When you start to put together your emergency kit, I would suggest you strongly consider the lowly bandanna.
Why? The bandanna has many things going for it is cheap, it is versatile, and it covers a lot for such a small piece of cloth.
The bandanna is so useful that it is considered a staple in travel guides, and it is also recommended in hiking and camping guides.
What are some of the things you could do with a bandanna from an emergency preparedness standpoint? For starters, a bandanna can be used as a cover-up went for your head, neck, and face. It can be used in first aid. It can be used to keep the sun out of your eyes. It can be used to cool an overheated person or serve as a wind break to warm exposed skin.
Let's just run down the list of some of the things that you can do use it for:
- a head scarf (pirate style)
- a headband
- A hat (knot each of the corners) -- it's not fashionable, but it keeps the sun off your head
- a sunshade:
- Foreign Legion-style (hanging from the back of your hat )
- from a rolled-up car window
- around your neck
- a dust mask--just like the Cowboys in the western movies
- A sleep mask or a blindfold
- a washcloth
- a towel (although you can't use it as a washcloth and a towel at the same time)
- a bandage
- a tourniquet
- a cold, wet compress
- a hot pad
On camping trips I've seen people use it as
- a toothbrush
- as a flyswatter
- as an oven mitt picking up the coffee pot or other hot-handled items
- I've seen them use it as fingerless gloves to protect the hands when they didn't have gloves.
Are there more uses? No question about it.
Since the bandanna can be obtained for as little as one dollar apiece and take up very little space, is there any reason we shouldn't have one or more in our emergency kits?
Do you have additional uses for a bandanna? Share them with us, please.
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