Shemagh

21 October 2025 --- Ralph

Shemaghs are available in two sizes, in two different types of Fabric:

• Denim Shemaghs (our 100% Wool Denim), which I just decided to make, will be 60 inches (152 cm) wide by 54 inches (140 cm).  The Denim Fabric weighs about 12.25 ounces per square yard (415 grams per square meter)
• MidWeight Jacquard Shemaghs will remain 54 inches (140 cm) square.  The MidWeight Jacquard Fabric weighs about 13 ounces per square yard (440 grams per square meter)
• Size may vary a little with the width of the bolts of Fabric

Shemaghs are usually cut and sewn to order, which may take a couple of weeks.

The idea for the Denim Shemagh comes from Advisor Ziggy, who has been wearing wool and using Shemaghs for 30 years in the British Military.  Ziggy and I had a little correspondence the last couple of days, and Ziggy related how, even with his vast experience, he became a little careless and over-confident, and got himself into a dicey situation, but survived "due to the fact that I had all wool (base layer top, hat, gloves and woolen blend thin hoody on) that I managed, despite being wet and in shock after taking the fall, hitting some rocks and landing in water. It shows how valuable wool is when wet as we all know so well, but would point this out as a great way of reinforcing the fact to people who haven’t experienced it in extremes.".

The Shemagh, also known as the keffiyeh, is a traditional head-covering that originated in the Middle East. It is similar to a scarf, but was first used mostly to protect the head and face from blowing sand and dust. Its use has been generalized in many ways ... some more uses are shown in the list at the end of this entry.  Please keep in mind that this is not your typical lightweight shemagh.

We've had a great many requests for Shemaghs over the years.  We were told the FullWeight Shemagh was too thick to be tied off to itself, whereas the corners of the MidWeight were thin enough so they could be tied. But at least one person (see our only-ever negative review below!) found the MidWeight too thick for a Shemagh. Taking his criticism to heart (he said he liked it as a Blanket), we are now also offering the Shemagh as a small Blanket size.

The Jacquard Shemagh is a simple square piece of our MidWeight Merino Jacquard Fabric merrowed on all four sides.  Our bolts of Fabric average 54 inches across (135 cm), and this Shemagh is a square sized off the width of the bolt. As you can see in the photo, this is pretty big, but that's what people told me they wanted. I'm 6 feet (183 cm) tall. From early feedback, it seems like we eventually might be offering a smaller size Shemagh, maybe 42x42 inches (107x107 cm). Let me know if interested.  The Denim Shemagh is basically the same idea, but the Denim bolts are about 11% wider.

We really need feedback from everyone who purchases, please. You can publish a review on this website (see below) or contact me directly. THANK YOU!

Advisor Will Cooke has told me about intended uses beyond the basic head-covering. Will greatly prizes Freedom. He lives outdoors in Nature much of the time and owns only what fits in a rucksack. Will therefore demands versatility from all his kit and expects to use the Shemagh in a number of ways. Customer Clay C has worn a lot of Shemaghs and agrees our Fabric is thicker than the usual Shemagh, but said that created possibilities he did not anticipate. Ron P was at first concerned the Shemagh was oversized, but decided, like Clay, that there are additional uses. Ron wrote us that he now uses the Shemagh every day. THANKS to Will, Clay, and Ron for their input!

• Hood
  
• Scarf
• Cape
• Rain Shield
• Part of the Sleep System
• Extra Pillow
• Extra Layer in Hammock (Ron P)
• Sitting Cloth
• Ground Cloth
• Mini-Blanket / Picnic Blanket (Ron P)
  
• Lap Cloth
• Bag (for holding things!)
• Potholder
• Sun Shade (Ron P)
• Butt Pack (Ron P)
• First-aid sling (Clay C)
• Seat for hard surfaces (Ron P)
  
• Seat for wet surfaces (grass, rock, log, moss)
• Strain water prior to boiling
• Water Transport (Clay C)
• Even makeshift Skirt while washing pants!
• Water Transport
• First-aid Sling
• Soft pad for cameras (Advisor Dane Lawing)
• Similar to a cape, one gent told me he doubles the Shemagh, then puts it across his shoulders, either over or under another garment

We'll get a photo of a Denim Shemagh up here before long, but it won't look much different than the MidWeight Drab Shemagh already pictured, although it will be 11% wider.   The two Shemagh photos here now show MidWeight Jacquard Fabric in Drab Green.

We really want input on the Shemagh!  For one thing, it seems we might start to offer a smaller size, or perhaps switch to a smaller size.   (We want input on everything, but particularly the Shem because we have no experience of our own, whereas some of our customers have a great deal of experience with Shemaghs.)