I think they are kind of silly but I can't help it,I am begining to collect hat pins for places where I have hiked.Here is my photo with my trusty hiking hat,at the top of one of the Aberdare falls in Kenya.

Will these pins be available in Switzerland,France and italy? RR

The rifugios that I hiked to in the Dolomites all had pins for their huts. I'll post a picture of one when I get home.

BTW, does anyone know the Italian word for this? I didn't have any luck googling on the subject to see if they are available outside of the Dolomites.

quote:

Originally posted by Marta:
BTW, does anyone know the Italian word for this? I didn't have any luck googling on the subject to see if they are available outside of the Dolomites.

I believe the word for the type of pin you are referring to is called spilla (plural spille). I read a report of someone who frequently hikes in the Dolomiti and he wrote about the rifugi in the area and mentions the spilla (pin) and cartolina (postcard) as a well deserved memento of the hike.
The above mentioned report can be found here.

too funny, I thought I was the only one--I collect these from birding refuges we visit or sometimes just the country if there's a bird on the pin. Airports are a good place to find these! Last one I got was a Coto Donana in Spain. I've got them on my birding jacket lapel now but running out of room, it never occurred to me to put them on hats, of course now it makes sense that's where they belong!

We buy pins wherever we travel and put them on our daypacks or Rob's leather backpack. We've lost a few through the years because the backs come off and the pins fall off. We haven't figured a really secure way to stop that from happening though.

quote:

Originally posted by Wendy & Rob:
We buy pins wherever we travel and put them on our daypacks or Rob's leather backpack. We've lost a few through the years because the backs come off and the pins fall off. We haven't figured a really secure way to stop that from happening though.

We did this for our first couple of trips, and put them on our backpacks. We lost so many though that we gave up.
I've been thinking abut getting patches to sew on. If I were a bumper sticker type, I'd get the driving stickers for each country we've visited.

quote:

Originally posted by t-mac:
I've been thinking abut getting patches to sew on. If I were a bumper sticker type, I'd get the driving stickers for each country we've visited.

I buy patches too, for all the refuges we go to, and the Audubon centers, national parks, etc. Problem is no where to put them. Talk about dorky! They are all in a paper bag in the drawer, every once in awhile I take them out to see what I have. I was thinking of putting them in an album.

When I asked my husband, Brad, what he wanted from Italy when I went in May, those pins were his answer. I asked for "spilla" at every tobacci, in everyplace I went. He put his on his "Le Cantine" Chianti BBQ apron!

He also got a great leather belt and a wheel of pecorino!

Here is one from Rifugio Boe

Robert Switzerland has great pins and patches. Here a pic of my pin from the top of the Jungfrau.
Happy Trails
Sue

Thanks!, Re above the pins never fall off my hat.I have had my Africa pins which were my starter set for almost two years no problem.
I wonder if they have them in south america as well by the end of this year I could have a nice collection! RR

It sounds like you will definitely have a nice collection by the end of your hike. I'm trying to remember if I saw any pins in Chile. I didn't stay at any of the refuges and I can't remember if there were any in the airport at Punta Arenas. I do remember seeing patches, stickers and magnets in the airport. That may be your best place if they don't have any in the refuges.

quote:

I buy patches too, for all the refuges we go to, and the Audubon centers, national parks, etc. Problem is no where to put them. Talk about dorky! Dorky Traveler They are all in a paper bag in the drawer, every once in awhile I take them out to see what I have. I was thinking of putting them in an album.

Maybe take them to a framing store and have them, well, framed! I'm sure they'd come up with a creative way of "floating" them inside a lovely frame and then you can display it for all to see and admire!

Ciao, meow,
Mindy

How about mounting them on foamboard and then framing them? RR

thanks for the framing ideas Robert and Pokey---but I really don't have any room to hang anything in my apartment---I can barely find room for my photos! I think an album is the way to go...one of these days I'll get around to it..meantime they stay in the paper bag