Every good Redneck has to have a rack full of baseball caps and every good Redneck has to have a favorite. I’m no exception. I’ve got plenty of baseball caps, but the one I wear most is my Panther Vision lighted baseball cap. At first glance, it looks like a typical hunter’s camouflage baseball cap sported by legions of Rednecks around the world. The famed comic, “Larry the Cable Guy” often wears a similar camouflage cap. But, the brim of my Panther Vision cap conceals two high-powered white LED lights that can be easily activated by a sliding a small switch on the back of the size adjustment band. The bright lights make the Panther Vision cap incredibly versatile. I find it useful for late night dog walking, for setting up my astronomy equipment at night, for working on the car, and for any situation where a flashlight might be useful. When I have an unexpected need for a flashlight, it’s incredibly convenient to have one right on my head. The cap-mounted light also allows me to keep both of my hands free for precision work rather than hold a flashlight. Of course, my “precision work” usually consists of cleaning up after our hound dog mutt on our late evening walks.
The Panther Vision cap is well made. While the cap is available in many colors, my cap is completely done in the REALTREE Hardwoods camouflage pattern. It is made of good 55% cotton, 45% polyester, cloth all around. The size adjustment strap is made of nice quality brown leather (or synthetic leather) and can be adjusted using a flatly finished brass buckle which is adorned with the profile of a panther’s face. The adjustment buckle is securely riveted into the cap and the leather strap passes into the rim if the cap through another brass portal. The hat rim itself is sown with four lines of stitching. The Panther Vision trademark logo is nicely embroidered into the underside of the cap. Although I’ve had the hat for nearly a year without the batteries going dead, the CR2032 watch battery in the switch box can easily be replaced in accordance with care instructions on a care tag concealed within the cap. Overall, the Panther Vision hat is very well conceived and constructed.
There are a few improvements that I would love to see in Panther Vision caps. I’d love to see the cap available in a red LED version. Red light helps preserve night vision. This would make the cap much more useful to amateur astronomers and others who need to preserve their dark adaptation. A dimmer switch might also help preserve dark adaptation by allowing users to adjust the amount of light put out by the powerful LEDs. I’d also love to see the switch box relocated from a position directly at the back of the cap to a position near the side. Right now, if you recline in a chair or car seat and put your head back to relax, the switch box will contact your headrest. This is a little uncomfortable and could cause excess wear on the headrest or chair. I also notice that the brown strap and dark bronze strap buckle do not look as nice on my wife’s pink version of this cap. So, additional color options for the adjustment strap might be nice.
While passersby might dismiss you as just another Redneck, in the Panther Vision hat, you’ll carry yourself with the confidence of a well-dressed Redneck who knows and quality ball cap and who can see at night. While it may not be as sophisticated as the latest in night vision technology, a light in your cap will let you see in the dark. The Panther Vision lighted cap is a fun addition to any hat rack.
