Campaign hat

Origins and historical development

The campaign hat's design traces back to practical adaptations by United States Army mounted troops in the 1840s. These soldiers, posted to the western frontier, found wide-brimmed civilian hats more suitable for the environment than their regulation issue headgear. The hat's characteristic crease was influenced by the sombreros worn by Mexican vaqueros. Its name became formalized after United States Army regulations from 1872 to 1876 introduced a black felt hat for fatigue use, a style popularized during the American Civil War. The design continued to evolve through late 19th century conflicts, with British South Africa Company scouts creasing Stetson 'Boss of the Plains' hats into pointed tops by 1893. This specific style was famously worn by American scout Frederick Russell Burnham, whose gear later inspired Robert Baden-Powell. The United States Army officially adopted the 'Montana peaked' design as a service hat on 8 September 1911. Through the First World War, the hats were fairly soft and often adorned with coloured cords denoting rank and branch of service.

By the 1930s, the felt was made very stiff with a permanently flat brim. The hat's utility declined with the widespread use of steel helmets in the First World War and the introduction of cheaper alternatives like the overseas cap. The American fibre helmet began replacing it from 1940 onward, and general issue ceased in 1942. Despite this, the campaign hat remained in use in certain theatres, most notably as a trademark of General Joseph Stilwell in the Pacific during the Second World War. Its transition from a universal field garment to a specialized or ceremonial item was cemented in the postwar era, though its shape ensured its survival in specific military, law enforcement, and scouting roles.

Use in Canadian history and law enforcement

The campaign hat has a storied place in Canadian military and policing history. It served as the official dress hat for the North-West Mounted Police, the forerunners of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who retain it as part of their full dress uniform. During the Boer War from 1899 to 1902, the campaign hat was worn by all Canadian military units except the Royal Canadian Regiment. Canadian cavalry units also wore it during the First World War. The hat was common in units with many Canadian enlistments, such as the Canadian Scouts and the South African Constabulary. Canadian versions were typically distinguished by deep indentations at the front of the crown. Following the First World War, the campaign hat was phased out of general Canadian military use in favour of the service dress cap.

In contemporary Canadian law enforcement, the campaign hat persists as a symbol of authority. The Alberta Sheriffs Branch incorporates it as a standard part of their regular uniform. The Ontario Provincial Police also used the hat for many years, but phased it out in 2009 due to practical difficulties wearing it inside modern police cruisers. While its everyday use has diminished, the hat remains an instantly recognizable part of Canada's visual heritage, most powerfully associated with the formal image of the Mountie.

Modern military and ceremonial use worldwide

Today, the campaign hat serves specific ceremonial and training roles in several armed forces. In the United States, it is most famously worn by drill sergeants and drill instructors. In a significant update, the United States Army announced in January 2026 that both male and female drill sergeants would standardize on the classic olive drab campaign cover, retiring the green slouch hat. This change is scheduled for implementation beginning in Calendar Year 2026. United States Marine Corps drill instructors wear a similar hat with a matte black Eagle, Globe, and Anchor insignia. Other United States services utilizing variations include the United States Air Force and United States Space Force for their military training instructors, and the United States Coast Guard for recruit training company commanders.

In New Zealand, the army's distinctive felt campaign hat, colloquially called the 'lemon squeezer' for its deep four-sided indentations, is a key national distinction. First adopted by the Wellington Infantry Regiment around 1912, it became general issue in the First World War. After a period of abeyance, it was reintroduced in 1977 for ceremonial dress. While a new 'Mounted Rifles Hat' replaced it for general wear in 2012, the historic lemon squeezer is retained for honour guards and special formal occasions. The hat's design differentiated branches of service through coloured puggarees or bands around the crown base, such as blue and red for artillery and cherry-red for the Medical Corps.

Association with scouting and outdoor authorities

The campaign hat is inextricably linked to the founding of the worldwide Scout Movement. Robert Baden-Powell first adopted the Stetson campaign hat and a neckerchief during the Second Matabele War in Africa in 1896, influenced by his friend, the American scout Frederick Russell Burnham. After Baden-Powell's fame following the Siege of Mafeking in 1899, the hat became a personal trademark. He included it in the uniform for the South African Constabulary, which he commanded from 1900, and later prescribed it for Boy Scouts in his 1908 book Scouting for Boys. He noted the broad brim offered good protection from sun and rain. The uniform spread globally with Scouting, though many associations later switched to cheaper headgear like berets. The British Scout Association, for instance, introduced the beret as an alternative after the Second World War and abolished the hat's use altogether in 1967.

The hat also symbolizes authority for outdoor and conservation agencies. United States National Park Service rangers wear it, a tradition inherited from the United States Cavalry troops who first protected the parks. Many state park rangers, fish and game wardens, and local park services, such as the New York City Urban Park Rangers, follow this style. The United States Forest Service's mascot, Smokey Bear, has worn a campaign hat since his first poster in 1944, solidifying the hat's public association with forest protection and responsible outdoor recreation. The animal logo-mascot's debut poster, illustrated by Albert Staehle, depicted him wearing jeans and the hat while pouring water on a campfire.

