Do you know what a shemagh is? It’s likely that you’ve seen one in the movies, but you didn’t know what it’s called. So, here’s a quick (imperfect) take on shemagh scarf:
When you watch a military movie and you see a professional private contractor trying to look cool with his automatic rifle, he’ll usually have a (traditionally) white and black or dark green scarf around his neck or face. This is a shemagh scarf.
Incidentally, it’s pronounced “schmog” and also called “keffiyeh” (although there are differences, which are not covered in this article). The shemagh is like a bandanna, but larger.
Besides just the cool factor, shemaghs have a wide variety of uses that are only limited by your imagination.
When buying a shemagh, all you really need to look out for is the material used and the stitching.
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- The shemagh needs to be strong, yet flexible.
- The stitching shouldn’t fray easily after repeated use.
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If you’re going to get one, you might want to opt for one from Tapp Collections. Their shemagh is one of the most popular on the market, with more than two thousand reviews (mostly positive), and a high rating on Amazon. The product is very affordable and lightweight.
You can easily keep a couple in your bug-out bag. They don’t take up much space and are lightweight.
How to tie a Shemagh scarf
There are many ways to tie a shemagh. You can easily see all the different ways by searching on YouTube for “tie shemagh”, and you’ll have a lot of videos to watch and follow. Once your shemagh arrives in the mail, it’ll be a good idea to test the different methods out and familiarize yourself with them.
Now you may be asking yourself: What on earth could I do with a shemagh if I’m not in the military?
Well, here are a few ideas:
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- If you’re in a polluted and dusty environment, you could use it as a mask. Just wrap it around your face.
- If someone is injured, you could use it as a bandage. What if the injury is a dislocation or fracture? No worries.
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- The shemagh scarf is large enough to be a sling and
- strong enough to be used to secure a splint to reinforce a bone fracture.
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- Don’t have a pillow? Just fold it and now you have a makeshift one.
- The sun is too bright and you’re trying to rest in your tent? Fold the shemagh and place it over your eyes.
- Run out of water? Rub your shemagh over the dew of many leaves in the morning and squeeze the cloth until water droplets come out.
- If you do find some murky water that has sedimentation, you can use the shemagh as a strainer to remove the larger foreign matter.
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- Now boil the water, wait for it to cool and you can drink it through a LifeStraw if you have one. Or you could use a water purification tablet.
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Besides these uses, a shemagh scarf can be used as a:
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- towel
- flag
- fire starter
- tourniquet
- feminine hygiene
- foot wrap
- net
- pot holder
- compress
- toilet paper
- short rope (rolled up)
- belt
- trail marker and much more.
A shemagh is as versatile as paracord and mylar blankets.
If you get your scarf from Tapp Collections, you can rest assured you’re getting one that’s soft, yet durable.
Every prepper should own a shemagh scarf and if possible, get one for each family member as well.
Having overcome its negative reputation, this versatile, storied accessory has many uses as indicated above, and come in very handy in an emergency.