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Tag: keffiyeh

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Phillosoph

Debugging Your Bug-Out Bag: 3 Clothing

Conceivably, the need to bug out may occur when you are in the shower, or snug in your bed.
You will need to wear something other than your current garb! (Although admittedly pyjamas seem to have worked well for the Viet Cong!)Polycotton Long-Johns
In previous articles, I have talked about having an outfit to bug out in. These may either be kept with your bug‑out bag (BOB), or in your BOB and changed into when there is time.
At the very least, you should have a good coat and pair of boots near your bag. Packing these items in your bag will take up space you could use for other items.
Your boots should be in good condition, but broken in.
It is not a bad idea to have a pair of socks with them, ready to put on. Socks may be used to form a “nightcap” over the top of boots to hinder the entry of scorpions and other critters. A plastic bag over the top keeps the moths from feasting on your good wool socks.
It is wise to give your boots a good shake before putting them on anyway.
Tropentarn Camouflage
I suggest a good coat rather than a jacket. I intend to use my desert parka, adding the warm liner if needed.
Some books suggest your main coat or jacket be a breathable waterproof. These may be insufficiently breathable or hot in warm weather. If you wear your waterproof all the time the chances of it getting damaged are higher, and they tend to be very expensive!
In anticipation of its use, various useful items are already packed into the pockets of my parka. These are not EDC items, but supplements to the EDC items I carry in/with my trousers.
Parka contents include: neck-gaiter/headover, scrim scarf/veil, merkalon gloves, compass with sighting mirror, plastic mirror/heliograph, wire-saw, space blanket, cotton string/tinder, butane lighter. On a neck cord with a ferro-rod and striker are a whistle, snap-link and photon light.
Typically a warm hat, bandana and keffiyeh is nearby.
Various items from the BOB are likely to migrate to the parka or trousers so they are more accessible.
Kukri, Mora Companion and Fire Kit.
Also with the bag I have a hip‑belt with my kukri, Mora, sharpening stone and a small fire kit mounted on it.

Clothing

This topic of clothing to keep with your bug-out-bag I have previously discussed in my blog on “Dressing for Bug-Out”.
This blog will concentrate on what clothing to have in your bag.
A bug‑out bag is intended to support you for 72 hours, so you will not need that many changes of clothing.
On the other hand, wind, rain and sun can kill you in a few hours if your clothing is not suitable.
How much clothing to carry when travelling light?
Opinions differ here.
My theory is that you should have at least one complete change of clothing, since you should expect an unexpected dunking.
Some soldiers wear one set of clothing during the day and change into their alternate set to sleep, letting the day set dry and air. Kephart suggested a similar strategy.

Have a Change of Clothes

It is not practical to carry a spare parka, but a spare shirt/tunic and trousers will take little room inside a pack.
You should have two sets of undergarments, a “wear and a spare”, appropriate for season and climate.
Thermal underwear is great when it is really cold. Under most conditions it will have you sweaty and miserable. Have intermediate options.

Socks

One of the first clothing purchases for your bug-out bag that you should make is to invest in three or four pairs of good quality woollen socks. You will get nowhere without your feet.
Four pairs let you change into a drier pair whenever necessary. You may double up if it is unexpectedly cold. Two pairs of medium weight socks will be warmer than a single extremely thick pair.
A couple of extra (cheaper?) pairs of socks are worth the weight and may be tucked into various locations to pad other gear, stop things rattling etc.
For very cold conditions, have two pairs of boot insoles and alternate them. One pair airs and dries while the other pair is worn. Punch a hole in them so you can tie them to something when airing.
Similarly, sew loops of ribbon to your socks so they may be tied to the outside of your pack while drying.

Rain Poncho

Have a rain-poncho or two. If your poncho is in a pouch or has a pocket, keep a couple of lengths of cord with it. Paracord stretches, so something non-elastic is preferable. These will be handy when rigging your poncho as a shelter.
Pocho Shelters
If it is very windy, one of these cords may be used as a belt for your poncho.
I always have a couple of spans of bootlace or cord in my left trouser pocket, and these may be used with the poncho in the same fashion.
Accessories such as hats, scarf and gloves may make the difference between comfort and catastrophe. Have spares!

Gloves

You should carry protective gloves and warm gloves. Glove liners are useful when you need more dexterity or it is especially cold.
When the wind is high or the mercury low, losing a glove can be serious. Have a spare set of gloves may save you using spare socks as mittens.
Sew a loop of ribbon, webbing or elastic to each of your gloves. You can attach them to your coat cuffs using a safety pin. This is probably more secure than the clips sold for the same purpose.
Or tie the gloves to a cord run down your sleeves and across your shoulders.

Headwear

Hats are another item it is wise to carry spares of. Extra woolly hat or headover in the cold, extra hat with brim in sun. In some parts of the world you may want a rainhat!
Pack a watch-cap with your sleeping gear as a nightcap.
Don’t let the wind steal your head-coverings! Buy a metre or two of elastic and add hat-straps to the hats that do not have them.
Carry several bandannas (some on your person) and a spare keffiyeh or scarf, depending on climate and season. Bandannas are another practical way to stop gear rattling, and serve as water filters, havelocks, oven gloves etc.

Eye Protection

Your bug-out bag should include goggles and/or sunglasses. In some environments these will be very important, so have spares. In such conditions carry one set on your person and your spares in your bag.