Campaign hats and awareness initiatives in Canada

The familiar shape of a hat has been leveraged by several charitable and awareness campaigns in Canada, creating a modern, civic dimension to hat-wearing. The Hats for Hope campaign, launched in 2018 by the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, encourages Canadians to wear hats to raise awareness and funds for brain cancer. This movement aligns with Brain Cancer Awareness Day, declared annually by the House of Commons on 24 October. Participants are encouraged to purchase branded toques or baseball caps, with proceeds funding research, support, and advocacy. The campaign urges people to share photos on social media with the hashtag #HatsForHope to grow the movement and show solidarity with those affected. Every day, 27 Canadians are diagnosed with a brain tumour, and the campaign aims to support them and their families.

The Hats On For Mental Health campaign in Alberta invites people to wear a hat on the first Wednesday in May. This initiative raises awareness for mental health in schools. It is part of how wearing a hat can be a tool for community engagement. These efforts connect the traditional symbolism of headgear with contemporary awareness campaigns.

Design variations and insignia

While the basic four-peak, broad-brimmed shape defines the campaign hat, numerous variations exist in material, colour, and adornment based on its wearer's organization and rank. The classic material is stiffened felt, though straw versions exist for warmer climates. Colours range from the olive drab of United States Army drill sergeants and the navy blue of the United States Coast Guard to the brown 'Boss of the Plains' hat worn by the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in a centre-creased, cavalry Stetson style. Insignia is centrally mounted on the front of the crown. Common devices include the Great Seal of the United States for the army and air force, the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor for the marines, and organizational badges for police and ranger services.

Historically, coloured cords or puggarees wrapped around the base of the crown were key indicators of service branch or rank. For example, in the New Zealand Army, artillery wore blue and red bands, while medical corps wore cherry red. In the early United States Army, general officers had a solid gold cord, other officers a gold-and-black cord, and enlisted men cords in their branch colours. While such cords are now mostly ceremonial or discontinued for enlisted personnel, they remain a detailed element of the hat's rich tradition of visual signalling and distinction within uniformed services. The United States Navy remains the only major United States armed service that does not use the campaign hat for any of its personnel.

Questions about Campaign hat

Why is the campaign hat associated with the RCMP?

The campaign hat is deeply associated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police because it was the official dress hat of their predecessor force, the North-West Mounted Police. The RCMP has retained this distinctive headgear as a key component of their full dress uniform, making it one of the most recognizable symbols of Canadian law enforcement and heritage. The hat's use dates back to the late 19th century when the mounted police were established in the Canadian west. Its continued ceremonial use preserves a direct visual link to the force's storied history and frontier origins.

What is the 'lemon squeezer' campaign hat?

The 'lemon squeezer' is the colloquial name for the distinctive felt campaign hat worn by the New Zealand Army. It is characterized by a very high crown with deep, sharp indentations on all four sides, which gives it a shape reminiscent of a traditional kitchen lemon squeezer. This style was first adopted by the Wellington Infantry Regiment around 1912 and became general issue for New Zealand forces during the First World War. While largely replaced for everyday wear, the lemon squeezer is still used by the New Zealand Army for honour guards and special ceremonial occasions as a powerful national symbol.

Are campaign hats still used in the Canadian military today?

The campaign hat is no longer standard issue for the Canadian Armed Forces in a general service role. It was phased out of widespread military use after the First World War, replaced by the service dress cap and other forms of headgear. Its primary remaining military connection in Canada is historical, recalling its use by Canadian units in the Boer War and the First World War. The hat's contemporary presence in Canada is now largely confined to specific law enforcement uniforms, like the Alberta Sheriffs Branch, and the ceremonial dress of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

What is the Hats for Hope campaign in Canada?

Hats for Hope is a Canadian awareness and fundraising campaign for brain cancer, run by the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. Launched in 2018, it invites Canadians to wear a hat, often a branded toque or baseball cap, to show solidarity and raise funds for brain tumour research, patient support, and advocacy. The campaign is linked to Brain Cancer Awareness Day on 24 October. Participants are encouraged to share photos on social media using the hashtag #HatsForHope. Proceeds from merchandise sales help fund the foundation's mission to support affected families and work towards better treatments and a cure.

What change did the US Army announce about the campaign hat in 2026?

In January 2026, the United States Army announced a standardization of headgear for its drill sergeants. The decision stated that beginning in Calendar Year 2026, all drill sergeants, both male and female, would wear the classic olive drab campaign cover. This change meant retiring the green slouch hat that was previously in use. The move reinstates the campaign hat as the universal symbol for United States Army drill instructors, emphasizing tradition and a uniform appearance for those responsible for training new recruits.

How is the campaign hat connected to the Scout Movement?

The campaign hat is fundamentally connected to the Scout Movement through its founder, Robert Baden-Powell. He began wearing a Stetson campaign hat during his military service in Africa in 1896, influenced by American scout Frederick Russell Burnham. After founding the Boy Scouts, Baden-Powell prescribed the campaign hat as part of the original Scout uniform, describing it in his 1908 handbook Scouting for Boys as good protection from sun and rain. The hat became a global symbol of early Scouting. While many national Scout associations have since adopted other headgear, some traditional Scouting organizations and the Boy Scouts of America still offer it as an optional uniform item.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Novello Desserts desk. Last updated 2026-10-22.