shemagh vs bandana

with's one is better a shemagh ( 100cmx100cm ) or bandana ( 50cmx50cm )? i have never had a shemagh in mine hands, so i don't know how dense the cloth is woven or the quality.
A shemagh is bigger so you proberbly can use it for more things ( if the cloth has a reseanale dense woven structure ), but they also cost more and are bigger.... what would you take ? a shemagh or bandana, if you have to choice one for EDC/wilderness/survival use.

this is what a shemagh is for those who doesnt know it: http://www.actiongear.com/cgi-bin/tame.e...2Fresults%2Etam

You can use red bandana as a signaling device... Would be hard to do with OD shemagh. Now the ones that I seen had a softer feel to it than bandana and little thicker which means they take up much more space. Since the surface area is 4 times bigger obviously I can come up with more ideas for the use of Shemagh. But it would be the same if at any given time I had four bandanas on me. I would stick to them.

Matt

Shemaghs are traditionally woven of soft egyptian cotton and used primarily as a head covering. It all comes down to size. My bandannas are a full 36" square. Lawrence of Arabia wore a shemagh. John Wayne wore a bandanna. All of us Walter Mittys can wear either one with good results. <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have both. I got the shemagh (or poshu as called here) in a trip to Tunisia and worked very well. The bandana looks somewhat more civilized and can always be carried in the city. (In most of the hollywood movies I had seen Islamic terrorist do carry a shemagh and a khaki coat so I think there is already a pre-justice for it <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />)

I used the shemagh on horse ride, trekking etc day and night. It was february in Northern Africa so it was hot days and cold nights. The bandana wouldn't work the same as the other protects your head better due to the thickness of the cloth. If you are going to hot arid areas it would be better than the bandana if you don't want to carry a hat or etc. It insulates better as it leaves more space for air.

Millions of people use it everyday (middle east, southern Turkey, North Africa, Asia) but I think I might look wierd somewhere else:)

I have also noticed some special forces soldiers use them on operations.

Burak
Istanbul

Chris: Can you post an internet site for 36 inch square bandannas? Or do you get them elsewhere?

Bear

Matt,
Hate to blow your bubble, but at a distance over a hundred yards, I doubt anyone would notice a bandana red or not.
From an airplane at any altitude it would be missed.
Jeff

I'll have to dig out my catalogs. I've bought mine from several western tack outfitters. They aren't cheap, but you get pure silk. the various sites devoted to the SINGLE ACTION SHOOTING SOCIETY should have many sources.

Ade posted this site awhile back. A bit expensive, but a nice selection.

http://www.jinglebobs.com/

from this Bandana Thread

Soon you too can be in style

I would agree on the airplane but when scanning a streep of green and your field of vision with 8by30 binos is 390 feet/1000 yards you will see contrast and difference. If somebody can't see a red bandana at 100 yard that that somebody shouldn't be conducting S&R. Take this pic for example:

http://brunerdog.tripod.com/contax/pages/upstate.htm

if somebody on the other side of that lake hanged a red bandana sqare and you were looking for him you would spot him right away. i will agree that during dusk or dawn your eyes will convert into more b&W vision in order to gain more light and than color will not make much difference but during day I don't see a reason why you wouldn't be spoted.

For my choice a shemagh wins hands down.
larger size means it is more versatile as well as it is breathable when worn covering the face.
I'm an Aussie so find that in our conditions a shemagh is more beneficial than the smaller bandana.
But, like anything its all a matter of personal chioce.

Is a shemagh the same as a "doosh-dash" (spelt phonetically!)? That is what I use my towel, blanket, mop, cloak and, occasionally, a head-wrap. BTW, it's intended use is a Middle-East-based head-wrap. it is also about as thick as a a bandana, and large enough to use as a sarong.

I don't use bandanas often, but i keep one with me as a spare rag when hiking/outdoors. the "doosh-dash" works for me.