PDB Tested: The Real Deal

October 2013 PDB Tested

The Real Deal-Tarp Hat

If you're looking for a unique hat that is sure to spark a conversation, this tarp hat, for lack of  better words, is the real deal. When I first heard about The Real Deal tarp hats that are handmade in a remote small town in rural Brazil from recycled canvas tarps that once stretched across the beds of cross-country cargo trucks hauling open freight, I had to get my hands on one.

The company claims they used recycled tarps in an effort to cut down on the wasting of the world's resources. But me, I think they just do it because these hats happen to look really cool. There is no telling for sure, but the fabric in the hats most likely traveled from the Amazon out to Sao Paulo and back again, slogging through sudden deluges of blinding rain, and being baked and broiled in scalding heat, whipped by harsh salt winds, assaulted by road debris and sometimes even stamped upon in Portuguese with waterproof black ink.

In other words, there's nothing you can do to this one-of-a-kind hat that hasn't already been done to it before. Priced at $39.99, I feel that's a fair price and because I wanted this as a unique boating hat, I also ordered the Hat Hitch Wind Strap ($7.99). For boaters I would highly recommend this strap because the hat will sink like a stone once it hits the water. It instantly gets attention anytime I'm wearing it and when people inquire, I just let them read the hat's story, which is printed on the inside. To see other products offered by The Real Deal, visit the website. Your could argue the style rating because everyone has their option, but how could we not give it a perfect score for care? It will take care of you more than you take care of it. 

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