It’s no secret that a shemagh scarf is a practical garment. Like all scarves, they are about as practical as they come.

Though they’re designed to shield the wearer from sun and wind in hot environments, they can also be used to add a layer of warmth in the cold, among many other uses.

Speaking of which, here are 4 unconventional (and good) ones. Throw these into your mental repertoire before you leave base camp next time.

As a Bandage

Not just good as a head covering, a shemagh scarf can also be a lifesaver, almost literally.

One of the most important aspects of preventing infection is cleaning and disinfecting a wound. A shemagh scarf can be used for both.

First, if needed, soak the shemagh in water and use it to wipe the wound clean. Then alcohol or  another disinfectant can be applied to it and it can be used to treat the wound.

If needed, a shemagh can also be bound around an injury as a makeshift bandage to help stop bleeding.

For Foraging

Out there in the woods, and come across a bounty of blueberries or morels? Got no basket?

Don’t worry, you can use your shemagh as an improvised basket to carry those vittles home. You can also bind it around the end of a stick to make a “bindle” as they used to say.

A Water Filter

One of the most important preliminary steps in water treatment is to remove sediment. That is easier said than done and actually quite difficult. Boiling water can remove biological contaminants, but without a mechanical filter, you can’t get rid of dirt.

A shemagh can help with that aspect of purification. Simply use it as a barrier and pour water over it and into a vessel. The weave of the fabric will help remove some sediment.

Grab a Hot Pot

Camp cooking is a great skill to have, but you know what’s not so easy? Moving the cookware around especially after you had it on the coals. If you’re cooking on cast iron that thing’s going to stay hot for a long time.

Wrap your shemagh around the handle a few times and it’ll make it easier to shuffle it around over the fire.

As a Pillow

The shemagh scarf itself is too little to fold up and make into a pillow, or rather, it’s not that it’s small but that it isn’t cushioned enough.

Stuff it with dry grass and leaves, then fold it over itself a few times – now you have a pillow, anywhere you can get dry, soft, stuffing materials.

Add a Shemagh Scarf to Your Bug Out Bag Today

As you can see, there are many uses for a shemagh scarf and all of them are practical. They make this little strip of cloth well worth the couple of dollars you’ll need to exchange to get one. Add one to your camp pack or bug out bag today and you’ll never be without it in a pinch.

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