Stormy Kromers

If I'm sitting and it's cold I can wear mine, holds in a LOT of heat!!

I wear them all the time, my favorite for hunting and ice fishing .

Photo???

I have one, but don't wear it hunting, as it's not blaze orange. I look pretty Fargo shoveling the driveway wearing it, though.
I usually wear a Blaze Orange boonie with the top of a watch cap cut off to fit in it.

Stormy Cromer wearer here!
I’m folically challenged, could care less what other people think, and like to be warm.
Mine is grey but NY is talking about requiring orange so I may be purchasing a new orange one.
Very, very comfortable and warm.
I also like the short brim which stays out of the way when approaching the scope to my rifle yet helps to keep snow and debris out of my face when still hunting or sitting on stand.
I would highly recommend them to anyone.

I was standing in 14F weather on opening day a few years ago, watching frost flowers growing in the morning light, and thinking about why I hadn't bought one yet. Stormy Kromers were quite popular a long time ago and still are, from about Iowa north. Winter being what it is up there, I can see them as almost mandatory.

They are based on the forage cap issued to troops during WWI, with a large ear flap which folds down around your neck and then fastens under your chin. Very necessary in the trenches in France, and they were reproduced by commercial makers for outdoorsmen. America still had a large agricultural base and we did a lot of stuff outdoors in town in the winter, too. Walking to school a mile uphill both ways, etc.Splitting wood for heat. feeding the chickens, delivering newspapers at O'dark thirty in the morning before school. Children and adults kept busy.

The "no hat" Presidency of Kennedy changed that, and we began to notice a division between the urbanized sheltered look seen in movies and magazines, vs the hard working country folk who weren't about to go out all day with nothing on their head. You used what you knew worked, and the Kromer worked. It worked for servicemen in France, too. The military design changed, but the European variety were very similar - the German army issued one - and that further distanced us from wanting it. Too much baggage.

Another change in design came and that was when other makers just added ear flaps only, which tied under the chin, leaving the back of the neck exposed. Works ok if you have a tall collar on your winter coat, but those aren't as prevalent now, either. So, the Kromer has a better advantage. Real Kromers have a full drop down cape which wraps the neck - "mad bombers" have just ear flaps, and a lot of those are seen in parodies of rural life or caricatures promoted by the city perspective. They never wear them, almost don't need to - unless you are postal delivery, etc. Standard fare for working men and women.

I haven't bought one yet, and it goes to temps in my neck of the woods - 14F was rare. Typically it's 44F daytime temps winters here, and beanies, hoods, and gaiters do well. We wore a lot of gaiters this last year and now I have a bit of a collection, Kryptex snow, Edge, etc. all put away for hunting and they are NOT coming out any sooner. Not even.

I'd sooner wear a Kromer than mask up again.

Photo???

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stormy kromer hat company - Bing - Shopping

I picked up one a few years ago but don't really care for it. I have some regular baseball type caps made of wool that do the same thing other than the ear flaps. And if my ears get cold the cap goes in the pack and a beanie goes on.

And I don't look like Elmer Fudd.

A cold weather favorite of mine.
I have a couple Kromers. To warm to wear in SC!!!, but for colder climates go with a SK

Tirod said:

I was standing in 14F weather on opening day a few years ago, watching frost flowers growing in the morning light, and thinking about why I hadn't bought one yet. Stormy Kromers were quite popular a long time ago and still are, from about Iowa north. Winter being what it is up there, I can see them as almost mandatory.

They are based on the forage cap issued to troops during WWI, with a large ear flap which folds down around your neck and then fastens under your chin. Very necessary in the trenches in France, and they were reproduced by commercial makers for outdoorsmen. America still had a large agricultural base and we did a lot of stuff outdoors in town in the winter, too. Walking to school a mile uphill both ways, etc.Splitting wood for heat. feeding the chickens, delivering newspapers at O'dark thirty in the morning before school. Children and adults kept busy.

The "no hat" Presidency of Kennedy changed that, and we began to notice a division between the urbanized sheltered look seen in movies and magazines, vs the hard working country folk who weren't about to go out all day with nothing on their head. You used what you knew worked, and the Kromer worked. It worked for servicemen in France, too. The military design changed, but the European variety were very similar - the German army issued one - and that further distanced us from wanting it. Too much baggage.

Another change in design came and that was when other makers just added ear flaps only, which tied under the chin, leaving the back of the neck exposed. Works ok if you have a tall collar on your winter coat, but those aren't as prevalent now, either. So, the Kromer has a better advantage. Real Kromers have a full drop down cape which wraps the neck - "mad bombers" have just ear flaps, and a lot of those are seen in parodies of rural life or caricatures promoted by the city perspective. They never wear them, almost don't need to - unless you are postal delivery, etc. Standard fare for working men and women.

I haven't bought one yet, and it goes to temps in my neck of the woods - 14F was rare. Typically it's 44F daytime temps winters here, and beanies, hoods, and gaiters do well. We wore a lot of gaiters this last year and now I have a bit of a collection, Kryptex snow, Edge, etc. all put away for hunting and they are NOT coming out any sooner. Not even.

I'd sooner wear a Kromer than mask up again.

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From their website...It all started with a cap. George “Stormy” Kromer, a semi-pro baseball player and railroad engineer, kept losing his hat on the train. He asked his wife, Ida, to sew an earband on his favorite ball cap to keep his ears warm and the hat snug. It worked.

I've got the Filson version.....made of Tin Cloth and wears like a freakin helmet. I got it for duck hunting, but honestly I'm not a fan of the short bill.

My normal big game hunting head gear is a blaze orange ball cap (vented back), with a blaze orange knit cap one size larger that I just wear over the cap when it's cold. Works well here in KS when the temps range from "minus something" to 60+ degrees in the same day..

I wear a grey one all the time in the winter, whether hunting or on the farm. Matter of fact, I'm about due for a new one; mine's pretty worn. For feeding cows or riding a tractor (no cabs here) in the winter, those earflaps are indispensable. Not only that, I think that charcoal grey color blends into the woods pretty good when hunting.

Mac

I’ve worn a red plaid Stormy Kromer for years for chores and fetching firewood. All my cold weather hunting in recent years has been archery whitetail and I wear stocking caps. My grandaughters gave me the ones with built in led lights.

Steve Milbocker said:

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Now thats a true Michigander!

I have a brown and a red. I dont wear them hunting either. Too warm here. I brought them down with me from MI when I moved. I usually get a few days out of them every winter down here.