While making preparations for my recent trip to Ecuador, I realized I was going to need a good hat. After hearing my coworker Wayne Mones rave about his beloved Tilley hat, I knew I had to try one out. Thanks to Audubon’s licensing agreement with Tilley, there serendipitously happened to be a hat just my size sitting in the office display case. I stuck it on my head and headed to South America.
I already had a feeling I was going to like the hat, but I didn’t expect to be wearing it almost nonstop for the next two weeks. With the blazing sun of the equator, the cold wind of the Andes, and the downpours of the rainforest, that Tilley hat rarely left my head. It became such a constant companion that I had to be reminded to take if off when I was indoors. It was crushed and crumpled in my luggage but miraculously held its shape and still looks brand new. I understand now what Wayne was talking about. That hat and I are going to be together for a long, long time.