I need a hat!!!!

Reverse pickpocket a helmet into their inventory- Gamebryo NPCs always equip the best armour they have in their inventory.
You might have to leave a location and wait a few in-game hours.
You can then just steal it.

You can do it with majority of unique apparel (Kimball leaves too fast for you to get his suit that way).
 
The way I got the hat without killing a ranger was because I was going to Nipton and I went through Primm Pass (the ravine with the deathclaw and the dead Bright Brotherhood member) and I accidentally led the deathclaw all the way to Ranger Station Charlie where it began attacking the rangers, I ran up to the tower on the right side and then sniped the deathclaw with my service rifle. I went down and grabbed the ranger brown hat off of one of the dead rangers. I didn't mean to kill them or anything (I side with the NCR) but it was a happy accident.
 
Back
Top