Scotch Hats and Cow Chores

Last night Jeff and I went to a ranching event in Dunkirk, MT sponsored by CHS, which is a company from whom we buy cattle supplies such as feed and supplements. Our friend works there and he invited us. Tom and Carol came too. When we arrived, we put our names in to win door prizes and I informed everyone present that I would probably win one, because, well, I win door prizes all the time.

Low and behold, the time for the door prize drawing came around and guess who's name was the first one out of the hat! (There were a lot of prizes, so it really wasn't that big of a shock that I won one.)

My fabulous prize was something I had seen many times but actually never learned the name of until last night-- A Scotch hat.

PayBack is a type of cattle supplement.
Their representative spoke at the event and brought the hats for door prizes.

Scotch hats are also called Scotch caps, I think interchangeably. They are popular among farmers and ranchers in Montana who wear them regularly, without a trace of irony. Perhaps when it's too cold for a cowboy hat?? They are also popular among hipsters and ski bums who may be wearing them ironically. Hard to say. You've probably seen them around.

All the same, I was delighted to win a prize and a fine one at that!

Traditionally, Scotch caps are made of wool and are quilted. The ear flap folds up inside the hat, or can be folded down to protect the ears and keep them warm. Some Scotch hats even have a little pompom on the top. Some are plaid. I've also seen some that have shearling.

Several views of the Scotch cap. 

I tried my hat one right away and it fit really well. It even fit over my ponytail without being too loose or too tight! Fitting over the ponytail is key.

This morning Jeff and I woke up to negative temperatures outside and it was my day to help him feed cows this morning. Perfect opportunity to test out the Scotch hat!

Almost completely layered up and ready to feed.

When it's -10, you put on a lot of layers. I had long underwear, sweatpants, and my over-pants, plus knee-high ski socks on my lower half. Feet jammed into my super-warm boots that are rated to -40. On top, a tank top, base layer, medium-weight layer, fleece, and then my Carhartt jacket. Other accessories were a face mask, sunglasses (which do actually help keep your eyes warmer, believe it or not), and two pairs of mittens. I topped it all off with my brand new Scotch hat, which I wore over another ear band, and I flipped the ear flap down, too. Time to see how warm the Scotch hat really could be!

I'm smiling in this photo-- can't you tell?!

This was the ensemble I wore all through cow chores. Jeff drove tractor and I helped by cutting net wrap off bales. I was outside for about an hour, which is long enough when it's that cold out. Thankfully, the sun was shining and there was no wind or it would have been extremely miserable!

I'm happy to report that the Scotch hat was all that I needed to keep my head warm. It was actually warmer than I thought it would be! My head never got cold. I'm definitely a believer in these hats now and I won't be wearing it ironically!

Have you ever worn/owned a Scotch hat?