true pith helmets are made from "Pith" wood, which is much like balsa. The curent crop of emets coming out of vietnam are some hybrid.....close to pith wood, but not quite....they are more dense and a bit heavier.

A mate who served in Rhodesia a couple decades ago as a "private contractor" tells me that they frequently wore them on jungle excursions. They would take them and dunk them in a water barrel for 15 minutes or so.....let them drop off the excess water....and they'd wear them ou....soaking wet. they'd stay comfy all day.

I tied this at the Bellingham games last year when it was so stupid hot (for SEATTLE, geesh) and was surprisingly comfortable......YMMV, of course.

Slainte!

Ron