November 26, 2018
I was recently at a college football game where one of the cops on the field was donning, on his head, an old military surplus jeep cap. For those of you who remember, this cap was made famous during the winters of WWII as American GI's slogged through the slush and snow of Europe on their way to relieve Berlin from the possession of the Nazis.
This hat was immortalized by many of the television portrayals of WWII and the Korean war, (MASH for instance). and as I talked to the cop in question about it, (yes, I'm that kind of guy), I contemplated why exactly this cap is still popular. Here are three reasons:
1. It's warm. This thing is the epitome of warmth actually. Designed to keep your head warm underneath a helmet while driving down a rutted muddy road in cold weather, this thing brings about the one thing that most outdoorsman learn to do without, but which we all yearn for earnestly... comfort.
2. It's stylish. Let's face it, this thing is a perfect culmination of the traditional ballcap and a regular toboggan cap. This is important for several reasons, the most prominent being one of austerity. No one wants to be labeled either a redneck or a stoner. The good news is that with this jeep cap you can actually get the best of both worlds without ever being called "Cletus" or "Skinny Pete"
3. It is cheap And when I say "cheap" brother, what I mean is inexpensive. These things are military surplus, don't forget. Therefore you can purchase them for a fraction of what the federal government paid for them.