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A real shemagh/keffiyeh is made of 100% cotton. There are a lot of so-called shemaghs on the market today that look the part, but are a mixture of cotton and synthetic fabrics like polyester. So lets be clear: a polyester shemagh is not a real shemagh.

The Explore Land Cotton Shemagh Scarf is light and airy and feels great. It’s versatile, practical and available in some 2 dozen colors. At 41 x 41 inches this is as small as we could justify including on our list. Any smaller and you wouldn’t be able to achieve some of the traditional wraps associated with the keffiyeh. And that would undermine its claim to being a true shemagh. But at 41 x 41 it slips in under the wire, so it’s all good.

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Shemagh scarves can be used as pillows. Sleeping in a tent is hard enough. It’s even worse if you don’t have any way to support your head while you try to sleep. If you have a shemagh with you it can be rolled up and used as a very acceptable pillow in its own right. Or, if you have an inflatable pillow, you can wrap it in your shemagh to make the surface more agreeable to your skin.

Local history has it that the shemagh originated on the Arabian Peninsula, although over time their popularity spread throughout the entire Middle East. During the 1930s they became a symbol of the Arab Revolt ( 2). And during the 1970s the keffiyeh became the trademark look of Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat ( 3).

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Shemagh scarves can be used as emergency bandages or tourniquets. Serious injuries are something no hiker or hunter wants to contemplate. But they happen. If you have a keffiyeh with you however, you have a fast and effective means of creating a tourniquet ( 7). If you don’t need something as drastic as a tourniquet but still need to cover a wound to prevent infection, the shemagh can be cut into strips and used as bandages. The shemagh (pronounced ‘schmog’) is a traditional cotton scarf that originated in the Middle East, where it is known primarily as the ‘keffiyeh’. No one is quite sure when the first shemaghs appeared, but they were already considered traditional Arab dress at the time of T. E. Lawrence – better known as Lawrence of Arabia ( 1) – during World War I.

The Mato & Hash Shemagh Cotton Scarf is billed as a ‘military’ scarf. But there is nothing particularly militaristic about it. It’s a traditional (almost) keffiyeh that can be used for whatever purpose you have in mind, military or otherwise. We say it’s ‘almost’ traditional because at 43 x 43 inches it’s slightly smaller than the true keffiyeh, which is 47 x 47 inches. But it’s close enough that it won’t be an issue for most people.Because the keffiyeh/shemagh is made of 100% woven cotton you need to be pretty careful about how you wash it. You should avoid putting it in the washing machine, and avoid the dryer at all costs. Just a few times through the washing machine/dryer cycle will be enough to destroy your shemagh. So, hand wash your keffiyeh with warm water and a mild soap. And always hang dry it. Getting this right will ensure your shemagh scarf is with you for years to come. The Bottom Line A shemagh scarf also helps you stay warm on those cold desert nights. Just as the desert can get baking hot in the daytime it tends to get cool at night as there is nothing to hold the heat, which vents into the atmosphere. In that case, the keffiyeh has historically been used to provide warmth against the desert cold. Today, it is used by people all over the world as a winter scarf. With 18 color and pattern combinations everyone is likely to find a Rothco Shemagh Desert Keffiyeh Scarf that will serve their purpose. While slightly smaller than tradition demands at 42 x 42 inches, it’s not so small that it warrants exclusion from our list. That’s because, let’s face it, not everyone is the same size and so there is some wiggle room available here. Not much, but some. A shemagh scarf can be used as a signal flag. Should you become lost in the wilderness, or have an accident and require assistance, a shemagh is large enough to make an effective signal flag. It can be tied to a tree or waved should you have the energy. If your keffiyeh is brightly colored then it will do an even better job drawing attention to your location. Shemagh scarves provide protection from dust storms. Granted, dust storms aren’t a major concern for most Americans, although they do pop up from time to time ( 4). It’s a different story, however, for those who live or are stationed in areas of the Middle East, where dust storms are a commonplace occurrence ( 5). When the choking clouds of dust and sand roll in, the shemagh provides invaluable protection that allows you to breathe until you can find significant cover.