Hi-Viz

I prefer my clothing to be neutral or natural shades.
There will be times when you very much want to be seen, however.
A hi-viz jerkin with reflective tape weighs little and packs up small. You cannot really use this while wearing your poncho, so I would also recommend an orange or red cap or woolly hat.
There are hi-viz rucksack covers that increase your visibility when viewed from the rear. These might not fit if you have a lot of gear on the outside of your pack. In this case, have a panel of hi-viz material and reflective tape with ties that may be knotted around your rucksac straps.
This panel may be used as a flag to attract rescuers to your camp site.
If walking along roadways, walk on the side of oncoming traffic.
Part 4
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Phillosoph

Kidney Warmers and Bellybands

Decades ago, when I first saw “Fists of Fury”, the scene above puzzled me. How did Bruce Lee’s character conclude the chef was Japanese just from seeing his undergarment?
The answer is that the Japanese are known for being fond of haramaki or “bellybands”.
Kidney Warmer/ Bellyband
The Germans are also fond of a similar garment. I have read of the Afrika Korps being issued “kidney-warmers”. The “Armed Forces of World War Two” by Andrew Molo clarifies:
“With the rapid drop in temperature at night, personnel wore a knitted woollen waist protector next to their skin, and a woollen greatcoat over their other clothing.”
I used to work with a colleague who had a German wife. I was apparently “mother’s wisdom” that you should wear a kidney warmer to keep your feet warm. Similarly, running around without socks could cause kidney and bladder problems.
Kidney warmer
It is interesting that diverse cultures in different parts of the world maintain that there is a link between kidneys and feet!
In a previous blog I mentioned that some American Civil War soldiers wore a flannel belt next to the skin.
Bellyband side view
“So what?” you may be asking. Many readers will own at least one set of long underwear. And sometimes the undershirt rides up and exposes the small of your back. A kidney warmer would have prevented this and also proved extra insulation.
Or perhaps, you are wearing a loose tee-shirt and find things can get a little drafty when the wind picks up.
Suppose you have to improvise cold weather clothing due to an unexpected change in the weather. Wrapping a spare scarf, keffiyeh or strip of material around your midriff could make all the difference.
Button around bellyband
There are a variety of styles of bellyband available. Some are elasticated tubes you either step into or pull over. Others are wrap-around and utilize velcro or other means.
If you have a snug-fitting tee-shirt or jumper that has seen better days, it should be easy to make your own kidney warmer to try the idea out.
Categories
Phillosoph

In Praise of Shemagh and Keffiyeh

Previously, I wrote about the fallacy that most face masks would protect you from infection. Inevitably, most of humanity has ignored the facts and taken comfort in superstition. Somewhere along the way members of our kleptocracies have realized just how much money can be made selling ineffective protective measures to the gullible.
Wearing face covering has become a requirement on public transport and in certain buildings. The stated purpose is to prevent carriers infecting other people, which admittedly has some merit. My objection here is in the lack of enforcement. As a microbiologist and a scientist I believe any safety equipment should be used properly. Masks serve no purpose if they do not cover the nostrils or are worn on your chin! I also, unreasonably, believe that laws and rules should apply to everyone. Being overweight and being unable to stop stuffiing your face on the bus is not a legitimate reason to go unmasked.
I have taken to wearing a shemagh/ keffiyeh when I travel on public transport. Looking like a pissed-off Palestinian shows my contempt for the farcical handling of the situation. Does it look intimidating? Probably, but I don’t really want people getting close anyway. Perhaps I should carry a rucksac too; I might get the whole carriage to my self!
On a more practical note, I have discovered a new respect for the shemagh. I had been thinking of it as a large banana, (or possibly a tea-towel!). The weave of my shemaghs is very loose, allowing the easy passage of breath or perspiration. On one particularly sunny day I kept my shemagh on when back on the street. It successfully kept the sun off my bald dome, and I was not bothered by perspiration running down into my eyes. It also helped keep my earphones in. Being cotton, dunking the shemagh in water may be a good way to keep cool in hot weather.
I have discussed the need for facial camouflage on other pages. I believe I have also mentioned one of the purposes of the ninja ensemble is to muffle the sound of breathing. The shemagh can meet these needs. In cold weather the shemagh may help prevent your condensed breath revealing your position. Something to experiment once it gets colder.
A brightly coloured shemagh might be used for signalling. One of mine is red and black, although in honesty this a bit dull in colour for signalling or location. Might be good in snow. Most shemaghs are white and have little virtue as camouflage save in snow. Dying them more tactical colours may be possible. Most “tactical” shemaghs are green/ olive drab, but except in jungle this is not as versatile and useful a practical colour as brown. I have one of brown and black, but ideally brown and sand or brown and grey would be most useful.

Tying the Shemagh

You will find a number of videos on how to tie a shemagh on-line. My usual method is to take the short, right end up near my left temple. Take the long end round the front, round the back and tie the ends together. I have been using a reef knot, but may experiment with a simpler overhand (half a reef!). This may be easier to untie when necessary. Tied correctly, the shemagh forms a hood and face-covering that can easily be lowered or raised. Down, it makes a useful neck gaiter. Position the part over your head so it does not expose a large area of forehead.
Another simple tying method can be used if you just need to cover your lower face, such as in the event of a dust storm. Fold your shemagh diagonally and place the widest/ tallest part over your mouth and nose. Take the ends behind your head and bring them around the front and tie them together under your chin. This gives your lower face area an irregular texture that contributes to shape disruption.
You should always have a bandanna or two on your person. A shemagh is a very worthy addition to a coat pocket or rucksac.
I am prone to migraine attacks, and one of the remedies is to breath in carbon dioxide-rich air. Carbon dioxide is a vasodilator so this increased blood flow to the brain. Note that this is not the same as re-breathing from a paper bag. You need to take in fresh oxygen as well as an increased CO2 level. One way to achieve this is to cover your mouth and nose with your hands. This is a little inconvenient, and my fingers get in the way of my glasses. Last night I grabbed my shemagh and knotted it around by lower face. As the migraine attack eased off, I was amused to note that I was wearing the two garments that pretty much summed up my lockdown: a dressing gown and a shemagh.