After several hours of frantic and fruitless searching for that one indispensable item of walking gear, I came to the conclusion that my 21st Century stealth-black Lowe Alpine Mountain Cap is destined never to be found.
All was not lost, however, as I'm a gear-hoarder of dubious repute. Off I went to the "saved for posterity" kit-bags and pulled out my original cap, still resplendent in a subtle 1980s colour-scheme:
I think even ptc* would be proud of this one!