My Red Hunting Hat

Literally, a red hunting hat is used to distinguish yourself from the deer so that the other hunters won't mistake and shoot you, well let's move into the metaphorical meaning.
Holden finds pride in his wearing his hat, it's something that has become a part of who he is, feeling like some sort of hunter among the phonies or to let the 'real' people know he's there or maybe looking for those who don't "fake" their way around life. I feel that he also uses it when he's had a shift in emotions or thoughts, such as when he playfully held Stradlater in a half-nelson or when he felt nervous about Stradlater going out with Jane Gallagher. It's almost like a 'tell', an action (even a minuscule one) that people can use to know that you're lying.

Another interpretation to the hunting hat is an item that brings Holden some level of safety, maybe feeling that he has more power than he really does. In this case, everyone might have their own hunting hat, some charm, item or even thought that makes them feel in control.

I can't say that I'm too sure what my own red hunting hat is maybe it's the smile you use to distinguish yourself to people, to let them know that you're a friend or a frown to let people know 'I'm not in the mood to deal with you". It's not my best interpretation so enjoy this hat instead.

Themes in the Road

In 'The Road', Cormac McCarthy gives hints to things that are no more but in our everyday lives, some might feel they couldn't live without. In an interview he says, "...be more appreciative. Life is pretty damn good, even when it looks bad, and we should appreciate it more. We should be grateful. I don't know who to be grateful to, but you should be thankful for what you have.”
When the Man and the Boy stop at the bomb shelter, we see a glimpse of our own world, hygienics, toys, food (at the amount we are accustomed to) and safety. All these things are priceless in The Road but we too often take them for granted. When asked, people will often cite technology or money as the most important resource in the world, but if the world collapsed, they would both become useless, remnants of the past.
Food is so scarce that people have turned against their innermost morals and eaten their fellow humans but today, we have the opposite problem, people overstuff themselves and have become gluttons. We aren't thankful to have enough to live.
We also need to be thankful for the safety we have, the government will probably crumble and with it, polices, armies and paramedics. People will be forced to fend for themselves on a much greater scale than we do now. Normal ailments may turn deadly, chaos and famine will consume the Earth.

It's good to be thankful, it shows that we understand just how good we have it.