French Army Desert Camo Boonie Hat

French Desert Boonie

This is a boonie hat issued by the French Army in its three-color desert camouflage. A boonie is the soft, wide-brimmed field hat soldiers wear in place of a helmet or cap when sun and heat are the bigger problem. The all-round brim shades the face, ears and back of the neck. It suits hikers, hunters, range shooters and collectors of French military kit, and it is a natural fit for anyone building a desert-era French loadout.

Features

• French Desert Camouflage — The crown carries the French Army's desert pattern of sand, light khaki and reddish-brown patches, often called Daguet by collectors.
• Cotton Construction — The hat is made from cotton, which breathes well in heat and stays soft enough to fold or pack.
• Wide Stitched Brim — Closely spaced rows of stitching run around the brim to stiffen it so it holds its shape and keeps shading your face.
• All-Round Sun Cover — The brim circles the whole hat, so the neck and ears get the same shade as the face.
• Metal Ventilation Eyelets — Metal grommets set into the side of the crown let warm air escape from under the hat.
• Paneled Crown — The crown is sewn from several fabric panels, giving a rounded fit that sits comfortably on the head.
• Packable Soft Shape — With no rigid frame, the hat can be rolled or folded into a pack or cargo pocket.
• Genuine French Army Issue — This is original government-issue kit from the French Army, not a commercial copy.

Issued French Kit

The French Army issued this hat for desert service, and it was made to military requirements in cotton with a brim stitched for stiffness and metal eyelets for airflow. The camouflage is the distinctive French desert scheme, which sets it apart from US and British desert patterns of the same period. For reenactors and collectors, issued provenance is the point: this is the hat French soldiers actually wore.