Versatile but way too heavy. I can do the important stuff with a Buff.
A buff( I have one buff and 2 polarbuff) is over an ounce and a towel is around 3 Oz. So if you ditch the towel(and buff) and just carry a shemagh there is no weight penalty.Originally Posted by Rocket Jones
Milk coming out my nose. Thanks.
I'm not really a hiker, I just play one on White Blaze.
Hobo Hanky
You should know that there is an americanized version of the shemagh/keffiyeh from company called Hobo Hanky. Apparently early pionerrs, trappers and cowboys carried big kerchiefs much like arab shemaghs. Theirs is 42x42 like shemaghs but solid colors and even blaze orange for hunting! Also a version like a giant banadana thats red or blue with polkadots. The web site has pictures, list of uses, a blog, historical article etc. www.hobohanky.com
The keffiyeh, also known as shemagh , or in Persian chafiye , and in Kurdish cemedanī , is a traditional Arab headdress fashioned from a square, usually cotton, scarf. It is typically worn by Arab men, as well as some Kurds.
It is commonly found in arid regions to provide protection from direct sun exposure, as well to protect the mouth and eyes from blown dust and sand.( Wikipedia)
Shemagh is one of the most versatile gears you can carry and recently more and more hikers have started to appreciate its versatility. Some hikers believe it is useful just in arid and hot climates but I think it works in every situation , wet, dry, summer,winter and almost every where. Here is the list of potential uses of shemagh:
As a pillow cover
Extra shoulder pad
Warming belt( around the waist)
Covering the food to protect it from flies
Sun protection for the neck and face ( and bug protection at the same time)
Wiping off the sweat from face
Bandage
Arm sling
Keep the hiker cool( by dipping it in the water and wrapping it around the neck or over the head in hot days)
Keep the hiker warm ( wrapping around the neck and head in the cold weather)
Carrying stuff for a short hikes around the base camp( works as a pouch and can be wrapped around the waist)
Helping in collecting fruits and vegetables
Dust mask
Smoke mask( especially when wet)
Works as a towel after a shower or after a dip in a lake( ditching your towel when carrying the shemagh is a wise UL move)
Tourniquet
Works as a small cushion when folded up( hard surface blanket)
Gathering water in the mornings from morning dew
Covering your eyes when light is too much to sleep
As a pot holder
As a water filter
Bug net when having a nap in woods during the day
Drying tent after or during the rain
Works as a rope to help the other hiker up in rocks and boulders when hand is not long enough to reach the other hiker
Ps: I personally prefer the traditional pure cotton for shemagh since many of the uses of shemagh is dependent on the cotton fabric. It is normally around 40X40 inches and weighs around 4 to 6 ounces .
Heavy duty and thick shemaghs are not the best for hiking especially in warmer weathers . My choice is the ones around 4 Oz for summer and 6 Oz for winters. Darker colors work better in cold weathers and lighter color work best in warmer climates.
It is one of the gears that when you start using , after a while you start to think what the heck I was doing when not using them?
Cheap(around 4 to 12 bucks), versatile, light and durable.
Here is how to order
Kookork
Thank you for the link. It seems exactly like Shemagh to me just with solid colors. I like the blaze orange option though.
A bit of cloth is a bit of cloth. I'm going with an $8 buff, that I can wear in several ways without worrying about tying/arranging it into artful or useful shapes. I'll also carry two bandanas I got for $2 each. One for vaguely clean purposes, one for mostly dirty purposes. Cheap, functional and easily replaceable.
If you want to limit yourself to a single bit of cloth for all purposes, that's entirely up to you. I'm color blind as well as fashion blind, so wear whatever color, shapes and sizes of cloth you like, it's not like I'll notice.
Tried the bandannas more than once found them too small. Just ordered 2 of the hobo hankys. Thanks for the URL!
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Miles to go before I sleep. R. Frost
For winter, my merino Buff is okay...but I would sure love to find a merino shemagh someplace. Invaluable.
fortis fortuna adjuvat
Thanks for making me spit my coffee all over my workstation. It was well worth the cleanup~!
I agree with a few of the posts here.
I was a soldier in a few arid climates and used these. They were great for multi uses. However, I can not and will not agree with these in any sort of rain or misty climate. A few reasons these worked well in those types of climates was they kept the dust off and the sun off and took your sweat (or added water) and cooled you off via evaporation. If it is cold, rainy, or not windy, I don't see a great benefit for these. The AT doesn't provide those types of environments almost at all until late summer and only in a few spots.
In the right environments these work great. In the wrong environments these could be a real detriment. Choose wisely.
YMMV HYOH
I got a half Buff a few years ago and find it very useful. I typically will wear it loosely around my neck and am constantly amazed at the warmth it provides in cold conditions. When wind is really screaming, I will pull it up over the top of my head, anchored under my chin to provide face protection for chin and cheeks. Most anything that covers the full face doesn't work well for me due to condensation saturation.
Many of our veterans have brought their usefulness back from the Middle East and yes there is no stigma about them in be south. I have lived in Ga. most of my life and wear/use them extensively. Great multipurpose year round tool.
Gotta bump this one. After a few days a cotton anything will reek, especially one of those. Can you imagine it being wet for a week? I don't see anyone mentioning this so if you did...soooorry.
Depends...if you're wearing a bandana as a do-rag on a hiking trail, no one will think you're a bank robber. If you walk into a bank with your bandana covering your face, well....
In today's climate, sadly, I would not hike with a Middle eastern garment. no in the south, not anywhere in the U.S.
And 100% cotton? not practical on the AT.
. There is a place for cotton in the backcountry. Not suicidal as some say.
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
I learned to appreciate a shemagh after hiking with the OP Kookork for seven weeks along Ontarios Bruce Trail in a hot humid summer. Used it and continue to use it, for many of the purposes Kookork lists.
My present to him when he set off on the PCT last year was a dull greenish shemagh of the colouration used by many American veterans of the Mid-East. He used for five months as he completed the PCT.
I got a couple while working in middle east.
I wouldnt wear them hiking.
There are cooler options, and haboobs are rare on AT.
I once met a Finnish man in the outback of Australia who had one of these and a toothbrush.
That was ALL he was carrying.
Had been traveling about 8 months he said.
Blanket, something to wear while he washed his other clothes, as well as all the stuff you said in the OP.
This was before 9/11 so the terrorist look wasn't feared back then.
But I agree, it might raise more than eyebrows in some parts of the USA.
Handkerchief is good though.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
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