I love this question, and one that is asked of me everywhere I go. Shemagh or Keffiyeh is a large loosely woven square cotton cloth similar to a bandana (bandana is tightly woven) but much larger than one. People in the middle eastern part of the planet wear one for a number of reasons. Here are just some of the use cases (I have over 20 use cases personally.)
- Sun protection – Yes, on hot days, this keeps you cool unlike a scarf, by covering your head and neck completely
- Soak in a bit of water and wrap it around your neck to stay cool
- Warmth – Use it as a scarf and it keeps you warm
- Towel – Use it to wipe sweat or cover yourself if your exposed (yes, it can be that big) and it drys faster than a cotton towel since it is loosely woven. Women may need two to cover both top and bottom
- You can use it as a ground cloth to keep your clothes from getting dirty
- A partial blanket – you can cover your core to keep you warm in an emergency
- Dust protection – Many parts of the Middle East is a desert where haboobs or dust storms can happen often – have a shmagh handy, and you can cover yourself from dust
- Bag for hauling and concealment – You can use it to haul things or conceal things
- Water filter – if it is clean, you can use it to filter the water before you start boiling it
- Emergency bandage or arm sling
- Pillow – I have put some leaves in one and made it into a pillow for the night
- And many more
So instead of carrying multiple items, I carry two shemagh. One I wear most of the time hiking or adventuring, and one in my pack in a ziplock bag. It has served me well during my adventures with less stuff. They are not too expensive, it’s easy to wash and dry, super lightweight, and its multifunctional usefulness makes this a must have.
