Sun protection from military surplus hats comes down to brim coverage, not camo pattern — a peaked cap shades your eyes, a bush hat shades your neck too, and most buyers don't find out the difference until they're three hours into a wild camp with sunburnt ears.
- The MTP bush hat sun hat gives the widest brim coverage for military hat sun protection in 2026 — Buy.
- A shemagh scarf adds neck and face shade that no capped hat covers alone — pair, don't substitute.
- MVP Goretex cold-weather hats at £9.99-£10 are built for rain and cold, not sun — Skip for summer use.
- The MTP combat cap ('crap hat') at £3.99 shades your eyes only — fine for short stints, not all-day cover.
Why this matters
Most of the headwear that turns up in army surplus catalogues wasn't designed for a British summer. It was designed for cold-weather patrols, arctic exercises, or all-weather field use — which is why so much of the range is MVP Goretex, fleece-lined, or peaked combat caps with no neck coverage at all.
Cadets on summer camp, bushcraft hobbyists on a wild camp, and anyone doing a long day on foot in 2026 need something different: a hat that shades the crown, the back of the neck, and ideally the ears too. Get that wrong and you're reapplying sun cream every hour instead of leaving the hat to do the job.
How we ranked
Every hat and headwear item on this list gets judged against one job: keeping sun off skin during hot-weather use, not cold-weather issue. That means brim width and coverage area come first, pack size second, and genuine MOD grading third — Grade A used surplus, new old stock, and current-issue reproductions are graded differently and priced differently at Military Mart, and that matters for anyone buying to match existing kit.
Items built primarily for rain or cold are marked down here even if they're solid buys for their actual purpose. A £9.99 Goretex winter hat is a good hat — it's just not this hat.
The ranked list
1. Genuine British Army MTP bush hat sun hat — the genuine issue pick
The bush hat shape is the reference point for military hat sun protection: an all-round brim rather than a single peak, so it shades your neck and ears along with your face. It packs flat into a daysack when you're not wearing it, and the MTP pattern matches current British Army issue kit if uniformity matters for your unit or cadet detachment.
For anyone doing full days outdoors in 2026 — DofE expeditions, wild camps, long airsoft skirmishes — this is the MTP bush hat sun hat to start with. Buy.
2. Shemagh scarf — the face-and-neck backup
A shemagh is a single square of cotton, wrapped as a loose hood or draped over the shoulders, and it covers ground a hat physically can't — the front of the neck, under the chin, across the nose in direct sun or dust. It's been standard desert kit for decades because it does one job well and packs down to nothing.
Wear it with a cap or bush hat, not instead of one. The shemagh scarf is worth adding to the kit list, and if you've never tied one, the guide to tying a shemagh scarf for outdoor use covers the basic wraps. Buy.
3. Boonie hat — the packable trade-off
Boonie hats give up a little brim width against a bush hat but make it up in pack size — the floppy brim folds flat, most have vent holes or mesh panels, and a chin strap keeps it on in wind. For anyone who wants sun cover without a dedicated hat taking up daysack space, it's the compromise pick.
Military Mart's boonie hats for fishing and hot weather hiking guide runs through fit and pattern choices in more depth. Consider.
4. MTP combat cap ("crap hat") — the everyday compromise
At £3.99, the MTP combat cap is the cheapest peaked option in the range and it's genuinely useful — but it shades your eyes and forehead, full stop. No neck coverage, no ear coverage, and on a long hot day that gap shows up as sunburn on the back of your neck.
Fine for short exposure — a morning on the range, a quick walk to the van — but it's not doing the full job on its own. Consider for light use only.
5. MVP Goretex cold weather hats — skip for sun
The MVP Goretex range (£9.99–£10, sized small up to 56cm, medium 56–58cm, large 58cm and up) is a genuinely good waterproof winter hat — 100% waterproof membrane, warm lining, built for rain and cold rather than heat. Wearing one on a hot day defeats the point of it; you'll be sweating under the lining while your neck still burns.
Buy this for October through March. For summer sun protection, it's a Skip.
“If the brim doesn't shade your neck, it isn't doing its job in summer.”
Comparison table
| Item | Coverage | Pack size | Best for | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTP bush hat sun hat | Crown, neck, ears | Packs flat | Full-day exposure | Buy |
| Shemagh scarf | Neck, face, nose | Packs to nothing | Pairing with a hat | Buy |
| Boonie hat | Crown, partial neck | Folds small | Daysack use | Consider |
| MTP combat cap | Eyes, forehead only | Minimal | Short stints | Consider |
| MVP Goretex winter hat | Crown, ears (cold/rain) | Bulky | Oct–March | Skip for sun |
Where to buy
- Check the grading before you buy — Grade A used surplus, new old stock, and new reproduction are priced and worn differently, and it matters more on a bush hat where mesh and stitching are the first things to go.
- Match camo pattern to the rest of your kit if you're outfitting for a cadet detachment or reenactment group — MTP and DPM aren't interchangeable if uniformity is the point.
- Buy the shemagh as a separate item even if the hat looks like it covers enough. One shades the crown, the other shades the neck — they're not doing the same job.
FAQ
What's the best military hat for sun protection in 2026?
The genuine British Army MTP bush hat sun hat is the best pick for military hat sun protection in 2026 because its all-round brim shades the neck and ears, not just the face. A shemagh scarf paired with it closes the remaining gap around the nose and chin.
Is a boonie hat better than a bush hat for sun protection?
A bush hat gives wider, more even brim coverage; a boonie hat trades some of that coverage for a smaller pack size. Pick the bush hat for all-day exposure and the boonie hat when daysack space is tight.
Does the MTP combat cap protect against sun?
The MTP combat cap, known as the 'crap hat', shades the eyes and forehead through its peak but leaves the neck and ears exposed. It works for short stints outdoors, not full days in direct sun.
How much does a shemagh scarf cost?
Pricing varies by stock and grading, so check the current listing on the Military Mart site before buying. It's one of the cheaper additions to a sun-protection kit relative to the coverage it adds.
What size are British Army MVP Goretex winter hats?
MVP Goretex winter hats run small up to 56cm, medium 56 to 58cm, and large 58cm and above. They're built for cold and rain, not sun, so they're not the right pick for summer wear despite the coverage.
Can you wear a shemagh with a bush hat at the same time?
Yes — wearing a shemagh loosely around the neck under a bush hat is a common combination for full coverage in direct sun. The hat shades the crown while the shemagh covers the neck and lower face.
Is army surplus sun hat genuine MOD issue or a reproduction?
It depends on the listing — check the grading description for terms like Grade A used, new old stock, or reproduction before buying. Genuine MOD issue and commercial reproductions differ in stitching, materials, and fit.
What's the difference between MTP and DPM hats for sun protection?
MTP and DPM are camouflage patterns, not different builds, so the sun-protection performance is the same for a given hat style. Choose the pattern that matches the rest of your kit rather than expecting a functional difference.
One last thing
The MVP Goretex winter hats sell at £9.99–£10 with proper waterproof membranes and cold-weather sizing built in — genuinely solid kit for the wrong season. People still buy them expecting sun protection out of habit, because they look like a practical field hat. In 2026, spend that same £9.99 on a shemagh instead and pair it with the bush hat — you'll get more actual shade for the money.
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