Washington...lots of rain? Wool.

Killdeer

Hey OB,
          I spend the end of most every year in Antarctica, and alot of time in Northern Sweden above the Arctic Circle. Acrylic is fine if you are not that cold and won't be perspiring or getting wet. Otherwise wool is the only way to go. I wear a wool beanie constantly in these environments. Wool wicks and is warm even when its wet. Do what Kildeer says if you want to wear a particular hat. When warmth seriously matters make sure you got a woolie.
                              -Hillbilly

The man's an extremist!  

Not by choice Kildeer, I just have an unusual occupation. I work for the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine TX. We launch, track and recovery high altitude research payloads all over the world. We can put 8000lbs into space and keep it there for up to 50 days. We are the cheap way to space compared to the shuttle, plus we can carry alot more and give the beakers, aka scientists, more time to study whatever it is they are searching for. Seriously cuts into my hunting though, ha!  
                                  -Hillbilly

Awesome, Tex! So you're the guy responsible for all those UFO sightings!

My husband works it from the other end. He does a lot of testing for ATK, which makes components and solid fuel boosters for the shuttle and other space machinery.

He looks on all those bits up there as his "children".   :rolleyes:  
Killdeer  

Yes, I am that guy. The FAA hates us, you should see how many calls they get when we fly one of those babies out of Ft.Sumner NM and it heads over Roswell...then we drive a huge NASA recovery truck through town on our way to retrieve it. They literally think the sky is falling. I'll bet O.L. has seen some of our work too.haha.
           -Hillbilly

Thanks for the advice- another excuse to go buy another piece of kit!

I guess I would say WOOL of course.      

if you sweat or fall in water etc - you can take off a wool cap or shirt or pants; and lay them on the snow.. after you have jumped up and down to keep warm; the water will freeze in the wool; and you can shake out the water - or hit it against a tree; and you have warm clothes again... not sure about other fabrics doing that  :(

I don't know about when 'soaked' or even so much about the beanie,  but I have a plaid shirt that I bought at a garage sale that I couldn't help but notice how warm it was and later how fast it dried...the water just ran right out of it.  I was surprised when I checked the label and found it was acrylic.

Wool has a remarkable ability to retain heat while wet, which is why even though cotton wicks moisture better, damp wool will stave off hypothermia and soaking wet cotton will kill you.

Wool blended with synthetics is my choice.

Hey balloon-man,
I'm a "Beaker" (meteorologist) and I really appreciate your work.  Just remember, every time you launch a balloon, it may result in an improved weather forecast for your hunt.  :D