A brown Stetson. Ok, just kidding. I actually have an Indiana Jones hat that my parents gave me for Christmas when I was a kid. I say this because a Stetson would actually be a great hat to get. But there are plenty of others that will do the job as well.
So, what kind of hat should you wear on a Holy Land tour? Besides blocking the sun, you need a hat that doesn’t interfere with your field of view. A good compromise is a hiking hat with a brim 3 to 5 inches in width. Or a ball cap and sunscreen.
This is the third post on the topic of dressing for safety. The first was on the topic of pants pockets (link to post). The second was on shoes (link to post). Now you need a hat. Israel is hot and the sun will beat down on you. But there is something else we are concerned about too. Security.
The hat you put on your head is going to be a part of your individual security posture.
What is a security posture?
So, you clicked on this post because you wanted to know what kind of hat to wear. And now we’re talking about security. What’s the deal?
This is important. When you are at home you don’t think about security that much. You know your home town. When something isn’t right, you notice. You make unconscious decisions every day based on familiarity with your home town. But you aren’t at home anymore.
You’ve read the news and heard the stories. Israel is supposed to be dangerous. If you are going to Turkey, Greece, or Egypt, there is danger as well. In fact, everywhere you go outside your realm of familiarity, is dangerous. Why?
Because you aren’t familiar with new locations. You won’t know how to spot danger or a threat. You won’t know how to sniff out a scam either. Those looking to hurt you know you don’t know. And that gives them an advantage.
To defend against danger, which includes petty crime, terrorism, and injury, we must develop a security posture.
A security posture is how you present yourself to potential threats. When they observe you, they want to know how alert you are. Do you have a firm grasp on your belongings? Are your belongings easy to get into, or have you prepped them to prevent tampering? Do you have the means to fight back? Or identify them?
We want a potential threat to see us and make that instant decision to leave us alone. What we wear on our head is going to be part of our individual security posture.
A hat that doesn’t interfere with your field of view.
Being a victim of theft, or getting knocked over by some rambunctious kids you didn’t see, is more than unpleasant. It can turn your trip into a nightmare. These situations exist all over the world, but they are easy to avoid. All it takes is situational awareness and attentiveness.
Brimmed hats are great, but if the brim is too big, it can hurt your peripheral vision. Peripheral vision is what you see at the edges of everything in your field of view.
When you visit the eye doctor, they will have you look forward. They will then move a pen to the outer edges of your field of view. They are looking to find the range of your vision.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (direct link to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), the average person can see 100 degrees to the outside lateral edge. Up to 60 degrees laterally to the center (i.e., towards your nose), 60 degrees upward, and 75 degrees downward. This is a lot of coverage.
If you bought a large brimmed hat, it could block a good portion of that coverage. All hats will block parts of your field of view though. I like to wear ball caps, and I recognize that part of my field of view will go away. I compensate for it, though. I constantly look around and pay attention to my surroundings.
A Comfortable Compromise.
Your hat is going to protect you from the sun, but it also needs to support your awareness. Whatever we cede in our field of view with our hat, we need to make up with awareness.
When you look for a hat, take into account how much your field of view will be blocked. If you like the hat, that’s fine. But learn to be aware. Develop a habit of looking around by moving your head.
Unfortunately, large sunhats are bad for your field of view. When you turn your head and try to use your peripheral vision, it’s often blocked.
I discussed hats for sun protection before (link to post). As I did then, I recommend a brim that is 3 to 5 inches in width. This range provides a happy medium, preferably 3 inches though. It doesn’t take too much away from your field of view, and this width still protects you from the sun. Most of the hiking hats you will find at places like REI (direct link to rei.com, no affiliate link), have brims in this range.
The other option is a ball cap. Your eyes will thank you, but your ears won’t. So, wear a high SPF full-spectrum sunscreen.
If you use a hat that you’ve had for a while and you’re used to it, that is fantastic. If not, take your new hat out for a spin.
Spies try to catch a glimpse of something without being noticed. You want to do the opposite. Bad actors, looking to take advantage of unaware victims, keep an eye out for cluelessness.
So, keep your head up. Move your head side to side to look at things. Move your eyes. Twist your body. Show potential predators you are watching them.
Practice makes perfect.
You can practice your awareness with a few exercises. Both with and without your hat on.
Go for a walk or a drive in your home town. Look around. Don’t linger more than 1 second.
- Read every business sign, street sign and billboard you see. Take note of their colors. How big or little are they? Are they lighted? If so, how? Neon? Illuminated? What typefaces are used? Go home and write down what you saw.
- Look at the architecture of buildings. Take note of peculiar features such as trim around doors. Gutter styles. Landscaping. Where the trash bins are located. Or the difference in the façade between the bottom floor and higher floors of a building. Take note of color schemes.
- If you’re traveling with your spouse, do the exercises above together. Call things out as you see them. Whatever you notice, say it out loud.
You are practicing the art of awareness. Your eyes must be able to work with your hat.
In terms of your individual security posture, you must be able to work with your gear. Your gear encompasses everything from your clothes to your bag. And don’t forget accessories, like your phone and wallet.
