Tilley hats are amazing--well made, good looking, comfortable, and very functional. I had a heck of a time choosing between the many variations, but after a lot of trial and error, I settled on the LTM5 Airflo as the best all-around hat for sailing and camping year round.

BRIM DESIGN
The LTM5 has a slightly smaller brim than the LTM6. That's good because it flaps noticeably less than the LTM6 in a stiff wind, yet the LTM5's brim is still plenty large to shade your neck/brow/cheeks from the sun's rays. The brim also has a nice stiffness to it. It has enough give to make the hat easily stowable, yet it's stiff enough to resist flapping and to effectively shade a wide area around your head. I'd say it's as close to perfect as the brim on a flexible/packable hat can be--easily the best brimmed hat I've ever owned. By the way, the UV rating on the fabric is 50+, the highest level of protection a fabric can earn.

MESH VENTILATION
The LTM5 has just enough mesh to allow the top of your head to breathe, but not nearly as much mesh as the LTM8. Some folks complain this hat runs too warm and sweaty in really hot weather. Certainly, it does run warm in the middle of our sultry Georgia summers, BUT the microfleece band around the brim can be dipped or rinsed in water to cool it off (it feels like a cool washcloth against your forehead). That solves the hot-head problem. But more importantly, if you're planning to wear the hat year-round, the comparatively closed design of the LTM5 is infinitely preferable to the LTM8 in the cooler parts of the year because it blocks chilly spray/rain better (the fabric sheds water quite effectively). By contrast, the LTM8's mesh-heavy design lets in too much water for those purposes. So, in my book, the LTM5 is a better all-around all-season hat precisely because it offers better head protection from moisture and chilly air. Especially for year-round or three-season sailing and camping, I greatly prefer the LTM5. If you sail/camp/hike strictly in the summer, then maybe you'd prefer the LTM8.

DUAL HEAD STRAPS
The head straps take a little getting used to (I've never liked straps on hats), but they work very well. Since any hat (even pre-shrunk hats like the Tilley) are bound to shrink a bit when exposed to moisture and sunlight, you want to buy a hat that fits very loosely and requires head straps to hold it on. Tilley recommends a fit loose enough to allow you to easily slide two fingers between your forehead and the front of the hat. This leaves a little room for the hat to shrink without giving you that "hat-headache" feel. You can stretch the hat back out, but you don't want to have to be doing that all the time, so make sure you size it for a loose fit to begin with. In most cases, you can just let the straps ride up inside the crown without using them, but when the wind pipes up--especially when sailing--the dual strap design (one behind the head, one under the chin) works very well to hold the hat securely in place.

EASY STOWABILITY/PACKABILITY
The LTM5 collapses and lays flat for storage. Just press down on the crown and it piles into the center of the brim, taking up very little space. Whether you're tossing it into a boat hatch or a suitcase, finding a spot to stow this will be no problem at all. And it jumps right back into shape again when you're ready to wear it. There's also a handy "secret pocket" in the crown of the hat that's perfect for storing a little emergency cash or some other item you'd like to keep on hand (or on head). I keep a folded $10 bill and the washing instructions in mine.

WATER/SOIL RESISTANT FABRIC
The shell of this hat is made from Tilley's nylon blend. It sheds water and dirt pretty effectively, and certainly better than coarser or softer fabrics like cotton. I also worry about it less when I toss it in the washing machine (on delicate cycle of course--and NEVER put it in the dryer; just let it air dry or the dryer's heat will almost certainly ruin the hat's shape/structure). It seems like an ideal compromise between lightness of weight, durability, breathability, and head protection from the elements (spray/rain). Since it still isn't very breathable compared to something like cotton, the airflow mesh panel at the top is a necessity, but I like that the mesh is minimal for the reasons mentioned earlier. I also think it just plain looks nice as designed. And sailors like myself will be delighted to know this hat floats if it falls in the drink (there's a bit of foam in the brim to provide stiffness, but also buoyancy).

LIFETIME GUARANTEE
If your hat wears out, send it in to Tilley (plus postage) and get it replaced for free! The internet is replete with stories of satisfied Tilley owners who cashed in on their warranty years later and found that the company was perfectly willing to honor their guarantee. What's not to like about a lifetime guarantee? In my book, the guarantee already justifies the extra cost of this hat over others, but you'll quickly discover this hat is also much better made than most others, so it's a win-win.

Well worth the $65 I paid. My last (Columbia) hat was similar in style for half the price ($32), but it shrank and deformed so badly after just one hot summer of sailing that it was a total disappointment. (The Columbia hat's headband now fits my head as snugly as a sock, and the brim droops like a bucket-style fisherman's hat--ugh.) So I did what I should've done in the first place: paid twice as much for a hat that is a hundred times better. Another lifelong Tilley fan is born! Slightly warm in summer and certainly cool in winter, but always comfortable and effective at sheltering my head, the LTM5 is one heck of a good year-round outdoorsman's hat. Tilley's lofty reputation is well deserved. Highly recommended!