Handkerchief is high on my list...

[shanks]

of important gear to have along, in any situation.

I always carry a handkerchief with me, just as I always have a knife. Seems the handkerchief is used much more often.

Just last week alone I used a hanky as a cleaning rag, towel, head covering, snot rag, fastener, pot holder, coffee filter, and tourniquet (3 stitches in my finger strapping the my canoe to the van's roof ).

It never seems to be mentioned, but to me, the handkerchief is one of the most important pieces of gear. Anyone else appreciate the hanky as much as I?

 

[Holmes375]

I always have a bandana or two with me. Useful iitems for a variety of scenarios.

 

[shanks]

Yeah, "Bandana" is probably the more proper word for what I use.

 

[red langford]

Yes, yes and yes.

 

[Odyssey]

It's been years since I owned any hankies.
When I was very young I wanted to buy Christmas gifts for my Mom and Dad with the very little money I had. For several Christmases in a row my Mom would encourage me to pick out nice a handkerchief in the Eatons department store, and every Christmas morning my Dad was delighted with his new hanky. I felt so proud and happy to please my Dad.
One day I went snooping around my parents bedroom, and found a drawer absolutely stuffed full of handkerchiefs, all neatly folded and orderly. I was devastated. I confessed to Mom what I'd found, and she must've spoken to my father about it; because one day leading up to another Christmas he pulled me aside and said "You know son. You can never have too many hankies. I use several every day, and your Mom keeps them laundered for me. I've got a drawer full, but I'll tell you, a man can never have too many handkerchiefs." He restored my confidence, and I've never forgotten lessons learned that day.
So when the time came, I tagged along to do my Christmas shopping for my parents. I don't remember what I got my Mom, but Dad's present was easy. I found it in a Canadian Tire Store. I bought him a steering wheel cover. It was fuzzy and warm for those cold winter drives to work. I figured that although a man can never have too many hankies, my Dad could last a couple more years on his hanky supply. Boy, you should've seen the look on his face Christmas morning!
I used to have my own supply of large bandana type hankies. Red with white polka dots. I only used them for wiping my face on hot summer days. They're good to dip in cold water and tying around your neck to keep cool. My own hanky supply eventually dwindled and ran out, and I never bought any more. My own kids never bought me hankies. I'd neglected to teach them that a man can never have too many hankies.

 

[Robin]

I carry a handkerchief every day. For as long as I can remember, the first thing I do after I put on my jeans in the morning is my wallet and pocket knife go in my back right hand pocket and a handkerchief goes in my left hand back pocket.
It's become such a habit that I will never go without it, I have 1/2 a dozen and also have a special place in my sock/briefs drawer where they are always neatly folded.
I take two on a canoe trip.
My favorite use for it is when I have my morning "coyote" breakfast..... knell on a rock, wash my face and have a good look around.

 

[Muskrat]

As you can see from my profile picture I usually have my shemagh with me. It's basically just a big handkerchief, but thicker fabric. They usually use them in the desert but I typically have mine on when the weather is cold. It keeps my head nice and warm while doing double duty for the other things mentioned above. I also will dip it in the water and drape it over my cooler. The evaporative cooling will keep my beer cold for an extra day.

 

[tump_lion]

hankies are handy, bandannas indispensable...

 

[Philtrum]

Ditto, Robin and tump_lion. I was raised to always have a clean pocket-cloth (Taschentuch, as my German-speaking grandfather called it), and when I go out with someone I usually have two, one of which must be both clean and neatly folded. Sometimes a woman needs that sort of thing.

 

[snapper]

Typically there's a bandana in my left pocket every day and at least one more in my pack. I find them useful for so many things as folks have already mentioned. In my youth my bandanas were all either red or blue with a black paisley type pattern throughout. Now I have all sorts of bandanas; i.e. a first aid one, one with constellations, a scat bandana, what to do in an emergency, etc. They're fun to read and actually might be of help to someone in need.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[shanks]

"hankies are handy, bandannas indispensable..."

Well said, tump_lion

I like the idea of info on the bandanas!

 

[Philtrum]

A friend once gave me a couple of silk bandannas, something I'd never have bought for myself. I often wear one around my neck while tripping. It's very comfortable - cool when it's hot, warm when it's cold.

 

[Clem]

Has anyone used a Buff? I just purchased one last week. Looks like it might be kinda handy. http://www.buffcanada.com/original-buffreg.html

 

[red langford]

A friend once gave me a couple of silk bandannas, something I'd never have bought for myself. I often wear one around my neck while tripping. It's very comfortable - cool when it's hot, warm when it's cold.

I do this with my bandanas sometimes, keeps the bugs from my neck too.

 

[ppine]

What Red says.
For those that have never tried a silk scarf, I can heartily recommend one. They come in large sizes, like a small bath towel and are very warm in cold weather, and cool in warm weather. One of my favorites is an old red one that I got about 35 years ago.

I have started carrying a buff for those days with too much sun bouncing off the water. I like long sleeves and a straw hat with a brim for high elevation clear weather on the water.

 

[Philtrum]

Has anyone used a Buff? I just purchased one last week. Looks like it might be kinda handy. http://www.buffcanada.com/original-buffreg.html

I have something similar. It's versatile, all right, but not in the ways a bandanna is. And I sure wouldn't honk into it!

 

[Guest]

I wear a silk bandanna around my neck in the winter and like it , but one thing it won't do that a cotton one will is to use as a potholder. They are poorer wash cloths also. the silk one is so lite I take both.
Turtle

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

When canoeing I have a microfiber sponge for cleaning the boat and other "dirty work", plus a thin microfiber towel that I use instead of my former bandanas for myself and "cleaner work". I find the microfiber soaks up more liquid and dries faster than cotton bandanas.

I keep a second and thicker small microfiber towel in my canoe van where I can grab it for wiping various things.

I never liked hankies as a kid, so I don't carry them daily as an adult. I keep various types of antibacterial moist towelettes in all my vehicles.

Of course, there's always my sleeve.

 

[scoutergriz]

I've carried bandannas in the bush since I was a kid. I can't think of all the uses they've had; A few are as a triangular bandage, firewood carrier, silt filter, dust mask, head cover, washcloth and towel, pot holder, etc.
Is it only me or are people finding they're a lot smaller now- I used to be able to tie one around my head and have a long enough tail to cover my neck. now they barely fit with enough to tie! I don't think my head has swollen THAT much

 

[snapper]

Scoutergriz - Unless my memory is really off, I remember my earliest bandanas being a full 36"x36". Also, besides the many uses you mentioned, I've also put mine to work as a coffee filter when necessary. Makes the cloth a bit darker in one spot only but what they heck, they're not for fashion; at least in my opinion they're not.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper