Some years back I rented a convertible for a week in Maui, the selection of vehicles at the rental place being almost entirely convertibles or Jeeps. That’s when I was forced to come to grips with one of the hard realities about growing older.
A bald spot is a helluva thing to have to deal with.
I had one of my Tilley packable fabric hats with me, but full-brimmed hats like I generally prefer are not compatible with convertibles. Nor, it turned out later, are they in the least compatible with motorcycles, which is a whole ‘nother level of hassle, but in the case of convertibles in Maui and lack of headgear other than a brimmed hat (which I needed in that sun, most of the time) it all translated to a badly sunburned bald spot, which is… a memorable experience. Didn’t ruin the trip, but it sure didn’t help. In retrospect some sun screen would have been the better option, but I find the thought of rubbing that on my head and in my hair repulsive.
I actually have an old canvas Tilley stowed in a dead space under the rear cowling of my motorcycle, but to be honest I haven’t used it often. Dealing with a hat and a helmet (mandatory, in this state, and prone to theft if you leave it on the bike) is just too much of a hassle.
So, yeah, I love brimmed hats, but sometimes they just don’t work, and you still need something.
Thankfully, there is now a complete solution to the problem, and it’s also a solution to another problem I’ve had. I got very sick once because I was reluctant to pull over to the side when riding a motorcycle, remove my helmet, and put a neck gaiter on. It was very cold, my neck was painful to the point of throbbing, and my stupidity resulted in my being sick for about a week. I later got a windproof (expanded PTFE middle layer) fleece velcro-fastened neck gaiter, but the tubedannas, while not as effective for this one specialized application, are more versatile, and most can be pulled on over a helmet.
Bald spots are a constant nuisance. They can get sunburned and they can very easily get uncomfortably cold, but there aren’t that many nerve endings up there on the scalp, so it often takes conscious effort to figure out where the discomfort and sort-of vaguely headacy feeling is coming from. I now consider the pocket solution of the “tubedanna” essential.
– Robert the Wombat