A bandana is another one of those things that is useful for a thousand things but nothing specific. It’s right up there with duct tape and rope. The things only weigh a couple ounces, they are dirt cheap, and are a must have in your Bug Out Bag or Urban Survival Gear. Here is just a short list of possible uses for a bandana.
1. Signal
2. Neck Gaiter for cold weather
3. Tourniquet (But for Snake Bites use a Sawyer Extractor)
4. Pot Holder
5. Collecting Wild Edibles
6. Sun block for neck
7. Sling (first-aid)
8. Sling (as in David and Goliath)
9. Sling (for a staff )
10. Cordage ( strips or as is)
11. Washcloth/Towel (Bathe out of a Collapsible Bucket)
12. Sweatband
13. Waist pack/pouch
14. Hobo Pack
15. Padding a hotspot
16. Cleaning Patches for Firearm
17. Bullet Patches for Muzzleloader
18. Gun Wipe Cloth (with oil)
19. Toilet Paper
20. Mark a Trail
21. Dish Rag
22. Napkin
23. Eye patch
24. Pre-water Filter (like Coffee Filters)
25. Clean Glasses and other lens
26. Ear Muffs
27. Bind a stone and toss a line over a limb
28. Dust Mask (in Urban Survival)
29. Wet and wear for Hot Weather
30. Sneezing
What Else?
Leave a comment and tell us what else you use bandanas for.
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Roll up as if it were a headband and cut slits for eyes and use as snow shades (prevent snow blindness). Use as pockets for making other weapons such as bolos and hurls.
Survivor_1997,
Good idea for the snow blindness, it can be a real pain and even dangerous in a survival situation.
The only time I have made something like a bolo is when I was a kid, but it could definitely work.
A bandana was one of the first things I got for backpacking and it goes with me every time no matter how light I'm packing.
My preference is a thin 100% cotton cowboy bandana, at least 34" x 34" in a light/neutral/dirt color/pattern. Unless you really can't find/make something similar, don't bother with those crappy little poly blend ones you can buy at 'sports' stores, urban outfitters, convenience stores or truck stops. A fallback and good for some of the mentioned uses in the article would also be one of those Arab scars – variously known as keffiyeh, kafiyah, (ya)shmagh, ghutrah, mashadah, shemagh, or hijab.
My uses:
1. drape a wet one loosely around your neck for evaporative cooling when hot – very effective
2. knot/fold into a hat/head and neck shade for protection from sun, wind or cold
3. draped loosely over the head and shading the eyes to keep gnats or no-see-ums out of your face and eyes
4. general sweat/dirt wipe
5. folded up as a butt pad for sitting on rough/damp surfaces
You could use one as a field dressing too, but I'd really hate to have to use one as a butt wipe – too useful for other things.
Matt,
I agree with you about getting cotton ones. There are very few survival items that are better cotton than synthetic but a bandana is one.
I used it to knot my pack shut when the zipper failed. I didn't want to duct tape shut it because I wanted fast access to what was inside.
That's a good one Elizabeth.
Another one of those "you never know why you're going to need it until it happens" type of uses.
head band….dog collar …horse lead
teresa,
Great call on those, I hadn't thought about uses for animals
We always tell the scouts to have a bandana, Didn't know there were this many uses.
Prepper Man,
I'm always looking for multi-use items in my preps.
Over at TEOTWAWKI Blog they published another large list of uses for bandannas in your EDC
http://teotwawkiblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/multita...
I like to use them on my wife, to tie her up and mostly blindfold her.
LOL……. I think?
A bandana, is about the most massively useful thing a survivalist can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you); you can wave your bandana in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.
More importantly, a bandana has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-survivalist) discovers that a survivalist has his bandana with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the survivalist any of these or a dozen other items that the survivalist might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his bandana is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.
oh wait, that's towels.
Damnit.
They are great when you get an allergy attack or have a cold and don't usually carry around a box of tissue or a roll of TP. The only down fall is that you have to wash them often.
Yep. I carry a hankerchief everyday. a "fancy" bandana I guess you could say. It just a good utility tool.
Wet the bandana with any liquid you would allow to touch your body/face. Pinch one corner of the bandana between thumb and fingers. Twirl the bandana quickly for about ten seconds. Apply cooled bandana to hot area of body. Temporary relief. Twirling the wet bandana uses the principle that heat goes where there is less heat. Remember this principle whether you are hot or cold.
People pay quite a bit more than the cost of a bandana for this same "cooling device"
Very good idea.
Knot any hard object into a bandana. Place in pocket with part of bandana hanging out. The part hanging out is the handle for the innocent looking very close range improvised impact weapon you are now carrying.
also good to sling a rope over a tall tree.
beside the "joke" about the wife, they are good improvised handcuffs/restraints
haha, yes good point.
Instant kotex. Duh, boys.
I've always saved two pairs of nylon stockings in my bug out bag for the same purpose. it also takes less space
Living down south (Louisiana) in a very humid environment, I once found myself in a survival situation where I needed to start a fire, but everything was soaking wet. After sorting through my pack for what little I had available, I actually came to the conclusion that I could add an oil-based insect repellant to my bandana in attempt to at least dry the tender enough to light. Unfortunately, I lost my bandana…fortunately, I'm living today to tell the story.
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