Boonie Hats or Bush/Bucket Hats? Which one's the Best

[leatherneck]

For sun and rain protection, what do you prefer for hats? The British DPM bush hat looks more like a bucket hat than a boonie hat. Most other forces use the U.S. style boonie hats. However, I have heard some people say the brims on the ACU and MARPAT boonies are too big.
What's the advantages of the Boonie over the Bush/Bucket hat and which ones do you prefer?

[LaoSexMachine]

Bucket. I'd never like wearing a boonie. Just can't hear that well.

[Limeyfellow]

The US one tends to rub and chave a bit on my head, though is a tad better at blocking the rain and gives some more cover to my neck due to that wide brim. I also can't stand the string to keep it on your head rubbing against my ears so I stick them up inside usually unless I am doing something active.

The British one I find more comfortable and its deeper sitting means its too big for my wife to wear and means she won't run off with it. Though mine is a good 12 years old now and getting a tad tatty around the edges. It doesn't like it if your hair gets too long though. I've not tested the newer bush hats though.

[East Scout]

I have a US and a British "boonie"..I prefer the US over the British one as far as fit goes.....But I prefer the DPM to the woodland camo any day of the year...

[wbear]

By "Bucket" do you mean the hat on the left in the pics I have attached?
I got it here in the states in 1976.
The one on the right is the current USMC boonie. There was a USMC boonie with a wider brim used during initial testing but the jarheads liked the shorter brim better.
I cut off the foliage band on my boonies, looks cleaner and I never used it anyway.

[East Scout]

i cut off the loops too but a sew small peices of 550 hear and there so i can add foliage when i want with out that huge band they are made with..IMO they stick out to much..

[percell_086]

Yeah i shorten the brim too, looks and feels better. Doesn't get in the way either.

percell

[RGRBOX]

Sorry, but the last time I heard the term "Bucket" it was refering to Brain Bucket, or helmet... We used to Patrol with PCs or boonies, and move up to the Obj or the ORP with soft hats... then in the ORP change to helmets for the mission... once at the ORP change back over again..

[percell_086]

^^ Damn right, wearing a helmet on a 30 km hike with a heavy ruck isn't the best thing that could happen to you.