This seller is confusing this cap with the second pattern ski cap, but it is NOT a ski cap. It is, as the label says, a Field Cap (officially called the Cap, Field, Cotton, OD with Visor). Field Caps evolved from the ski cap and superceded it in the summer of 1943 when the Field Cap was adopted as a component of the M-1943 combat uniform. The OD Field Cap and its companion, the Cap, Field, Pile, replaced the Ski Cap, the winter combat helmet, and most of the many other caps and hats worn by the Army in 1942. They were a general issue cap intended for any soldier in a cold climate. This would have eventually included the mountain troops, but the war ended before the QMC ran out of ski caps. As a result, the mountain infantry rarely, if ever, wore the Field Cap during WWII.

The Field Cap being described here is actually the second pattern of Field Cap adopted in June 1944. The improved version incorporated changes that prevented the size band from shrinking, the stitching from puckering after laundering, and the ear flaps from curling as a result of the flannel lining shrinking.

While all WWII militaria is becoming scarcer, OD Field Caps are much more common than Ski Caps. Field Caps, even unissued mint examples, appear on the Internet fairly frequently.

The easiest way to differentiate the two caps is, of course, the contract tag. Ski caps are clearly marked Cap, Ski. Unfortunately, the tags are often missing so here are photos of the second pattern Ski Cap to help you recognize the differences. As you can see, the design and shape of the ski cap are quite different from the Field Cap. The Field Cap has a seam around the crown and its silhouette is more square, whereas the ski cap is more rounded. In addition, the Field Cap is lined with 10oz wool flannel while the second pattern ski cap is unlined.